Nestled within the Namib Desert on the 37,000 hectare private Kulala Wilderness Reserve, Kulala Desert Lodge is extraordinarily close to the magnificent red sand dunes of Sossusvlei.  It is the only lodge in the Sossusvlei area that has such an incredible view of the great Namib sand sea.

Kulala Desert lodge has its own private gate into the Namib-Naukluft Park which leads to the famous dunes of Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon.  With exclusive access to the park, sunrise /sunset excursions are easy and hassle free.

Kulala Desert lodge offers 19 thatched and canvas chalets with en-suite bathrooms and verandas.  Each chalet is perched on a wooden platform to catch cool breezes and has a deck on the rooftop where guests can spread out the bedrolls and sleep under the draping starry skies.

Kulala Desert Lodge main lounge area’s décor is inspired by northern Africa weaving the theme throughout to the lounge, bar, dining area, plunge pool, and around the veranda overlooking the lodge’s own waterhole.  The waterhole at Kulala Desert Lodge attracts a variety of local wildlife including oryx, springbok, ostrich, jackal, and much more! Together, this is the perfect location to view and photography the brilliant desert scenery.

Activities at Kulala Desert Lodge:

• Early morning guided nature drives.  Enter the dunes of Sossusvlei through Kulala Desert Lodge private gate on the Tsauchab River.  Enjoy the day delving into Sossusvlei and the areas geology/geography/wildlife and eat brunch at a fully laid table under a camelthorn tree.
• Nature drives, walks (Tsauchab River trail), and eco-friendly quad-biking excursions
• Early morning ballooning begins at first light.  This is a unique experience to soar silently above the Namib sand sea only to enjoy a Champaign breakfast served at your intended landing sight.
• Self-drive excursion to Sossusvlei
• Horse riding safari on request
• The scenic sundowner safari – one of the absolute best in the Namib!

For guests participating in the early morning activities, tea/ coffee and rusks are served at Kulala Desert lodge before departing.  A buffet breakfast and lunch is served every morning for all guests not on a morning excursion.  Dinner is a 3-course meal served outside on the verandah by candle light.  If weather isn’t suitable for an outside affair, it will be taken indoors.

Kulala Wilderness Reserve

The Kulala Wilderness Reserve began in 1996 with a desire to be in close proximity to Sossusvlei.  The land was previously used for subsistence goat farming –indigenous wildlife was rare –and with the removal of stock fences the wildlife slowly began to populate the area once again.  When the land extended to the Namib-Naukluft Park, the area officially became the Kulala Wilderness Reserve.

With the rise of the reserve came the opportunity to study and assess the rehabilitation of the area after years of subsistence farming.  The Small Carnivore Research Project began in 2000, when bat-eared fox, aardwolf, black-backed jackal, Cape fox, and the African wildcat were studied as indicator species for land rehabilitation.

Guest at Kulala Desert Lodge not only witness the sparsely distributed desert-adapted wildlife (mentioned above), but also larger predators including the spotted hyena, brown hyena, and porcupine in addition to all the antelope species.

Although the area lacks vegetation, has extremely little rain, in addition to its arid climate, surprisingly the area supports great diversity of insects, reptiles, and rodents.

The Kulala Desert Lodge seems to offer it all with spectacular exclusivity.

Learn more about Sossusvlei here –