Read 13 traveller reviews of Kulala Wilderness Camp

Kulala Wilderness Camp is situated 40km south-east of Sesriem, on a private reserve which borders the Namib-Naukluft National Park – and was known for some years as Kulala Tented Camp.

Kulala Wilderness Camp shares a 'welcome area' with Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp that is just off the road after the entrance gate onto the private Kulala Wilderness Reserve. This consists of small thatched hut (complete with a guest toilet), staffed by a usually-smiling member of staff with radio communications to the camp. Driving yourself into the lodge, you'll be met and then swiftly waved off in the direction of the camp!

It's then a well-signposted 7km drive to the camp's parking area – where you'll find Kulala Wilderness Camp scattered on different levels, up the side of a small mountain.

The main area of camp is constructed of timber and canvas under thatch, and built on two levels, with steps leading up from the gravel pathways. The lower of the two decks has the camps' inviting turquoise/blue swimming pool, surrounded by a wooden deck with a few sun loungers shaded by a low thatched roof.

The upper deck houses the indoor dinning area; usually the venue for indoor meals, when guests are seated at one long table in comfortable wood and leather chairs. This area extends to an outside deck – and during summer, meals are usually served here outdoors, with guests dining at individual tables.

There is a tea/coffee station set out in the corner, for guests to help themselves during the day. The bar area in the opposite corner is simply decorated with tree trunks, and in front of this is a line of wooden bar stools.

An area of this main upper area is partitioned off to form the camp's curio shop with long sticks (much like the sticks used to form a traditional kraal in the rural areas).

The lounge area is also here, with lots of comfortable leather sofas set around low wooden coffee tables. Here there are some brochures, magazines and coffee table books relating to Namibia and the Namib-Naukluft National Park for guests to browse through.

The rooms at Kulala Wilderness Camp are 10 spacious tents, joined by gravel pathways lined with rocks. It's a very rocky and uneven area of the desert; a good pair of stout shoes are recommended, even just to walk between your room and the main area. The rooms are built of thatch and canvas, with an en-suite bathroom built of stone. The interiors of the rooms are decorated simply but comfortably with dark wood furniture.

Each room has twin beds pushed together with a pedestal next to each bed and a reading lamp. When we last visited Kulala Wilderness Camp, the rooms were pleasantly cool inside, as all the doors and the windows where closed, and the beds where nicely made up with light bedding and a wooly pastel green throw. The pillow cases had bright, bold African prints on them, adding a little splash of colour to the room, and there was a mosquito net draped above the two beds – exclusively for decoration!

In the corner of each room, next to the bed, is a wooden wardrobe, and there's also a low wooden luggage rack, a small writing desk with a stool, a comfortable arm chair and a rotating electric fan.

These tents have windows with meshing to keep out insects, with roll-up canvas blinds to close at night if you wish. Note that it can get quite windy here, as the chalets are in the open with nothing shielding them.

Each of the rooms has two wooden doors: one to enter the tent, and another leading out onto your private verandah, where you can sit looking out onto the open plains below, with a beautiful back-drop of mountains.

Each tent's en-suite bathroom is built of stone with tiled stone floors, a shower, and a flush toilet with a view. (There is a large window directly in front of the toilet, with wonderful views of the mountains in the distance and flat plains below.) There are twin wash basins with a mirror suspended above it, a soap dispenser and some toiletries (i.e. shampoo, body lotion and a small soap)

Each of the the stone bathroom has a flat roof above it, and guests have the option of sleeping out under the stars, in comfortable bedrolls. However – this might not be recommended during the winter months (between about June to September) as it does get extremely cold out in the desert with temperatures below freezing.

Note that if you are arriving on a self-drive trip, the it is possible to book Kulala Wilderness Camp with us in two different ways:

Book on a Dinner, Bed & Breakfast basis, and your activities are not included. You then have the choice of driving yourself around the area, or paying to join onto one or more of the activities organized by the lodge. Your drinks are not included in this economic rate; you settle the bar bill on departure.

Book on a Full Board and activities basis and this also includes lunch, as well as both of the daily activities organized by the lodge. The cost of drinks is included with this rate; see below for details.

Activities arranged at the camp include early-morning excursions to Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon – which can travel through the private reserve, and enter the park at the gate near Kulala Desert Lodge, thus bypassing Sesriem. Also organized are full-day excursions to the Naukluft Mountains (usually for travellers who stay here for 3 nights or more), guided walks on Kulala Wilderness Reserve and sundowner drives.

