30TH INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATIONS //
NEW LUXURY LODGES // GOING OFF-GRIDFew destinations can compete with Namibia’s raw, unspoiled
beauty for of-grid adventuring. Add into the mix a major
anniversary and eye-catching new lodges in the country’s
untapped south, and Namibia is one to watch in 2020
The pull is clear: home to otherworldly landscapes
and star-blotted skies (not to mention excellent safari
credentials), Namibia ofers travellers a complete
immersion in nature. While many of the country’s
of-radar retreats have so far been concentrated in
the north, it’s now the copper-hued dunes and game
parks of the south that are seeing a wave of design-
conscious openings.
The hotel grabbing the headlines is a fresh ofering
by safari experts Natural Selection. KWESSI DUNE LODGE
opens in March — a cluster of just 10 thatched cottages
in the heart of the NamibRand Nature Reserve (one of the
largest private reserves in southern Africa) and in easy
reach of Sossuvlei’s epic dunes. Each suite is designed
with a ‘stargazer room’, from which guests can count
constellations in the clear night skies.
Nearby in the same reserve, &Beyond has reopened
SOSSUSVLEI DESERT LODGE following a complete facelit
and overhaul of its excursions menu. And even further
south, amid the dramatic dunes of the Karas Region,
Zannier Hotels launched the colonial era-inspired tented
camp SONOP, its second lodge in the country, in July.
It’s all impeccably well-timed too, as Namibia gears
up for a major celebration in 2020. This year marks the
30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COUNTRY’S INDEPENDENCE
from South Africa and an extra £1.3m has been
earmarked for nationwide celebrations on 21 March,
including a spectacular parade in the Independence
Stadium in the capital, Windhoek. CM
namibiatourism.com.na1 NAMIBIA
IMAGE: GETTY
Cheetah stalks across a
dune, Namib DesertMarch 2020 71THE COOL LIST