50 Best Hotels in Namibia

Situated in a tall shady forest, this lodge stands on its tiptoes high up off the ground overlooking the lush floodplain below. In order to preserve the natural pathways of the elephants that pass through the area regularly, wooden walkways weave through the tops of the trees connecting roomy luxury tents and the main lodge area. You don’t have to go far here to spot game, as sometimes it may be passing right underneath you while you laze the day away on your treetop deck. Special touches like a delivery of coffee and biscuits in the early morning and star-lit dinners or conversations around the bonfire at the main lodge and a hot bath awaiting your return from an evening game drive make this lodge feel all the more personal. The area has abundant birdlife and the boat cruise is well worth it.

These eco-friendly, solar-powered chalets with spacious wood decks balance atop grassy sand dunes that show off stunning sunset vistas. Usually taken as a one- or two-night "sleep out" option for those staying at Desert Grace, the chalets come with beds that can be rolled out onto the deck so that you can sleep under a canopy of stars. You'll have everything you need for a restful and extremely comfortable night (including lights, hot water, and lots of warm bedding), without having to rough it. The reception area has free Wi-Fi, a swimming pool, and a small shop that sells general items and souvenirs.

Resembling children's building blocks set down by a giant hand in the middle of nowhere, this earth-toned lodge sits in the midst of a wide plain of desert, backed by gorgeous granite hills. Awesome views go with the territory. You can choose to sit on your private veranda and watch the fiery desert sunset, sip a sundowner by the pool, or enjoy a meal in the open-air or indoor restaurant. The lodge will arrange outings and activities for you—don't miss out on an easy walk in the world's oldest desert.

On the edge of Nkasa Rupara National Park, this intimate, unfenced tented camp—which is part of the award-winning, joint-venture Wuparo conservancy program—offers the best of both worlds, namely river cruises and game drives through wetlands, woodlands, and grass plains. The unpretentious, double-story main lodge has a swimming pool, bar, and a lookout over a natural watering hole that connects to the Kwando-Linyanti river system after heavy rainfall. Bell frogs will sing you to sleep with their chorus that resembles the clinging of glass bells. The stilted, en suite tents are simple and may not meet travelers’ expectations when it comes to the price, but its eco-tourism model that minimizes guests’ carbon footprint and partners closely with local communities is impressive. Their nearby sister property (Jackalberry Tented Camp), also within a concession in the national park, is recommended for those looking for a slightly higher-end stay.

This family-run, private lodge, with numerous accommodation options to suit various budgets, is located in the Okonjima Nature Reserve about halfway between Windhoek and Etosha, making it an excellent stopover point on your way to the park. It's also home to the environmental-award-winning AfriCat Foundation ( www.africat.org), which has focused on the conservation of Namibia’s wildlife through ongoing research and education efforts for over three decades. During a two-night stay, you have the chance to track leopards, rhinos, and pangolins, with a high probability of seeing wild and collared leopards (for research purposes) in their natural habitat. Nestled among the Omboroko Mountains, the lovely Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp has ample room to relax, whether it is in the communal lounge, by the inside fireplace or outside fire pit, or alongside the swimming pool. Each thatched room has a canvas wall that can be rolled up to look out onto the sweeping savannah, which can equally be taken in from the privacy of your own sala and lounge. The nearby Private Bush Suite is a two-bedroom standalone cottage that comes with a private chef—and a hefty price tag.

Located about a 10-minute drive north of the city center, this elegant guesthouse is incredibly popular for its stylish simplicity and great service. The aesthetic is minimalist chic, with polished concrete floors and a color scheme of sage and olive with well-placed details like beautiful handmade tiles and Moroccan-style lanterns. Attention to detail and thoughtful treats for guests are a specialty here (e.g., honeymooners can expect bubbly and flower petals). Families are also welcome; the humongous and super luxurious executive suite is an absolute stunner.

