If you can imagine yourself in a fine countryside manor house overlooking orchards and then at the same time imagine you are in an urban chic, modern hotel, then you could see yourself at The Weinberg Windhoek for sure. Cape Town meets Stellenbosch in central residential Windhoek.
Previously named, Am Weinberg Boutique Hotel, this elegant 42-room hotel is built around a heritage building. It offers contemporary amenities with a touch of class and sophistication without being presumptuous. They've perfected the balance between lavish and homely, unpretentious, yet certainly gives you a feeling of being in the presence of the elite.
From colours, textures and materials used, the well thought out décor makes you feel right at home, if the home is that of your wealthy, but down to earth aunt and uncle perhaps. Nothing is out of place and be assured every fine detail has been thought out to ensure a top class stay.
Colonial meets modern, fine country living and 21st century all in one, in harmony. Add great service, multiple dining options, roof–top terrace and world class spa and you find yourself in one of the best up and coming places to stay in Windhoek, without actually feeling as though you are in the capital city at all.
1 Night
Bed and Breakfast
5 Star
Hotel
Spoken Languages: Afrikaans, English, German, Spanish
No. Rooms: 41
Special Interests: Gourmet, Leisure, Relaxation, Wine
The main lodge appears to have been carved out of the desert rather than built atop it so natural are the materials and so sensitive the architecture. At the base of a rocky mountain, Namib Outpost looks out across what must be one of the most spellbinding views on Earth: an uninterrupted panorama so vast it beggars belief, no hint of human habitation and an ever-shifting spectrum of blondes, browns, yellows and reds framed by a mountain range of Martian hues topped with a deep blue sky only the world’s oldest desert can produce.
The rooms are huge stone-walled, thatch-roofed suites that line the mountain base, spaced far apart and angled just right for you to enjoy the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows or your large shaded balcony. The décor is luxurious and elegant, the en suite bathroom is huge with a double-volume shower and twin basins. You have your own lounge area and outside loungers to relax in the heat of the day or watch the night sky. With zero light pollution it does its level best to top the daytime viewing.
The main lodge serves a set menu dinner under those same stars, or indoors beside a towering chiminea on wintry desert nights. Two swimming pools, bar, viewing deck and cool lounge offering whiskey and cigars, cover all the de-stressing bases.
Despite the arid conditions, you will likely see oryx - the national animal of Namibia - ostrich, mountain zebra and springbok dotting the plains below. Keep a pair of binoculars at hand and you might be lucky enough to see cheetah or leopard - a good excuse for another cold drink thank you very much. High above the lodge is an unmissable sunset viewing deck and the Outpost has a well-marked 10km running trail. Another activity you should seriously consider is an overnight horse riding trail, where you spend a night at an open-air camp beneath the stars. Sister lodge, the Desert Homestead is most famous for its desert rides either short outrides or multi-day treks - could there be a better way to experience this magnificent place? A hot-air balloon at sunrise might come close. And did we mention a day trip to Sossusvlei? Don’t forget about Sossusvlei.
2 Nights
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
4 Star
Lodge
Spoken Languages: Afrikaans, English
No. Rooms: 12
Special Interests: Hiking, Leisure, Nature, Star Gazing
Occupying most of the breakwater responsible for the calm bay, the Strand Hotel is inches from the roaring Atlantic. Rooms, spotless and tasteful, come in a variety of sizes and configurations, most of them sea-facing, and are equipped with the modern hotel's in-house conveniences like wi-fi, flat-screen telly, international plug points, air conditioning and, to be on the safe side you've got a mini-bar and room service. You get the impression they really want you to eat, drink and sleep well at the Strand Hotel. And so you shall.
The Strand includes three dining options not to mention room service.
The Brewer & Butcher is clearly building on the Brauhaus and Kucki's success stories. A lively place to enjoy traditional Namibian food which is, by turn, influenced by German food so expect jolly portions of Eisbein sidestepping trays of cascading bierkröge held aloft. The Farmhouse Deli is where the buffet breakfast is served offers a more informal cafe feel. The Ocean Cellar is The Strand's signature restaurant and presents an exciting and much-needed quality seafood restaurant to balance out Swakopmund's meat-heavy palate. The sushi is excellent as are the oysters and, like all the eating options, you can see, hear, smell and even taste the sea. Or you can turn and face the show kitchen and enjoy that oh-so-soothing experience of watching a team of experts at work.
