With news of Prince Harry and Megan Markle’s honeymoon destination of choice, Namibia is marking the arrival with three new lodges – Sossus Under Canvas, Shipwreck Lodge, and Hoanib Valley Camp – each bringing a very different offering to the tourism scene in the Namib Desert, the Skeleton Coast and Kaokoland.
Timbuktu Travel, the revolutionary safari company that aims to make Africa more accessible to all by empowering the traveler to design their own trip online, is delighted to see this expansion in new lodges because ‘it reflects the demand from 2018’s travelers for exciting, adventurous, transformative travel,’ CEO, Johnny Prince comments. ‘These new arrivals in Namibia will offer something new and exciting for families, daredevils and avid campers, as well as wildlife enthusiasts so we at Timbuktu are really excited about the year ahead for travelers to this wonderful , dramatic, country.’
NEW: April 2018: Sossus Under Canvas, Namib Desert, Namibia – FOR AVID CAMPERS
Sossus Under Canvas is an exciting semi-permanent tented camp in the Neuhof Nature Reserve of the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib area. The camp will open between April and November, bookable on an exclusive basis only, promising one of the most private, unique experiences in Namibia.
With eight Meru tents set within a naturally formed granite amphitheatre, each with an open-air bathroom and comfortable accommodation, this is about a real wilderness experience. Sossus Under Canvas will be one of the most environmentally sensitive camps in the country, operating on solar power, with buildings constructed entirely from recycled or natural materials – roofs built from old oil drums, canvas walls and recycled metals. Guests will enjoy multi-day walks, nights sleeping under the stars on magical fly camping expeditions, hot-air ballooning, fixed wing scenic flights, game drives and desert pool experiences.
Timbuktu Travel will offer stays at Sossus Under Canvas from £215 per person per night based on two sharing. www.timbuktutravel.com/lodge/sossus-under-canvas. Best time to visit is between April – May and August – October.
NEW: June 2018: Skeleton Coast Shipwreck Lodge, Namibia – FOR FAMILIES & DAREDEVILS
Shipwreck Lodge will offer a completely unique place to stay amid the sweeping dunes of Namibia's Skeleton Coast – a strange and beautiful slice of African wilderness. Shipwreck Lodge is the very first lodge to be built in the Skeleton Coast Central Concession Area, creating a gateway for desert adventures and brilliant alternative safaris. All 10 chalets are designed to look like shipwrecks in the dunes at the mouth of Hoarusib River. Two spacious, connected family rooms make it a great choice for those traveling with children.
The coast provides wonderfully varied wildlife from seal and flamingo colonies, to hyena, desert-adapted lion and elephant. However, this is also a place of adventure…take a 4x4 to see the Suiderkus and Karimona shipwrecks and the remains of the Westies diamond mine; explore the Clay Castles – extraordinary structures carved by Hoarusib River in full flow, slide down the golden dunes, or visit the Mowe Bay seal colony.
Timbuktu Travel will offer stays at Skeleton Coast Shipwreck Lodge from £530 per person per night based on two sharing. https://www.timbuktutravel.com/lodge/skeleton-coast-shipwreck-lodge. Best time to travel from March - November
NEW: June 2018: Hoanib Valley Camp, Namibia – FOR WILDLIFE ENTHUSIASTS
Northern Namibia’s newest retreat, Hoanib Valley Camp, is a stylish six-bedroom tented camp in the Hoanib River valley, in Namibia's arid Kaokoland. With a brilliant location for exploring this starkly beautiful landscape, the camp will focus on the desert-adapted wildlife that makes its home here. The camp will be operated in joint partnership with the local communities and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. As well as learning about the endangered giraffe, guests will see desert-adapted elephant and rhino and have the chance to visit nearby Himba and Herero communities, allowing for interaction with these remarkable desert people.
Inside the camp, colours, textures and patterns are inspired by the surrounding ochre dunes, the geometric patterns loved by the Himba people and, of course, the giraffe that inspired the project. Outside, guests will find a fire pit and views that stretch all the way to the horizon. Guests can also spend days traversing the rocky mountains and network of dry riverbeds on a game drive, investigating flora and fauna on a bush walk; or learning about the area's culture. Game drives to Skeleton Coast NP can be organized, as can a visit into the field with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.
Timbuktu Travel will offer stays at Hoanib Desert Camp from £535 per person per night based on two sharing. To book: www.timbuktutravel.com/lodge/hoanib-valley-camp. Best time to travel from March - November
For all enquiries contact hello@timbuktutravel.com / +44 (0)207 193 1326 / www.timbuktutravel.com
