SOSSUSVLEI MOUNTAIN LODGE
NAMIB DESERT, NAMIBIA

• Namib - the world's oldest desert
• Highest sand dunes
• Desert-adapted wildlife like rare oryx antelope
• Fascinating NamibRand Nature Reserve
• Exclusive traversing rights over 13 000 hectares (32 123 acres)
• Thrilling desert activities include quadbiking
• Malaria-free wilderness
• Private Observatory
• Stargazing with professional astronomers

General information

Thanks to conservation efforts, the NamibRand spans 180 000 hectares (445 000 acres) 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-safari experience.

Accommodation

SOSSUSVLEI DESERT VILLAS, NAMIBIA

Cool Namib Desert accommodation: Cradled against the ancient mountains, this exclusive safari lodge offers a sophisticated desert experience. Comprising just 10 air-conditioned stone and glass desert villas, swimming pool, gracious guest areas and viewing deck, the Lodge affords absolute privacy in spectacular desert surrounds

This extraordinary safari lodge is renowned for its luxurious and private accommodation set at the foot of a mountain overlooking the stark, yet beautiful Namib Desert.

• 10 spacious, air-conditioned desert villas
• Glass-encased en suite bathrooms
• Indoor and outdoor showers
• Star-viewing skylights
• Sparkling swimming pool
• Elegant sitting and dining areas
• Viewing decks with panoramic desert views

Designed to capture the splendour and solitude of the desert, each stone and glass desert villa is set along the curve of the escarpment, affording absolute privacy. Each villa features a shaded private veranda, split-level bedroom and living room with fireplace, fully-stocked personal bar, compact spotting scope and a service-intercom to the main lodge.

A fine selection of wines from our walk-in wine cellar complements delicious Pan-African cuisine, which is served in the glass-fronted dining room. The split-level main lodge features a fire-lit bar, comfortable sitting room, mezzanine library with CD and book collection, swimming pool, wraparound verandas and African gift shop. The pool is fed by water from an underground spring. At sunset, animals are drawn to a nearby waterhole, providing added enjoyment to a sundowner drink. Sossusvlei is renowned for its exciting bush breakfasts and dinners in dramatic desert locations.

Unique desert safaris: Sossusvlei offers a range of exhilarating activities including scenic game drives in open 4x4 vehicles in the NamibRand Nature Reserve, quadbiking through the desert, exploring beautiful surrounds by guided and marked walking trails, stargazing and picnic excursions to the famous Sossusvlei sand dunes - the highest in the world - and Sesriem Canyon. Scenic flights and hot air balloon trips are available at an additional cost.

Activities

SAFARI ACTIVITIES AT SOSSUSVLEI MOUNTAIN LODGE, NAMIBIA

Specialist Safaris

Desert safari adventures

Experience the splendour of the Namib Desert and discover its fascinating malaria-free wilderness and desert-adapted wildlife while enjoying a range of Sossusvlei's exciting safari activities at no additional cost. These include:

Desert Ecology @ Sossusvlei (Additional cost)
There is no better place than Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge to explore the fascinating world of desert ecology. Within easy access of the lodge there is a unique combination of four habitats; gravel plains, sand dunes, petrified dunes and mountains. The Namib Desert is the oldest on Earth and the most faunistically and floristically diverse.

The huge sand dunes preserve the nocturnal tracks of it's small and varied inhabitants perfectly for early morning hiking and interpretation. We walk to a cave in the mountains west of the lodge to study Bushman/San rock paintings and artefacts dated up to 3,000 years old. Subject to availability to of Specialist Ranger.

Other Adventures

Exhilarating game drives

Resident naturalists will lead you on scenic game drives in open 4x4 vehicles, exploring the grass plains and red sand dune belts of the NamibRand Nature Reserve. See rare wildlife like the oryx antelope and mountain zebra.

Quadbiking (all-terrain four-wheeled motorcycle) excursions

Exploring the sand dunes on quadbikes is an unforgettable desert experience. These excursions are guided to ensure minimal impact on the dune habitat.

Interpretive wilderness walks

As many of the desert's attractions are small and well camouflaged, guided and marked walking trails offer the perfect opportunity to experience this fascinating desertscape on foot.

Stargazing

Traverse magnificent desert skies from the Lodge's private observatory, boasting the most powerful electronic telescope in Namibia apart from the National Observatory. Sossusvlei's resident astronomer will ensure that you receive an unforgettable cosmic experience.

Hot-air balloon safaris and scenic flights (Additional cost)

Hot-air balloon safaris and scenic flights over the Namib (weather permitting) offer unparalleled views of the desert's sea of red sand dunes - a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Sossusvlei Excursions (Additional cost)

Enjoy guided, picnic outings in closed air-conditioned vehicles to the famous Sossusvlei sand dunes - the highest in the world - and to Sesriem Canyon.

Game viewing

WILDLIFE SAFARIS AT SOSSUSVLEI, NAMIBIA

Intriguing desert-adapted African wildlife: Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge is set within the private NamibRand Nature Reserve adjacent to the Namib-Naukluft National Park, in a mountaineous part of the Namib Desert. It is a world of jagged mountains and an endless sea of red sand dunes. Four distinct habitats are home to unique desert wildlife that thrives in this seemingly harsh yet tranquil landscape.

