Little Kulala

CEDARBERG RATING

Luxury

PRICING FROM

₤ 516 (Pps)

Overview

Little Kulala is in a prime location on the western side of the private 27,000 hectare Kulala Wilderness Reserve in the Namib Desert of Namibia. The Kulala reserve is the closest to Sossusvlei itself and offers magnificent dune scenery to the west and the rugged Namib mountainous escarpment to the east - with grassy plains and 'fairy circles' filling the space in between. A private gate ensures exclusive access to the famous red dunes of Sossusvlei.

Accommodation at Little Kulala

Little Kulala is small and exclusive, located on the dry Auab River bed dotted with camelthorn trees. This luxurious camp comprises 11 spacious climate-controlled thatched & canvas chalets or ‘kulalas’ (meaning 'to sleep'). All are on elevated bleached wooden decks and blend seamlessly into the timeless desert landscape. The extensive use of neutral colours, gorgeous textures and natural light reproduce the soothing pastel tones of the desert. Each has its own private bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, bedroom and large veranda with a small plunge pool and sun loungers. An external (quite steep) staircase leads to the flat rooftop with a 'skybed' for romantic star gazing and sleeping as well as private dining.

The pointed roof of the main lodge echoes the Sossusvlei dunes. Here you find a relaxed lounge, dining room, library, bar, wine cellar. The use of serene natural colours, textures and light is the perfect answer to the natural tones of the desert. Dining under the clear Namibian skies is a highlight at Little Kulala. The interiors exude an all-natural ambience with sun-bleached colours and loads of space and light. The overall mood is cool, serene, organic and sheltering.

Activities at Little Kulala

Activities are designed to show you the splendour, solitude and stark beauty of the Namib Desert, with early morning excursions to the spectacular towering dunes of Sossusvlei (via their own private gate).  Later on in the day you can enjoy guided drives and walks in the reserve with awe-inspiring views of desert wildlife and plants. Desert-adapted animals such as ostrich, springbok and gemsbok eke out an existence near Little Kulala. Smaller creatures such as the lovely bat-eared fox and aardwolf can be seen at night in the cool desert air. Eco-sensitive guided quad biking is also available for Little Kulala guests exclusively and included in the Fully inclusive rate.

A balloon safari (at extra cost) offers a unique experience soaring silently above the desert.

At A Glance

  • Swimming pool
  • Private Plunge Pool
  • Beautiful Landscapes
  • Star gazing
  • Walking Trail
  • Wifi on premises

Little Kulala on the map

Rooms

Luxury brick and glass accommodation, under thatch

There are eleven climate controlled accommodations (including one family unit, with a private area for stargazing), each with two three quarter beds.

Family Unit

There is one family unit which can accommodate four guests.

My family holiday to Namibia

My 12 day trip to Namibia in January was an unbelievable experience for all my family. We drove all the way through the country from the south (Fish River Canyon) to the north (Etosha National Park) with my two boys in our double cab 4x4. This is the ideal vehicle for travelling with children – especially because of the distances.

The following are some highlights.

We visited the Fish River Canyon at 9:00am in the morning and were the only people at the second largest canyon in the world - unbelievable!! Here we stayed at Canon Lodge with rooms built into the boulders.

The towering dunes of Sossusvlei and climbing “Big Daddy” were also an experience that we will never forget. The children charge ahead whilst the adults puffed along behind! Sossusvlei is a paradise for the keen photographer as I took hundreds of photos of the towering dunes. Our stay at the Wilderness Safaris properties (Kulala Desert Lodge & Little Kulala) was exceptional and to be recommended.

Swakopmund was the next highlight and definitely the children’s favourite town as we all did the quad biking in the dunes, tried our hand at sandboarding and even went fishing at Henties Bay (about one hour north of Swakopmund). We stayed at the Hansa Hotel which is centrally located and near all the sites to visit.

Next we headed to Etosha National Park and had a fantastic stay at Ongava Lodge, situated just outside the southern boundary of Etosha, and at Onguma Bush Lodge on the eastern side. They have an active floodlit waterhole where we saw lion, giraffe, zebra, springbok and various other antelope. Etosha National Park itself was the best overall game experience I have ever had in a national park as there was such a variety of wildlife at every waterhole – just as those classic Etosha pictures would suggest!

We drove from Etosha to Windhoek for the last days of our trip and stayed at The Windhoek Country Club Resort which was also very popular with the kids. This is the most resort-like place on our stay as they have an outdoor water play area, an 18 hole golf course (which allows children to play) and lots of space to run around.

Cedarberg : Sonja Brand