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Namib-Naukluft National Park is home to some of the most astonishing landscapes on the planet: snaking spines of rust-red dunes; pale, cracked pans staked with naked trees; and the sharpest of blue skies. It all amounts to a surrealist tableau and a photographer's heaven. Kulala Adventurer Camp sits on the national park's periphery, on a 37,000-hectare private reserve, with its own private access. From here, the area's key sights (Soussusvlei and Dune 45) can easily be explored, which is a considerable advantage given the popularity of this place.
From $220 person/night
Floating above it all in a hot-air balloon gives you the best take on the expanse of this ancient place.
Come afternoon, knife-edged shadows stretch across the Sossusvlei landscapes, creating sharper contrasts and startling images.
Climb a sand dune at sunrise to see the wide-screen views bathed in subtler hues. Coffee and a dunescape – just heavenly!
The stripped-bare landscapes are echoed by the minimalism in camp – there's little to its communal areas besides a few open-sided tents set atop low wooden platforms. You'll find a simple undercover sitting area with tables and chairs for mealtimes, though not much in the way of a lounge. In the evenings, tables are typically set out under the stars on the pan fronting the camp, and here candles, hurricane lanterns and a campfire are all you'll need for atmosphere.
Five dome tents are tucked against the foot of a rocky outcrop with views across the flat pan. They're covered with a double canvas overhang to deflect some of the intense desert rays. In front of each is a private porch with canvas chairs; through a zip-door is a small room with two camp beds made up with pure cotton linens, plush pillows and duvets. At the rear, an en-suite bathroom has a solar-heated shower, basin and a flush toilet.
Any time of year is good to visit this region, although May-October coincides with the best game-viewing period further north on Etosha's pans.
The landscapes of Namib-Naukluft are bizarre and beautiful, dramatic and spare, and Kulala's activities hinge on its most iconic viewpoints. But there are lesser-known excursions worth the trek, like to the improbable Sesriem Canyon where you can walk in the shadowy loom of towering sedimentary walls. Also, a surprising variety of incredibly adapted wildlife exist here: springbok, gemsbok, ostrich, bat-eared fox and, though rare, aardwolf. Love a hot-air balloon ride? This is one of the best places to hover.
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