2 Nights
Bed and Breakfast
4 Star
Hotel
Spoken Languages: Afrikaans, English, German
No. Rooms: 125
Special Interests: Adventure, Beach / Coastal, Birding, Cycling, Fishing, Flora, Golf, Gourmet, Hiking, History & Culture, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Shopping, Sports, Watersports, Wildlife
Mowani Mountain Camp offers luxury accommodation, a relaxed atmosphere and what could be one of the best views in Namibia. The vast landscape of true Damaraland as far as the eye can see.
Just short of 20 kilometres from the sights that make the area of Twyfelfontein famous, on an outcrop, above the desert landscape below, you'll find Mowani Mountain Camp built on wooden platforms, hidden amongst granite boulders.
The camp's 12 tented rooms (4 Superior View, 3 View and 5 Standard), are fit for a queen with plush beds, luxurious en suite bathrooms with an exhilarating roofless section, and a private balcony with superb views of the Abu Huab River valley and Damaraland all around. If you're upping the ante and staying in the Luxury Room, Mini Suite or Mountain Suite, enjoy that view from your very own splash pool.
A refined mix of luxury and comfort, chic modern accents with touches of Africa and a stillness that brings inner peace. The perfect place to unwind and take in all the "nothingness" that surrounds you.
The private suite stops at nothing in the luxury department with a sublime setting high on a granite outcrop. A private butler will tend to your every need and the lounge, bedroom and open-air bathroom all share the same fantastic view.
1 Night
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
Lodge
Desert Rhino Camp is a remote safari camp in the vast Palmwag Concession between Etosha and the Namib Desert of the Skeleton Coast. Comfortable en suite safari tents and a casual living area provide the backdrop for a fascinating wilderness experience.
Desert Rhino Camp is in the Palmwag Concession. Covering a staggering 400,000ha, the community-owned nature reserve has an intricate ecosystem supporting desert-adapted wildlife including elephants and the world's largest population of black free-roaming rhino.
The luxurious accommodation at Desert Rhino Camp is enhanced by its remote and precarious existence. The camp has eight walk-in Meru-style safari tents on elevated platforms with en suite bathrooms and delightful hot-water bucket showers; the living area has enormous sofas that look out through open sides at the remarkable Damaraland landscape.
The décor is simple yet comfortable in earthy tones reminiscent of the land beyond. It’s easy on the eye with subtle hints of colour and pattern in between. Just enough to leave the main focus on the ever-changing hues of the incredible setting sun on the horizon in strong contrast to the deserted plains below.
Meal times area cause for yet more surprises as first-class food is whipped up from what seems like the bare earth and served beneath what could easily be the darkest night sky you’ve ever experienced. It’s spectacular.
As are the sightings of the black rhinos you will most likely get a chance to see, although not guaranteed. Head out with your guide in search of them and all the while exploring the wilderness, so vast, so remote and so untouched. Seeing a black rhino is always amazing. Seeing them in this setting is indescribable.
2 Nights
Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
All Drinks (excl Premium Brands) Included
Safari Lodge
No. Rooms: 6
Special Interests: Birding, Nature, Wildlife
The Masai-like Himba people of Kaokoland have retained their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle. Their land is harsh, inhospitable and fascinating, creating a delicate balance between survival and obliteration.
The Opuwo Country Hotel (also known as Opuwo Country Lodge) overlooking the untouched wilderness, provides a comfortable base from which to explore this beguiling region and to discover the secrets of its proud inhabitants. The lodge is also an excellent base for exploring the Kunene River and the far flung moonscape of valleys, mountains and ravines.
The luxury hotel opened late in 2005, and the rooms are all air conditioned and have en suite bathrooms. It's certainly not luxury compared to other high-end lodges throughout Namibia, but in these parts it's the most luxurious option there is and given the setting it's more than suitable. The air-conditioning alone takes the win.
The main living area houses the bar, restaurant, lounge, wine cellar, curio shop and a large verandah with a view that starts at the pool, sweeps over a mopane-covered valley, and ends in a haze of mountains.
Opuwo means "finished" or "up to here and no further" but really you can continue to the more northern reaches of Namibia from here and if you are heading in that direction, then you are almost certainly guaranteed to stay here along the way.
1 Night
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
3 Star
Lodge
No. Rooms: 40
Dolomite Camp is a Namibia Wildlife Resorts luxury safari lodge in the newly opened western section of Etosha National Park.
Looking out over a horizon of endless silence, Dolomite Camp is far - very far - from anyone or anything in the hitherto restricted western sector of Etosha National Park. In October 2011 the western gate opened to the public, allowing access to the game reserve from Damaraland and Kaokoland, and Dolomite Camp sits in the middle of a vast expanse of Namibia’s largest game reserve.