It's also possible to base yourself here and go for horse-riding and early-morning balloon excursions, which are organized and charged for separately.

When we last visited Kulala Wilderness Camp, we thought that it was a lovely friendly camp. It's wonderful views of the surrounding grassy plains and distant mountains (and you can glimpse the red dunes in the far distance) – and seemed much quieter and more peaceful than many camps in the area.

Not to be confused with Kulala Wilderness Camp, but in the same area and also run by Wilderness Safaris, are several other lodges: Kulala Desert Lodge, Little Kulala and Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp.

Lodge overview

Lodge type: Safari

No. of bedrooms: 11 tented rooms

Season: Open Year Round

Ideal length of stay: 2 nights is typical

Geographics

Location: Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Directions: Fly-in or self drive

Accessible by: Self-drive or Fly-and-Transfer

Key personnel

Owner: Wilderness Safaris

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Half Board

Food quality: Because the activities from the Kulala Wilderness Camp can be long, meal-time and venues depend on these. If you go on an early morning activity, like an excursion to Sossusvlei or a balloon trip, then you'll usually have tea, coffee and rusks before you leave the lodge – typically a little before dawn! If you're not heading out early, then breakfast starts at 08:00 – and it's a buffet is laid out in the lodge's dining area with various dishes from freshly baked scones to hard boiled eggs, cold meats to a variety of cheeses and cereals to yoghurts. There is also the option of a cooked breakfast, made to order. If you do go out early for a 4WD excursion to Sossusvlei, then brunch is usually served at a fully-laid table set under the shade of camelthorn trees in the desert. The same tempting choices are included here, with the exception of the cooked breakfast. If you're at the lodge over lunch, then there's normally salads or a buffet served – on our last visit to Kulala Wilderness Camp, lunch was a colorful bean salad, with pasta and a pork sausage, and freshly-baked bread. In the evening, dinner is a 3-course affair, served either outside on the verandah at individual tables by candle light, or indoors at one long table, depending on the time of the year. Our starter was tasty - a lovely pumpkin soup with freshly baked bread rolls. This was followed by a main course which, for me, was vegetarian: spicy fried rice with beetroot, green string beans with a lovely rich sauce. For desert we where treated to a delicious chocolate mousse, followed by a tea and coffee. We last visited Kulala Wilderness Camp in April 2007, and found the food to be very good and also well presented.

Dining style: Inidividual Tables

Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining

Room service: No

Drinks included: When staying at Kulala Wilderness Lodge on a DBB basis, drinks are not included. However, if you are booked on a Full Board basis, then beers, house wine and soft drinks are included in this rate. Note that champagne, imported wines or premium brand spirits are never included in this rate; they are paid for separately at the lodge.

Children

Attitude towards children: Children of all ages are welcome at Kulala Wilderness Camp.

Age restrictions: There are no age restrictions for visitors to the lodge. Families with children that are 12 years or younger must book a private vehicle for any activities.

Activities: None

Equipment: Kulala Wilderness Camp has one sleeping cot available on request for young children.

Generally recommended for children: Yes

Notes: Although there are few really dangerous big game animals here, children will always need constant supervision in any wilderness camp or area – and this camp is no different.

Central communications

Power supply: Generator

Communications: Radio communications

TV & radio: There are no TVs or radios here for use by guests.

Health & safety

Malarial area: No

Medical care: The nearest doctor is in Mariental. In cases of emergency during daylight hours, guests can be airlifted to Windhoek. No night time evacuations are possible. The camp management has first-aid training, and a doctor is on call (on the phone) 24-hours to advise if necessary.

Dangerous animals: Low Risk

Security measures: There is a guard during the day at the 'welcome area', at the main gate onto private reserve.

Fire safety: There are fire extinguishers inside each room.

Extras

Disabled access: Not Possible

Laundry facilities: A complementary laundry service is available for guests who have booked at the lodge on a 'full board and activities' basis. This laundry service is available at an additional charge to guests booked on a DBB basis. Each room also has a small pot of washing powder for guests who want to do their own items of hand washing.

Money: Yes travellers cheques can be exchanged.

Accepted payment: Visa, Mastercard and travellers cheques are all accepted, but American Express cards are not.

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