This small and friendly thatched camp is set in a beautiful natural forest within a nature reserve 10 km (6 miles) east of the Von Lindequist Gate—about a 30-minute drive from the park. After a hot, dusty day in Etosha (or exploring Onguma Nature Reserve which has more than 30 animal and 300 bird species), you can sip a cocktail on your mini-veranda or by the fire pit that faces the waterhole, while listening to the noises of the night. The owners emphasize excellent cuisine made with fresh, local produce that makes dining in the newly built boma quite the experience. The Dream Cruiser Sleep Out experience (a two-story structure built on top of a Land Cruiser with a full bathroom) can be booked in conjunction with a stay here.

This centrally located establishment is right on the water's edge and along the palm-lined promenade, which means you can look out onto the Walvis Bay Lagoon from all of the rooms (but the junior suite) and the restaurant. There is a short pier just in front of the hotel, which makes for a great spot to watch or photograph the resident flamingos and pelicans.

The best time of year to visit Serondela Lodge, on the floodplains of the Chobe River, is just after the rainy season, which ends in March. This is when the Zambezi Region erupts in bursts of green and swells with an abundance of wildlife. The lodge directly looks out onto Botswana’s Chobe National Park, a mere 200 m (656 feet) across the river, which makes for delightful game spotting (especially elephants) from the wooden deck. A lunch-time or sundowner river cruise is a must for bird watching and photography. The easiest way to reach the lodge is from Kasane in Botswana, and the complimentary 17 km (10½-mile) boat transfer doubles as a wonderful arrival activity.

If you want to be on the spot when the park gates open at first light, this hotel (right at the Sesriem entrance) is the right choice for you. Its decor—in khaki shades and with wooden finishings—blends perfectly with the desert surroundings. After a hot, dusty day in the desert, it's wonderful to wallow in the swimming pool, which faces the dunes, and later gaze at the dazzling brilliance of the night skies while you dine in the large open-air restaurant. Book just about any desert activity from the excellent adventure center.

This pleasant and affordable lodge about 25 km (15½ miles) south of Etosha's Anderson Gate makes a great base for exploring the park. Experienced guides take you on the lodge's all-day drive in an open game vehicle with a great picnic included (six people max per vehicle). Cheerful well-appointed double rooms are set among green lawns and old mopane and seringa trees. The restaurant serves excellent house-cooked food and specializes in fine South African wines. Kids under six stay free with their parents.

In a dramatic locale in Damaraland's Valley of the Ugab Terraces, this lodge is set against the backdrop of a mighty stone finger pointing toward the sky. Take the time to listen to the silence on one of their walking trails or as you lounge by either of the two swimming pools. The 360-degree views from the Sundowner Terrace are magnificent. Bungalows cling to the side of a rocky hill and are clean, comfortable and air-conditioned, but it's the remarkable views that you'll always remember, especially if you stay in the Heaven's Gate room. 

If it's rhinos you're after, especially the rare black rhino, then this very remote tented camp in the heart of the private 1-million-acre Palmwag Reserve is a must. In addition to the rhinos, you might also see desert elephants, giraffes, zebras, and springboks. The camp collaborates with the Save the Rhino Trust, and one of the highlights of your stay will be tracking the rare black rhino in an open safari vehicle, with the very short final approach done on foot. It's an honor to encounter one of the continent's largest free-ranging populations of these critically endangered animals. Though the landscape is very barren and stark, you'll likely feel very close to the desert in your contemporary canvas and wooden suite with a spacious porch and indoor/outdoor showers. During a two-night stay, you will be treated to an unforgettable dinner experience by the exceptionally warm-hearted staff. 

Blending into the backdrop and set amid stony slopes, rugged boulders, the distant Etendeka Mountains, and the pink and russet sandstone cliffs of Twyfelfontein to the south (where you can visit some of the most famous San rock paintings and engravings in the world), this is classic Damaraland. The wood, canvas and thatch camp offers 360-degree views of this fascinating landscape and the chance to see the desert-adapted elephants. The sturdy en-suite units have indoor and outdoor showers. You can relax in the glistening pool after a day's activities, or climb up to the roof area of the main building to sip sundowners or watch the blazing stars. Birders will delight in seeing a few of the country’s endemic species, such as Rüpell's korhaan, Carp's tit, and Damara red-billed hornbill. 

