5 Best Hotels in Namibia

This flagship lodge in the Onguma Game Reserve on the eastern border of Etosha National Park's Fischer Pan is the epitome of luxury and style, blending unique Moroccan-style fort architecture with subtle hints of color and raw African textures. The main lodge’s wide deck overlooks the stark expanse of the pan and a waterhole, which is visited by many animals that have wandered across from Etosha. You get a strong sense that you're at the edge of civilization here. The exquisitely appointed suites stretch to either side of the lodge with astonishing pan views, outdoor showers, and cool stone interiors. The staff are like a well-oiled machine and you feel as though you are a VIP. The Dream Cruiser Sleep Out experience—a custom-built Land Cruiser with a wooden deck, double bed, seating and dining area upstairs, and a full bathroom downstairs with hot running water and flush toilet—can be booked in conjunction with a stay at any of Onguma’s properties. 

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. 

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. 

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.