Olive Exclusive

Windhoek: 1 Night

This intimate boutique hotel in a tranquil corner of Windhoek embodies the very essence of chic comfort.

The Olive Exclusive - the first ultra-luxurious sanctuary of its kind in the Namibian capital - is cool, contemporary and stylish but with a warm heart and authentic African soul. Its sleek, modern lines are complemented by organic textures, natural furnishings, an eco-friendly approach and dedicated personal service.

Simple elegance is key, from the organic rough-hewn wooden benches and side tables, through the sculpted chunk of granite that serves as a coffee table in the guest lounge, to walls clad in abstract Namibian landscapes by well-known South African designer and photographer Micky Hoyle.

The Olive Exclusive boasts a quality restaurant featuring a seasonal menu with inventive signature dishes - always delicious and never formal.

All this combines to make the Olive Exclusive an extremely easy and luxurious overnight stop to begin or end your Namibian holiday, or if time permits, stay longer for a relaxing treat.

There are just 7 suites in total, and each suite is individually decorated, reflecting a different region in Namibia. Each suite also has its own lounge area with fireplace and dining room for private dining. Wide glass doors open onto spacious decks where you can relax on a shady daybed and enjoy al fresco lunches. The en-suite bathrooms have a large walk-in shower and a deep free-standing bath. Well placed and easily adjustable lighting adds to the relaxing ambience.

The 3 Junior Suites are set within their own private courtyards with outdoor seating. Large glass windows and cool screeded floors complement the light and spacious interiors.

The 4 Premier Suites have front-row position overlooking the olive grove and valley beyond, and tall glass windows make the most of the views. Doors lead to a large deck with a plunge pool, sun loungers and additional seating.

AndBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge

Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert: 2 Nights

Experience the haunting beauty of the Namib Desert at AndBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, situated in the foothills of the private NamibRand Nature Reserve in Namibia. This extraordinary lodge is renowned for its luxurious and private accommodation.

Thanks to conservation efforts, the NamibRand spans 180,000 hectares of pristine desert wilderness, and is the largest private nature reserve in Southern Africa.

The Namib - known as 'The Living Desert' - is a world of vast space, endless horizons, dramatic desertscapes and jagged mountain heights.

Led by Sossusvlei's expert rangers and naturalists, explore the desert by quadbikes (all-terrain four-wheeled motorcycles), open 4x4 vehicles - even by hot-air balloon.

Excursions to the famous Sossusvlei sand dunes, the highest in the world, and Sesriem Canyon will add to this unforgettable desert experience.

The lodge comprises of 10 air-conditioned stone and a glass desert villas set along the curve of the escarpment that feature a bedroom with retractable skylights for in-bed star-gazing, a living room with a fireplace, an en-suite bathroom with a glass-encased rain shower offering 180º views, and a perfectly-positioned private plunge pool for some sublime respite after a long day in the desert heat.

The guest area features floor to ceiling, frameless glass panels that fold away to reveal unobstructed desert vistas. An interactive kitchen allows guests to create their own dishes and a fine selection of wines complements sublime meals. Other features include a one-of-a-kind gym, a 2-part wellness centre offering a treatment room and a private spa-bath, as well as a wet treatment room.

For those wishing for more privacy, the 2 bedroomed Star Dune Suite is ideal for families or groups of friends. Linked by a covered walkway, the suite features a private lounge and dining space, and the amenities of this extended accommodation provide the perfect space for one and all to enjoy.

Swakopmund Guest House

Swakopmund: 2 Nights

Surrounded on 3 sides by the Namib desert, and on the 4th by the Atlantic Ocean, Swakopmund is an interesting blend of African and German heritage, and one of the most friendly towns in Southern Africa. Many of the locals are of German descent, and together with its beautifully preserved German colonial architecture, the availability of German style beer, and the precise orderly manner which is evident everywhere, you would be forgiven for thinking you were in a small town in Germany, and not on the edge of the Namib Desert.