This luxurious and completely solar-powered, low-impact camp is located in the remote, broad valley of the Hoanib River; with one foot in the dramatic Namibian Kaokoveld and the other in the Skeleton Coast National Park, the unique and exquisitely appointed tented rooms look out over scenery that's hard to find adjectives to describe. This part of the Skeleton Coast also lends itself to exploring the shipwrecks and Cape fur seal colonies along the otherwise deserted coastline, with the opportunity to spot desert-adapted elephants, lions and brown hyaenas. The large shaded deck of the rooms or the sparkling swimming pool are the perfect place to sit and stare out at the arresting scenery while escaping the heat of the day. The day-long coastal excursion (for guests staying three nights or longer) is the experience of a lifetime that includes a beach lunch and a (weather permitting) scenic flight back to camp.

In the heart of the Namib, set on a private wilderness reserve that borders the Namib-Naukluft Park with an exclusive-use entrance gate, this is the closest you could possibly stay to the famous red dunes of Sossusvlei (along with Little Kulala, on the same reserve). This proximity also offers a remarkable setting with superb mountain scenery and vast open plains, while the main lodge truly exudes this sense of place with the large tree trunks that act as pillars. The wrap-around wooden deck leads from the swimming pool to an extended veranda (for alfresco dining), fire pit, and indoor dining area, making it the perfect place to watch or photograph the magnificent desert sunset. The tented, double-layer canvas, thatch-roofed chalets (kulala) sit on a wooden platform overlooking the dry Tsauchab riverbed and desert landscape, and while they don't have air-conditioning, they are designed in such a way that allows for natural airflow and cooling. On summer nights, you can request a star bed rollout with your turndown service to sleep on the chalet roof, under the night sky. 

For seclusion and green, conscience-free travel in a ridiculously pretty setting, book Wolwedans Desert Lodge, which is set against an impressive sand dune and faces a mountain that glows in shades of pink as the sun sets. Take a game drive with the well-informed guides and learn about the unique desert fauna and flora of the NamibRand, from the heat-adapted oryx and tok-tok beetles to Pale Chanting Goshawks and the remarkable camelthorn tree. Progressive in their long-term approach to conservation and energy, Wolwedans operates entirely on renewable energy, eliminating the hum of diesel generators and preserving the profound stillness of the desert. 

This exclusive-use private villa, in the serene and secluded NamibRand Nature Reserve—which is Africa's first Dark Sky Reserve—gives its guests up-close access to the surrounding desert habitat. The reserve is a reflection of the diversity of the Namib Desert with its steep mountain ranges, vast savannas, glorious red sand dunes, and clay pans. Here you might possibly see the oryx, as well as more than 100 bird species including the rare dune lark, found nowhere else in the world. The reserve is sparsely developed and off-limits to large vehicles such as tour buses. What's more, a percentage of the sustainability fee (US$79 per person per night) goes directly to conserving the integrity of the reserve. The villa is made up of four en-suite doubles that share a library, kitchen, private chef, guide and numerous outdoor spaces from which to enjoy the views.

The concept of conservation and the genuine rehabilitation of the resident flora and fauna is at the forefront for Zannier Hotels, as is property design as evidenced by these airy and spacious thatched villas built to reflect Owambo architecture fused with five-star flare. Each villas has a double-sided fireplace, open-plan adjoining rooms, and a large bathroom with an indoor and outdoor shower. The lodge's expansive infinity pool, lounge area, and rustic bar make for a peaceful place to unwind surrounded by the savannah, even though it is only 50 minutes outside of Windhoek. Zannier partnered with the Naankuse Foundation to establish the 22,239-acre Zannier Reserve on a former cattle breeding farm, where it offers a true sanctuary and forever home to animals that have been injured or rescued from untoward tourism practices, as well as endangered species.

From this delightful lodge, where personal attention and friendly service are outstanding (the lodge gets many repeat visitors), you can drive yourself to Sesriem and Sossusvlei (90 km/56 miles to the gate) or to Naukluft. The comfortable and unpretentious lodge has its own canyon—popular with geologists and archeologists—hiking trails, and perennial springs. All rooms have views of the swimming pool and bush beyond, and are tastefully furnished, making them a welcome refuge from the hot days.