Is Namibia on your travel wish list? The month of June saw two exciting new camps debut in the southern African nation, the very first properties in Namibia for conservation-focused tourism company Natural Selection. To travel between the camps, it’s possible to do a full-day game drive or a short flight.
Located in the Namib Desert in the country’s northwest, Shipwreck Lodge and Hoanib Valley Camp offer a complementary experience for safari-goers. On Namibia’s famous Skeleton Coast, the Shipwreck Lodge takes its design inspiration from the shipwrecks that dot this wild and remote stretch of sand, also littered with whale and seal bones. As its name implies, the lodge has a dramatic architectural look—each cabin like a wrecked wooden hull perched on the dunes. Inside, the interiors were designed as luxurious retreats from the harsh surrounding environment: Wood-burning stoves and hot water bottles ward off the chill. Namibia-based team architect Nina Maritz and interior designer Melanie van der Merwe designed the solar-powered lodge with recycled wood and natural materials like rope and linen.
Shipwreck Lodge is a joint venture with Natural Selection and local Namibian companies Trip Travel and Journeys Namibia, as well as the surrounding local communities. Activities include game drives, 4x4 excursions to the Clay Castles, trips to the Suiderkus and Karimona shipwrecks, and outings to the Hoanib River Delta and the Mowe Bay seal colony.
East of Shipwreck Lodge in Kaokoland, Hoanib Valley Camp is situated in an equally dramatic wilderness area, with each of its six canvas tents offering views of the Hoanib River Delta from their raised decks. Cate Simpson of Reflecting Africa chose a natural earth color palette in her design, inspired by the landscape.
Good to know: Hoanib Valley Camp has partnered with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), and all guides are giraffe experts. Game drives also encounter species like elephant, desert lion, oryx, springbok, and jackal.
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