Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge

The Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge is located in and around a vlei in the dunes of the western outskirts of the Kalahari. It is here where the vast Karoo desert meets the first red dunes of the Kalahari Desert. The small lodge with its individually and lovingly designed suites offers high amounts of space and privacy.

The guests are welcomed in the spacious reception building. Following a wooden walkway, the main building, with the restaurant and cosy fireplaces, bar, attached lounge and the new “Kalahari Lounge” with a fine selection of whiskey and a pool with a shaded area and pool loungers, is located in the center of the vlei.

The guests are welcome to explore the Kalahari Desert on foot, on the well-signposted network of hiking trails, by bicycle or on one of the nature drives in the morning or afternoon hours.

SUPERIOR SUITE
The Superior House is larger than all the others, with the highlight definitely being the private pool. The room layout is spacious and designed to experience view axes from 3 different levels.

Large windows allow you to experience nature in the Vlei, watch the animals at the nearby watering hole and look out into the African savannah landscape of the Kalahari.
Noble and modern equipped, this house is in a class of its own.

DISCOVER KALAHARI (NAMIBIA)
The Kalahari is a vast savannah which extends from northern South Africa across eastern Namibia and much of Botswana. Golden dune grasses on red sand mingle with a more permanent vegetation of thorn bush, desert shrubs and tall acacias.

The red sand, draped by the wind into a sea of dune waves, and blue skies over the flat landscape stretching to distant horizons, are part of the special aesthetics of this region. Rainfall brings the arid land to life and transforms it into the “Green Kalahari”.

The sand savannah is home to numerous animal species. Among the large ones are oryx and impala antelopes, jackals and cheetahs. It is also home to the indigenous San population. In fact, the Kalahari is the main settlement area of the San and thus a place where Namibia’s nature and its oldest culture both become tangible.

Ondili Nature Reserve with Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge and Teufelskrallen Lodge is situated in in a particularly beautiful part of the Kalahari. Whether you opt for a hike, a safari or a scenic flight to explore the surroundings – it will give you an impression of the seemingly endless expanse of this vast semi-desert and its wildlife. Among its characteristics are the red dunes, some of which rise up to 30 metres high.

ACTIVITIES & EXPERIENCES IN NAMIBIA
No matter whether you are looking for a holiday full of peace and relaxation or would like to spend your time in Namibia being as active and sporty as possible, every guest is sure to find an activity to suit them from the range we can offer.

You can choose between excursions lasting several days and shorter tours, where you are on the road for just a few hours or up to one day. One of the shorter tours is the Sundown Drive, where you experience the sun setting over the savannah, probably the most beautiful time of the day.

Equally entertaining and full of breath-taking natural experiences are our nature excursions, off-road safaris and horseback rides, during which you will get to know the diversity of the African flora and fauna in the company of a knowledgeable guide.

Alternatively, you can go on your own adventure and explore the pristine countryside of Namibia on an unguided desert hike or mountain bike tour.

In addition, an absolute highlight among our entertaining activities is the flight safari in a hot air balloon which quickly gives travellers to Africa an impression of just how big the African deserts really are. You get a spectacular view of one of the oldest deserts in the world.

On our more ambitious activities, however, our guests get a programme lasting several days. You will experience the most intensive perception of and proximity to nature during hikes and overnight stays in the desert or on, in part, demanding trekking trails through rocky mountain landscapes.

So active holidaymakers and experienced hikers can get their money’s worth as well as those who are looking for relaxation and recreation in the tranquillity of Africa’s countryside.

BALLOON SAFARIS 
A highlight in the truest sense of the word are the balloon rides over the Namib. We would be happy to organize the popular balloon rides with Namib Sky Balloon Safaris for you. This activity starts early in the morning on our neighboring farm about 45 minutes by car from our lodge.

NAMIB MOUNTAIN TRAIL 
Guided hike from Lodge to Lodge in the Sossusvlei region. For experienced hikers. Only bookable in combination with two overnight stays at Desert Homestead Lodge / Namib Outpost. Before sunrise, the hike will start after an early-bird-breakfast. The first leg consists of crossing the local landmark mountain.

We will follow a canyon to the mountain saddle. Light climbing will be necessary here. After one to one and a half hours, the saddle will be reached just as the sun comes up. Enjoy a first rest with breakfast while watching the sun rise over the red Namib dunes covering the horizon.

On the other side of the mountain, the trail follows a dry river course. Sand-filled washouts and smoothened granite rocks bear witness of the amounts of water that must have plunged down here during the rainy season for millions of years shaping this impressive landscape.

The vast savannah at the bottom offers some grass for feeding oryx and springboks, zebras and ostriches. With lots of luck, cheetahs or even a leopard are possibly spotted. We will follow a tributary of the Tsauchab river with camel thorn trees scattered on its banks.

This is where wild animals enjoy the shade for cooling down in the heat of the midday sun. After approx. 2 hours, we reach the bottom of the next mountain. We will rest on an elevation on the bottom of the mountain in the red hot Namib sand stirred up from the dunes. By then, the midday heat has come, and the road travelled will shimmer in the sun.

The panorama of the surrounding mountains and the colours of the sand dunes piled up on the horizon are simply thrilling. Our trail snakes up an old path used by mountain zebras leading up to the ridge. Up there, the view is magnificent.

With a little luck, mountain zebras may even be spotted. We will follow a mountain trail to a canyon. After the descent, the Namib Outpost will be reached, where warm cordiality and cool refreshments are waiting for us. We should arrive at the lodge about noon.

You can occupy your room and spend the afternoon with all amenities the lodge has to offer. It is part of the service for us to transport the car with luggage from the Desert Homestead Lodge to the Namib Outpost so that you will find your luggage in your room.