Atop a small outcrop of rock from which the safari lodge gets its name, Dolomite Camp has a 360-degree view of the grass-covered plains below punctuated by the occasional copycat outcrop. Accommodation is luxurious and the game viewing is exceptional and unique.
Combine two or three nights in Dolomite Camp with another stay in Etosha National Park - Okuaukuejo, Halali or Namutoni for a complete Etosha experience that takes in the variety of habitats, from the grassy plains to the shimmering pans, that make this enormous Namibian park one of the great game reserves of Africa. Keep in mind though that the other camps inside the park are not nearly as luxurious. It's about staying inside the park, which is why you're choosing these accommodations over those on private reserves just outside the park gates.
Wildlife and game viewing opportunities in Etosha are exceptional including: elephants, lions, rhino, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, Hartmann's mountain zebra, Burchell's plains zebra, springbok and many other species of plains game, a great variety of birds including many raptors.
Game drives at Dolomite Camp traverse the exclusive western sector and visit natural waterholes where a great variety of wildlife passes through to quench their thirst in these parched lands. Your thirst for excellent game viewing, quality accommodation and a unique African safari will also be quenched.
1 Night
Bed and Breakfast
Ongava Game Lodge has a rustic overcoat that fails to conceal its underbelly of luxury and elegance. The 14 enormous thatched chalets each have an en suite bathroom - with a view - and a large verandah looking out over the reserve.
You are perched on top of a hill here, so the views out from the main deck are well grand but this also means it's a trundle down to your room and back up again. The main lodge is open-sided under a canopy of timber and thatch and has a split-level living area, a dining room and a bar. The swimming pool looks out over a floodlit waterhole. There's a hide at the waterhole too. Splendid.
Ongava is a 30,000ha private game reserve on the southern edge of Etosha. There are three other lodges in the reserve - Little Ongava Lodge and Anderssons @ Ongava, for complete luxury and Ongava Tented Camp for an elegant sufficiency. The reserve has all of Namibia's wildlife and is the biggest custodian of black rhinos in Namibia. A highlight of the private reserve is a walking safari in which you track both black and white rhino or you can do white rhino approaching- with an armed ranger of course.
2 Nights
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
Safari Lodge
Spoken Languages: Afrikaans, English
No. Rooms: 14
Special Interests: Birding, Flora, Hiking, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Wildlife
Sophisticated and elegant, Mushara Outpost is a luxury addition to the Mushara collection of lodges on the eastern side of Etosha National Park.
Accommodation at Mushara Outpost is paired down luxury with eight chalets built on elevated decks with canvas roofing, floor-to-ceiling glass doors, en suite bathrooms with enclosed toilet and an open-plan shower with a cheeky private view of the Namibian bush.
The main living area is a charming farmstead house with a massive wrap-around verandah providing cool shade from the blazing sun and cooling the airy interior even further.
A large swimming pool invites an afternoon doze and the evening campfire, wine cellar and fancy food complete the picture of delightful relaxation.
The lodge is in a private game reserve with several small antelope and hundreds of birds setting the stage for your safari proper into Etosha, which is just 10km from your piece of paradise.
2 Nights
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
Lodge
Spoken Languages: English
No. Rooms: 8
Special Interests: Adventure, Nature, Wildlife
Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp is the luxury option at Okonjima - a family-owned portfolio of lodges on a private reserve between Etosha and Windhoek.
Bright versions of earthy tones and an open-plan design give the place a relaxed and informal atmosphere. The eight chalets and junior suite are spaced well apart from each other and are built like an African hut - with some essential modifications. The front half of the chalets roll up to reveal nothing but the African bush; each has an en suite bathroom, mini-bar, telephone, ceiling fan and a safe. You'll also have your own private open-air sala for ultimate relaxation.
The living area, or lapa if you want to get into the swing of things, is an enormous open-sided thatch construction that looks out over a waterhole and the wilderness. Inside its earthen-coloured walls is the dining area, a large lounge with a raised fireplace, and a sunken bar area; next to it is the swimming pool.
Okonjima Bush Camp is the luxury option and the Main Camp is the original lodge that offers home-grown comfort; Okonjima Villa and Okonjima Bush Suite are the pinnacle of luxury and seclusion.
1 Night
Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
All Drinks (excl Premium Brands) Included
Lodge
Spoken Languages: Afrikaans, English, German
No. Rooms: 9
Special Interests: Adventure, Birding, Hiking, Nature, Relaxation, Wildlife
