Mowani Mountain Camp

20°30’16.6"S 14°25’21.7"E

94% (152 reviews)

Full review Our view Geographics Food & drink Special interests Children Wildlife sightings Communications Sustainability Health & safety Activities Extras

Mowani Mountain Camp: Our full report

Situated in the heart of southern Damaraland, between Namibia's Ugab and the Huab rivers, the smart Mowani ...

... Mountain Camp commands a stunning location. Perched high on a rocky outcrop, the camp is nestled amongst large granite boulders and has superb views across gravel plains to the mountains beyond.

Mowani is a sister camp to the nearby Camp Kipwe, a simpler option which lies on the edge of the plains.

Mowani Camp has 15 rooms and suites, split into six different types: three ‘view’ rooms, four ‘superior view’ rooms, five ‘standard view’ rooms, a ‘luxury’ room and two different suites. All have canvas walls under thatched roofs, and en-suite facilities. The rooms are decorated in an African theme with soft furnishings in cheerful colours and carved wooden colonial-style furniture. Each has a private veranda where you can sit and take in the surroundings, as well as a tea and coffee station, a safe, and mosquito nets draped over the twin or king-size beds.

The four 'superior view' rooms, as the name suggests, are located on the perimeter of the camp and have some of the most breathtaking views of the Damara landscape.
The three 'view' rooms don't have quite the same spectacular vistas, but are built around the large rocks that make this place so unusual.
Five 'standard view' rooms are situated lower down, overlooking boulders.
The 'luxury' room has its own private deck looking out over the valley. The room has a dividing wall for added privacy, closing it off from the boma area. Due to its close proximity to the lodge’s main area, it is suited to those with limited mobility.
Mowani's mini suite is a spacious, thatched room with a double en-suite room, its own private air-conditioned lounge, a minibar (the minibar drinks are included in the room rate), laundry service and television with cable channels. This suite doesn't have the spectacular views of some of the rooms, but it is very comfortable and nicely decorated, with lots of wooden and wicker furniture.
The mountain suite is large, innovative and beautifully designed, with a superb vantage point, panoramic 360 degree views and an open-air 'bush' bathroom with a bath (as well as an indoor bath). There's an emphasis on privacy here, and dinner can be served on the balcony, making it a great choice for honeymooners. The suite also has its own comfortable lounge with a television with DSTV (cable channels) and minibar (again minibar drinks are included in the room rate). There’s also a laundry service available.

Mowani's main dining and lounge area are housed under two large, adjoining dome-thatched rondavels. Both are comfortable, relaxed and stylishly appointed, with a touch of formal elegance about the dining room at dinner. Just below is a small inviting pool and deck area built between the rocks, which also has a great view over the landscape.

The sundowner spot at Mowani has to be seen to be believed! We'll leave this surprise for you to discover, but suffice to say that cushions and chairs, as well as a drinks service, are provided. After the sun has set, you can join other guests for pre-dinner drinks by the campfire for a pre-dinner catch up.

Visitors who arrive in their own vehicles are free to use Mowani as a base for their own explorations, or join the camp's own guided activities for an extra cost. These include nature drives which can last between four to six hours, set out in search of desert-adapted elephants, as well as guided or self-guided walks, and excursions to the nearby famous rock art at Twyfelfontein, incorporating the Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes. On our last stay in November 2016 we were lucky enough to see two different herds of elephants on our nature drive and enjoyed following the marked trail on a self guided walk - a nice change from sitting in a vehicle.

Our view

Mowani Mountain Camp's innovative, integrated design and comfortable rooms, along with its spectacular views, makes it a lovely base for a couple of nights in this area. Most visitors drive themselves here, giving them the flexibility to either drive around in their own vehicle, or be driven on a 4WD excursion by one of the camp's guides

Richard Trillo

Namibia expert

Geographics

Location: Damaraland, Namibia
Ideal length of stay: 2–3 nights
Directions: Mowani Mountain Camp is a 3km drive off the D2612, a turning off the C39, opposite the entrance to Camp Kipwe. The closest towns are Uis (130km to the south) and Khorixas (130km to the east). The nearest airstrip is at Twyfelfontein, approximately 15km from the camp. Windhoek is about 550km (5.5 hours' drive) away.
Accessible by: Self-drive or Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Half Board
Food quality: Breakfast is a buffet consisting of cereals, freshly made bread, jams, fruit, yoghurt, fruit juices, tea and coffee. Hot breakfasts are made to order.

There is a set menu of light lunches, such as salads and sandwiches. Lunch packs can be provided; just ask for these the night before you are leaving.