NAMIB HORSE TRAILS
For the more adventurous of spirit, Desert Homestead offers a unique experience where guests can ride out onto our private reserve and sleep out in nature. The reserve is situated in between the majestic red sand see of the Namib Desert and the rugged Naukluft mountains.

Leaving the stables and lodge behind, you will set off on an unforgettable journey through wide open plains riding over a varied terrain changing from soft, sandy, stretched open fields, to rockier mountain trails, through dry riverbeds, under Sociable Wearers nests and around Camel thorn trees.

Your experienced guide will eagerly tell you more about the environment, fauna and flora. You are almost guaranteed to come across a herd or two of grazing Oryx, springbok, or Zebra and some varieties of smaller carnivores, such as Jackal and Bateared foxes.

TRANS KALAHARI WALK
Guided full day hike through the Kalahari with 2 over-nights. Hiking and spending the night in the vastness of the African savannah offers the most intense nature experience. The red sand dunes and the grass and tree planes of the Kalahari will captivate every traveller.

Feel the hot desert wind on your skin. Watch antelope herds in the vast veld or spot giraffes feeding among the trees. Experience the sunset. Enjoy an African Braai at the campfire on a dune before listening to the sounds of the night, either in a cosy bungalow or even outside under the starry sky.

In the morning, shortly before sunrise, grab a hot cup of coffee and watch gnus and zebras on the water hole before experiencing that magic moment when the sun comes up in glittering gold just behind the dunes.

All of a sudden, the temperature turns comfortably warm, the night is over, a new day has begun. Africa. The Trans Kalahari Walk perfectly combines a comfortable stay at the lodge with exhausting but rewarding physical activities and campfire romanticism in the Kalahari dunes.

HIKING
All our lodges are connected to a well-developed network of hiking trails. These are regularly maintained and are clearly signposted. Should you still have questions about the routes, the Ondili team on site will be happy to help you. This way, you can also explore new paths on your own and discover unknown destinations outside of the guided activities.

Namibia is a popular destination for trekking fans. Because no matter which region you are in, you will always enjoy a varied landscape on your hike through the Namibian part of the African continent. And it doesn’t matter if you would rather go on a desert hike or climb mountain peaks, Namibia has a route to suit every preference.

For example, you could hike in the Kalahari and discover the endless expanses of the savannah. Golden grasses on red sand, a cloudless blue sky above the flat landscape – impressions like these not only make hiking in the Kalahari a special sports experience but a visual one too.

And the Etosha Highlands also provide you with breath-taking views. This is because in these animal-rich surroundings you can observe wild animals such as giraffes, zebras, antelopes and wildebeests. Thus, hiking through Namibia becomes a very personal African safari.

Other routes lead through the World Heritage Site of the Namib Sand Sea or past the fascinating balancing act of the natural rock castles in the Erongo Mountains or to the living museum of Damaraland, where you can gain an insight into the culture and soul of the region.

And for those travellers who would rather hike through Namibia’s countryside with a guide, our guided trekking tours “Trans Kalahari Walk”, “Absolute Erongo” and “Namib Mountain Trail” also make it possible to have some extraordinary outdoor experiences.

JOGGING 
For running enthusiasts we have scenically beautiful, signposted trails at Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge and Teufelskrallen Lodge in the Kalahari, at Desert Homestead Lodge and Namib Outpost in the Namib and at Hohenstein Lodge in the Erongo Mountains.

We do not offer running tracks at Etosha Oberland Lodge or at Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp in Damaraland because it cannot be ruled out that lions or elephants stray into the vicinity.

MOUNTAINBIKING
At the Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge and Hohenstein Lodge we provide our guests with several mountain bikes free of charge. Thus, Africa travellers can also go on their own adventure, outside of the guided activities, and explore the Namibian countryside.

A bike tour in the Kalahari leads you through the complex natural environment of Africa: The different vegetation and climate zones that come together here offer a variety of different views.

Our cyclists can experience an African cycle tour that will take them into the vastness of the savannah – golden grass on red sand – whilst also going over stony ground and past tall acacias. While mountain biking, you’ll often see animals like the gemsbok or impala. This outdoor experience therefore becomes your very personal Africa safari.

In the Erongo, the savannah and mountain landscape alternate with one another. An exciting natural spectacle, where you’ll be surprised by how variable the mountain terrain is.

Because on the banks of the picturesque rivers in the valleys of the Erongo mountains, you’ll sometimes see steep mountain faces, sometimes surreal rock castles, which look as if they have been piled up and balanced by human hands, but are in fact the result of natural processes.

Thus with their natural, unspoiled originality, the mountains of the Erongo are a fascinating sight to see. They are impressive due to their oversized nature – peaks measuring over 2000 metres in height, partly made of volcanic rock and with almost vertical cliffs, allow the mountain biker to experience a completely new kind of landscape on a bike tour through Africa.

We would therefore recommend an excursion on the bicycles provided at the lodges to anyone who is looking for a sports challenge or fancies heading out on an African adventure using their own initiative or simply wants to combine the impressive diversity of the Namibian countryside with physical activity.

SUNDOWN DRIVES
Game viewing in open safari vehicles as the sun goes down – that is what the Ondili Sunset Drives are about. Afternoon game drives in open four-wheel-drive vehicles are offered at all the Ondili lodges.

An experienced guide will point out the special features of the area and provide interesting facts about nature. Game sightings are almost guaranteed and the driver definitely knows the most beautiful spot for a sundowner. You will be back at the lodge in time for dinner.

Website: www.ondili.com

Rooms: 12

Price: from 338 EUR per night