About this hotel
General information
Little Kulala is a small Wilderness desert camp on the private Kulala Wilderness Reserve, within easy reach of the red dunes of Sossusvlei and the white clay pan of Deadvlei. Its individual chalet-style suites have clean, modern lines and open straight onto the desert, so that the camp seems to dissolve into the sand. The interiors take their cue from the local geology, picking up the grey and pink limestone of the surrounding landscape in natural textures and a restrained palette.
The camp runs entirely on solar power. Guests come for the silence, the space and one of the darkest night skies on Earth: every suite has its own rooftop, and a bed on the shaded deck rolls out under the stars at night. Stays include accommodation, all meals, two camp activities a day, laundry and local drinks, except premium imported brands and champagne.
Location
The camp faces the dry, tree-lined Aub riverbed on the 27,000-hectare Kulala Wilderness Reserve, which borders Namib-Naukluft National Park and shares a boundary with the NamibRand Nature Reserve, an International Dark Sky Reserve. A private gate, used only by Wilderness guests, leads directly to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. The quickest way in is by Wilderness Air light aircraft to the reserve’s own airstrip; by road the drive from Windhoek takes about five hours, and the camp can also be reached from Swakopmund.
Spa
The camp has a small spa offering massages and body scrubs, a welcome counterpoint to dune climbs, sun and desert wind.
Sports & leisure
The reserve is home to desert-adapted wildlife: oryx, springbok, ostrich, black-backed jackal and bat-eared fox, the occasional aardwolf and Namibia’s endemic dune lark. Activities at the camp:
- early outings to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei through the private gate, with climbs up the 300-metre dunes, Big Daddy among them;
- nature drives across the reserve and guided walks;
- a hike through Sesriem Canyon;
- electric fat-bike rides and low-impact quad-bike excursions;
- night walks with UV torches that make scorpions glow;
- guided stargazing, or simply watching the sky from the suite’s rooftop, and sleep-outs under the open sky;
- birding and rock art on the reserve;
- a hot-air balloon flight over the Namib Desert, followed by breakfast with a glass of bubbly, at extra cost, launching near Sesriem, about 45 minutes from camp.
Restaurants & bars
Menus put Namibian produce first: local dates, eembe fruit, venison, millet and beans. There are no named restaurants; instead meals move around the desert, from brunch in front of camp with bare feet in the sand to an oasis lunch in a dry riverbed, African tapas on the suite’s pavilion overlooking the red dunes, dinner on the rooftop or a private dinner for two in the wine cellar. Evenings gather around the fire pit.
Swimming
Each suite has its own plunge pool on the deck, made for lazy afternoons and a private sundowner by the water.
Rooms
Little Kulala has 11 units: ten chalet-style suites with private plunge pools and rooftops, and one spacious two-bedroom family unit that gives a family complete privacy.
Private plunge pool, shaded deck with a pavilion and a bed that rolls out under the stars, rooftop for sundowners, dinners and stargazing, and Wi-Fi.
Suite
A chalet-style suite with modern lines that opens onto the desert, with a private plunge pool, a shaded deck with a bed that rolls out under the open sky at night, and a private rooftop for dinners and stargazing.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.