Dinner is a delicious and varied four-course set menu, professionally served in the candlelit dining room. On our last stay we enjoyed a refreshing amuse bouche of chilled tomato and olive soup followed with a starter of bacon and mozzarella cups. For the main course there was a choice betweenn supreme of chicken with a parmesan crust or a sirloin steak with a mushrooms glaze. Both were served with mixed vegetables and were delicious. The meal was then rounded off with a superb lemon cheese cake.

Tea and coffee are available throughout the day.
Dining style: Individual Tables
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Further dining info, including room service: Room service is only available in the mountain suite where meals ca nbe taken in privacy on the suite's balcony.
Drinks included: Only in the suites or if you choose to stay on a full board basis.

Special interests

Honeymoons: Treat yourselves to a few nights at the superb Mowani Mountain Camp on your Namibia honeymoon. Keeping nature close but luxury and romance closer, this is a perfect honeymoon destination. For something even more special consider the Mountain Suite.; See ideas for Honeymoons
Photography holidays: With its setting among smooth granite kopjies, landscape photographers will be in their element at Mowani. The views are spectacular, too, especially from the sundowner spot, which is stunning at all times, not just at sunset.; See ideas for Photography holidays
Wildlife safaris: Mowani Mountain Camp offers guided nature drives into the dry river beds in this area. The game isn’t dense here, but you’ll probably see a good sprinkling of antelope and birds – and have a fairly good chance of spotting the area’s desert-adapted elephants.; See ideas for Wildlife safaris
Luxury: A decent pool with miraculous panoramic views is one of Mowani Mountain Camp’s outstanding features. If you’re after a luxurious safari holiday, Mowani with its design in an African theme and soft furnishings in a bright colour scheme won’t disappoint you.; See ideas for Luxury

Children

Attitude towards children: The lodge welcomes well-behaved children.
Property’s age restrictions: No age restriction
Special activities & services: None
Equipment: Cots can be provided on request, and there are children’s tents
for those aged nine years and older.
Generally recommended for children: Mowani has an adult atmosphere, and no special activities for children. Being high up, with rocky boulders all around, and no safety rails, means that there are dangerous drop offs. Older children should be fine here –
– as long as they are supervised and are aware of the location's dangers. Children need to be old enough to act responsibly, and enjoy the normal activities put on for adult guests.
Notes: Children should be under parental supervision at all times.

Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from Mowani Mountain Camp

Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at Mowani Mountain Camp have kindly recorded their wildlife sightings and shared them with us. The results are below. Click an animal to see more, and here to see more on our methodology.

Elephant

80% success

Giraffe

59% success

Oryx

32% success

Zebra

14% success

Wildebeest

5% success

Lion

5% success

Black Rhino

0% success

Brown Hyena

0% success

Cheetah

0% success

Leopard

0% success

Spotted Hyena

0% success

Communications

Power supply notes: There is a backup generator in case of a power cut.
Communications: There is no internet here.
TV & radio: There are televisions with DSTV in both the Mountain suite and the mini suite
Water supply: Borehole
Water supply notes: All the rooms and suites have hot and cold running water and flush toilets.

Sustainability

Providing water for elephants

Mowani Mountain Camp has been working together with EHRA (Elephant-Human Relations Aid), a volunteer project, which aims to reduce the conflict between elephants and humans, thus contributing to the conservation of the mammals.

The core issue that hinders the cohabitation of elephants and humans is the destructive effect animals have on local water resources. In areas of Namibia that are rendered without water sometimes for years, elephants are considered a threat and are often wounded or killed by locals.

The team at Mowani assists local people with the reconstruction of waterholes damaged by animals and building protection walls that prevent animal access to the windmills, water storage tanks or pumps.

Additionally, the camp has expanded their waterhole to provide a local elephant herd of 18 (including 2 calves under 6 months old) with enough water when they visit the lodge, thus facilitating some stunning animal encounters, while reducing some off the pressure on local villages.

See more great sustainability projects in Namibia

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended: Yes
Medical care: The nearest doctor is in Khorixas, and some staff at the lodge are usually first-aid trained. In an emergency, patients would be flown to Windhoek.
Dangerous animals: Low Risk
Security measures: Security guards are on duty at Mowani Mountain Camp overnight. A gate man ensures everyone is safely back in camp before locking the gate.
Fire safety: Fire extinguishers are located in all rooms and suites.

Activities

4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Cultural excursion
Guided walking safari
Self-guided walking

Extras

Disabled access: Not Possible
Laundry facilities: A laundry service is available for an extra charge only for guests staying in one of the suites.
Money: No currency exchange possible.
Accepted payment on location: Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Cash payments may be made in Namibian dollars and South African rand.