Based on B&B rate for twin double room.
$$$$ = above US$180 (N$2,000)
$$$ = US$130â180 (N$1,400â2,000)
$$ = US$75â140 (N$800â1,400)
$ = under US$75 (N$800)
Where to Stay
Visitors to Namibia are increasingly well catered for when it comes to accommodation. Indeed, there is no better indicator of how greatly the countryâs tourist industry has expanded since independence than the immense increase in the number, variety and overall quality of lodgings. There are smart business-style hotels in the cities and swish yet organic bush lodges in the game reserves, down-to-earth small-town guesthouses and rural guest farms, and even well-equipped state-run campsites and self-catering resorts in the national parks. Standards are generally high, and rates are very reasonable by international standards, this despite a significant post-independence swing away from the budget-oriented South African self-drive market to a truly cosmopolitan clientele.
It is advisable to book hotel and lodge accommodation in advance, ideally through a reputable tour operator, particularly if you are travelling during the peak international tourist season, which runs from July to February but experiences something of a lull in October and November. If you prefer a more spontaneous approach, youâre unlikely to ever experience a problem finding a room in Windhoek, and should also be able to improvise in larger towns, especially out of season, but do bear in mind that the distances between rural lodges are often daunting â you wouldnât want to pitch up in the Sesriem-Sossusvlei region, for instance, and end up having to drive from door-to-door looking for a vacant room, so do at least make a phone booking a day or two ahead.
For campsites and self-catering accommodation, advance reservations are essential during Namibian and South African summer holidays (early December to mid-January), and on most weekends and public holidays, especially around Easter. At other times of year, campsites and self-catering resorts are seldom fully booked. During the peak summer season, accommodation is restricted to three nights at each of the camps in the Etosha National Park and to 10 nights at each of the following rest camps: Ai-Ais, Gross Barmen and Daan Viljoen. Visitors should note that no refund will be made if a reservation is cancelled or altered less than 10 days prior to the first date indicated on the reservation advice.
Note that all accommodation and campsites in the national parks and other state-owned reserves and resorts (several of which are listed in the pages that follow) are managed by
Namibia Wildlife Resorts. The main booking office in Windhoek can be contacted during the opening hours of 8amâ5pm MonâFri (tel: 061 285 7200; email:
[email protected]) or you can book online at
www.nwr.com.na. There are also branches in Swakopmund (tel: 064 402172; email:
[email protected]) and in Cape Town, South Africa (tel: +27 (0)21 4223761; email:
[email protected]).
For travellers who want a true taste of the Namibian rural way of life, the Namibian Community Tourism Enterprises (formerly Namibian Community Based Tourism Association) is a non-profit organisation, founded in 1995, to manage a selection of community-run tourism projects and campsites supporting the development of rural communities. It includes 34 sites in all, several with basic accommodation as well camping sites. Some of the more interestingly located of these sites include Aba Huab at Twyfelfontien, Brandberg White Lady Lodge & Camp, Kanamub Mountain Camp, Spitzkoppe Camp, Van Zylâs Pass Campsite, Bruckaros Campsite, Hippo Pool Campsite at the Ruacana Falls, Kunene Village Campsite and Ngoabaca Campsite near Popa Falls. All these community camps and campsites are bookable online through the Spitzkoppe Reservations and Info Centre (tel: 081 211 6291; www.spitzkoppereservations.com).
The accommodation listed below all lies within the city centre or easy walking distance of it.
This perennially popular budget lodge has a friendly vibe, the choice of private rooms, camping or dorms, good facilities including a swimming pool, pool table, satellite TV and internet, and the attached tour operator sets up budget safaris all around the country. $
Part of the prestigious Relais and ChĂąteaux Group, thi...