Probably the most popular single activity is quad-biking over the large red sand dunes that start from the edge of the town, or try sandboarding down the dunes as an alternative. The Cape Cross Seal Reserve is a 125 km drive north of Swakopmund, and home to breeding colonies of thousands of Cape fur seals. 

Several operators also offer scenic flights. The 2 most popular options are to take a flight north up the coastline, over the Skeleton Coast and back round, or to  fly across the desert to the Sossusvlei Dunes and back to Swakopmund along the coastline, taking-in a number of shipwrecks.

Situated in the town centre, a mere 5 minute walk from the beach and main shopping area, Swakopmund Guest House offers 8 standard rooms, 8 luxury rooms and one family suite for guests wanting to indulge in a comfortable stay close to the ocean. The luxury rooms are more spacious than the standard rooms, and most can be converted into family rooms sleeping 2 adults and 2 children under 12. The family suite has 2 bedrooms which share a bathroom and a living space and asmall kitchenette.

Wallpaper portraying a peaceful view of the ocean adds to the clean and neat atmosphere of the guest house. The en-suite bathrooms with soft cream walls are decorated with beach pebbles that give them a unique atmosphere.

The guest house is run with an eco-friendly approach, making use of solar power.

Mowani Mountain Camp

Damaraland: 2 Nights

Between the Ugab and Huab Rivers in Southern Damaraland lies a vast and unspoilt wilderness. This area boasts magnificent desert scenery, fascinating geological formations, archaeological sites and a unique variety of desert fauna and flora. It is also the southern-most roaming ground for the rare black rhino and desert elephant.

This is where you will find the Mowani Mountain Camp, nestled amongst the boulders of this beautiful area on a high spot commanding distant views over the landscape.

Adventures and activities available at Mowani include trips in a hot air balloon, hiking through the magnificent scenery, and early morning game drives to track the rare desert-adapted elephant and deset black rhino with an experienced guide in an open Land Rover. Or you can choose to just relax around the pool and enjoy the spectacular surroundings.

Guests can also visit the prolific site of Twyfelfontein. This wonderful archaeological site offers more than 2,500 engravings as well as various paintings, and is probably the finest example of rock engraving in southern Africa.

After a day full of activities, head to the viewpoint sundowner spot and enjoy a cold drink, while gazing around the 180 degrees of spectacular desert scenery as the sun sets in the distance.

The luxury tented en-suite accommodation, each with an open air en-suite bathroom and private deck overlooking the desert landscape, is built unobtrusively so as to ensure minimum impact on the natural environment. The stilt-like supports of the tents meant that very little excavation was needed in order to create this special oasis.

The Luxury Room is west-facing and is closest to the main lodge, making this ideal for guests who are not too mobile.  The 5 Standard View Rooms have views into the boulder-strewn valley, and the 3 View Rooms face east with views across the valley. The 4 Superior View Rooms face west with panoramic distant views.

The Mini Suite is completely private, and is cocooned in the rocks with granite close-up boulder views. The Mountain Suite has spectacular wrap-around views, with a lounge and private dining area, and an outdoor bush bath and shower with gorgeous views as well.

Much care has been taken with the design of the main areas, creating the impression of an African Village, with dome-like thatched structures that blend in with the imposing boulders which are scattered around the outcrops.

Okaukuejo Rest Camp

Etosha National Park: 2 Nights

Etosha National Park offers some of the world’s finest wildlife viewing. Tucked away in the north of Namibia and stretching across 22,000 square kilometres of unrivalled remote landscape, Etosha is home to 114 different species of mammal, including 4 of the famous Big 5 - lion, leopard, elephant and rhino (both black and white). It also boasts over 400 species of bird and 110 species of reptile. You’ll also find 3 rare antelope species amongst its hills and valleys - the lovely black-faced impala, the graceful roan antelope and the dinky Damara dik-dik, Southern Africa’s tiniest antelope, which stands only 40cm tall to the shoulder as a fully grown adult.