• Impressive oryx antelope
• Rare mountain zebra
• Leopard, hyena and caracal
• Fascinating dune-adapted reptiles and beetles
• Great birdwatching includes several Namib-restricted species
• Unique desert flora featuring bizarre quiver trees
• Mythical 'Fairy Circles'

Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge Habitats

Sossusvlei boasts four distinct habitats. Rocky hillsides support strange quiver trees, gnarled commiphora and spiny euphorbia shrubs, as well as delicate Namib edelweiss. Seasonal tussock grasses flourish on the extensive sandy plains after rain. Dry riverbeds support deep-rooted camel thorn and wild ebony trees, which provide shade, browsing and refuge for many creatures. Impressive sand dunes may be bare or sprinkled with hardy grasses. All three types of dunes are to be found within easy reach of the Lodge: sand, vegetated and petrified. Research into Sossusvlei's mythical 'fairy circles' - unexplained circles of land where nothing grows - continues. Guests may adopt a 'fairy circle' with all funds going towards further research on what causes this mysterious phenomenon.

Mammals at Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge

A surprising diversity of large and small mammals occur in this arid wilderness. Rapier-horned oryx live singly or in small herds on the grassy plains, where aardwolf, bat-eared fox and springbok are also found. Rare Hartmann's mountain zebra and unusual dassie rat are restricted to rocky hillsides. Herds of springbok feed on the open plains. Spotted hyena, brown hyena, caracal and the elusive leopard are the larger predators. The strange Grant's golden mole inhabits open sand dunes.

Birds at Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge

There are 116 species recorded at Sossusvlei including the Namibian endemic dune lark. Ruppell's korhaan, Ludwig's bustard, short-toed rock-thrush, mountain wheatear, pale-winged starling, dusky sunbird and sociable weaver are among other arid-adapted species. Birds of prey are well represented with lappet-faced vulture, secretary bird, black-breasted snake-eagle, pale chanting-goshawk and tiny pygmy falcon among those regularly seen.

Other Wildlife

Four species of uniquely-adapted desert lizard live on sand dunes, where a host of entertaining tenebrionid beetles can also be seen foraging. Barking geckos call out from their burrows at dusk, when giant ground geckos go out in search of insect prey. The fascinating web-footed gecko occurs on bare sand dunes where it is hunted by the side-winding Peringuey's adder. A host of strange and interesting insects inhabit the dunes and rocky hills.

Conservation

SOSSUSVLEI MOUNTAIN LODGE, NAMIBIA

Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge is committed to the core principles: Care of the Land, Care of the Wildlife, Care of the people.

In consultation with community organisations such as the Africa Foundation - originally founded by CC Africa, now a not-for-profit rural development organisation - our partner has contributed significantly towards improving the prosperity and living conditions of rural communities. Namibia's intriguing cultural mix comprises Ovambo, Kavango, Herero, Damara (descendants of San Bushmen), Himba and Nama peoples.

Conservation

The NamibRand Nature Reserve has reclaimed 184 000 hectares of the pristine Namib Desert for conservation. It is the largest private nature reserve in Southern Africa, of which Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge owns 13 000 hectares (32 123 acres). A monthly percentage of our revenue is contributed to the upkeep of the Reserve.

NaDEET Educational Centre

Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge offers its expertise and contributes financially to NaDEET - the Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust. It is a non-profit organisation aimed to empower Namibians to make decisions for a sustainable future. Unique, hands-on, experiential environmental learning programmes are offered to schools, youth and educator groups.

Sossusvlei's soup kitchen

With a generous donation from a guest, Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge was able to set up a soup kitchen to assist the street children from the poverty-stricken Maltehu community. Ongoing funding is provided to keep the kitchen up and running, and many children and families have benefited from the project.

Ecotourism in Africa

Guests play a critical role in helping realise the dream and vision: to create a model in wise land management, integrating international travellers and rural people to their mutual benefit and demonstrating that wildlife can be preserved on a sustainable basis by all.

Positive Health Programme

Our partner CC Africa strongly believes in its people and was recently listed as one of three finalists in the Investor in People category of the 2005 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The October 2005 edition of Africa Geographic featured an article on AIDS and conversation, and highlighted the activities and programmes that various African companies are implementing in order to increase AIDS awareness and, in doing so, empower the communities taking care of some of the world's richest wilderness regions.

"Probably the most attractive program ... is that of CC Africa... CC Africa launched a Positive Health program in 2003 and in April and May last year ran two seven-day courses.... Their approach focuses on home-based care, gardens, counseling techniques and gender issues.... The health of the habitat is critical to the health of the individuals in it.... The conservation industry is uniquely positioned to take the treatment of HIV/AIDS in radically new directions.... Benefits [of the program] include acquiring 'hard skills' such as maintaining clean water, producing food, and home-based methods of dealing with illnesses that are not life threatening.... It takes only the will of ecologically minded people to make sure that the wild places are not lost."
Africa Geographic, October 2005

Getting there

Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge is easily accessible by air and road transfer - we can pre-book and package all of your regional/internal flights and transfers.

• Daily transfers by light aircraft from Windhoek or Swakopmund - the Dune Hopper - direct to Sossusvlei private airstrip
• Frequent flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa to Windhoek or Walvis Bay, followed by a charter flight to Sossusvlei private airstrip
• Scheduled flights from Maun (Botswana) and Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) are also available
• Sossusvlei is accessible for self-drive guests on good gravel roads by 4x4 or sedan - driving time from Windhoek is approximately five hours. Car hire is available in Windhoek, Walvis Bay and Swakopmund
• Namibia is renowned as being an exciting self-drive destination
  Let Amanzi Travel arrange your flights for you

What is included

• Accommodation
• Three meals daily
• Soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits, and beers
• Teas and coffees
• Refreshments on game drives
• Scheduled safari activities within the NamibRand Nature Reserve
• Emergency medical evacuation insurance
• Laundry
• VAT

What is not included

• Telephone calls
• Safari Shop purchases
• Champagne, cognacs, fine wines, premium brand spirits, and cigars
• Transfers to and from the lodge
• Gratuities
• Conservancy or park entrance fees (where applicable)
• Activities outside of the NamibRand Nature Reserve

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