Okaukuejo Rest Camp is situated within the Park, approximately 17 km from the southern Andersson Gate entrance.

The main attraction of the camp is that it overlooks a permanent waterhole which is floodlit at night. Here a wide diversity of wildlife congregate and interact - from lion to rhino to elephant and antelope. The spectacle starts at dawn, with animals coming in large numbers to quench their thirst. The activity continues throughout the day until late at night. In the early evenings, it is not uncommon to have black rhino, elephant and lion all drinking at the same time.

Accommodation is provided to suit every need - double storey 2 bedroom premier waterhole chalets with balconies overlooking the waterhole, standard waterhole chalets (situated close to the waterhole), bush chalets, double rooms and family chalets.

Other facilities include a restaurant, bar, shop and swimming pool. There is also a petrol station.

Onguma The Fort

Etosha National Park: 1 Night

Situated on the eastern side of Etosha, bordering Fishers Pan, Onguma is one of Namibia's best kept secrets. Onguma Nature Reserve consists of 34,000 hectares of Namibian wilderness and boasts over 30 different animal species.

Plains game roam freely and predators, although not always easy to spot, are nevertheless common residents of the area. Lion and cheetah are frequently seen and often heard. There is a healthy black rhino and leopard population and hyenas are also often seen and heard. More than 300 bird species have also been recorded here.

Onguma The Fort is the only one of its kind in Namibia. It is built in exactly the right spot to give guests probably one of the best sunset views in the whole of Namibia - overlooking the beautiful scarceness of the Etosha Pans. Upon arriving at Onguma The Fort, you will be welcomed by not only the friendly staff, but also massive raw walls, stunning stone cladded features and a huge tower with views toward Etosha and Fisher's Pan. The Fort has a classical African feel combined with a touch of Moroccan and Indian flavours, characterised by a selection of the most beautiful antique windows and doors.

Accommodation consists of 11 Bush Suites and one Honeymoon Suite, all situated adjacent to the Main Fort. Every Bush Suite is completely private and about 50 meters apart from one another. The spacious bathroom has both an inside shower as well as an outside shower area. Wooden decks lead you towards the outside seating area with sun loungers for relaxing and enjoying the extraordinary view.

In addition, the Sultan Suite is situated inside the Main Tower. It has a large beautifully designed bedroom that leads into a lounge area and out onto a small private viewing deck. The large bathroom has a wonderful open shower area, as well as a bath in which to relax and reflect upon your day's experiences.

Activities include Etosha game drives, Onguma sunset drives, and interpretative bush walks. There is also a water-level hide overlooking an active waterhole.

Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp

Okonjima Nature Reserve: 2 Nights

Okonjima is much more than a luxury lodge. It is also the home of the AfriCat Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation and welfare of Namibia's wild predators, especially cheetahs and leopards.

Since being founded in 1991, AfriCat’s mission has been to make significant contributions to conservation, while trying to ensure the survival of Namibia’s predators in their natural habitat. It undertakes research, community support and environmental education projects, as well as conservation work to rehabilitate carnivores such as cheetah and hyena.

A highlight for anyone visiting Okonjima is to learn about their big-cat passion. Leopards roam freely and hunt within the 22,000 hectare reserve, and an opportunity to see them on game drives led by experienced guides is why guests travel continents to stay here. You may also spot other rare and endangered species such as rhino and pangolin. Guests can also get involved in collecting and collating data, and assisting with actual research being conducted by AfriCat.

The Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp is situated at the edge of a wilderness area. Each of the 8 unique thatched, African-style chalets enjoys complete privacy, and is an attractive combination of earthy, ochre walls and khaki-green canvas, under a thatched roof. Each chalet has large glass panels and canvas windows that can be completely opened for unrestricted views of the savannah and in front of each chalet, a birdbath is visited by a variety of birds and small mammals.

There is also a Junior Suite with a private lounge area and fireplace to keep you warm during the winter nights. The outdoor shower is ideal for the summer time.

In between activities, guests staying here can relax around the secluded swimming pool.