Eagle's Nest: Our full report

The Eagle's Nest stands on the Klein Aus Vista reserve, 2km west of the small town of Aus. It's in a semi-desert area of Southern Namibia and straddles the interface between the mountains and the desert plain - a very stark and scenic area..

Klein Aus Vista is made up of two different parts - the Desert Horse Inn and the Eagle's Nest.

The main reception, lounge and restaurant at Klein Aus Vista are all at the Desert Horse Inn, whilst Eagle's Nest is really simply a small group of nine bungalows spread out over a boulder-strewn hillside. All of these are very different, but all are built with stone walls and floors, and have their own verandas and braai (BBQ) facilities. Some are built partially from boulders, some are built into rock walls, but all are fun, original designs – fitted out fairly rustically.

All have wooden furniture – with earthy designs to the linen, and bamboo wardrobes to hang your clothes in. All also have wooden luggage racks at the foot of the beds, a bedside table, and light, short cotton curtains.

The en-suite bathrooms in the chalets at Eagle's Nest are small, the interior is built of brick and tiles. They each come with a flush toilet, wash basin and shower; soap dispensers and bath towels are provided.

Although all of these are interesting and original rooms; several stand out for special mention:

• The Boulder at is made up of two interlinked chalets, a 'North' and a 'South' chalet. Each has its own private entrance and en-suite bathroom, but they share a lounge area, and a dining /kitchenette room, between the two chalets. This can be accessed by inter-leading doors which lead from the bedrooms of the individual chalets. (It's idea for a family or friends traveling together.)


• The Desert Vista backs onto the rock of the mountain, and has a double and a single bed, and a small, open-plan lounge area and a private terrace.


• The Rock is built slightly higher than many of the rest, up a steep path. It has a very large rock in the middle of the room, and a double and a single bed, a lovely terrace, the usual en suite bathroom and an open plan lounge area.

Wherever you stay at Eagle's Nest, for meals you have a choice: either drive to the restaurant at the Desert Horse Innfor your meals, or prepare your own meals at your chalet.

Each of the chalets have very basic self catering equipment – they all have a small kitchenette, which is equipped with the basic utensils needed for a braai (bar-b-que), and to make a cooked breakfast. When you arrive, you'll find napkins, clean cutlery and crockery at your chalet already – and a table set and ready for use. Guests can therefore request a braai pack (typically including a T-bone steak or lamb, vegetables, salads and a desert) for their evening meal, if they like, and/or a breakfast platter for their breakfast the next morning. Each chalet has a stocked honesty bar, so you can enjoy a drink with your meal.

Activities on offer at Klein Aus Vista include scenic drives, sundowners and self guided walks. Many self-drive visitors use Eagle's Nest as a base from which to visit the coastal town of Ludertiz and the ghost town on Kolmanskop - without staying in Luderitz town itself.

Our view

Klein Aus Vista's Eagle's Nest offers some stunning scenery, really great walking and original, well-designed chalets. Although self-catering, the breakfast and braai packs make meals here very easy and are a real hit with most of our travellers - who find eating here quite a fun part of their visit. We highly recommend this quirky little place.

Geographics

Location: Luderitz, Namibia

Ideal length of stay: 2–3 nights

Directions: Klein Aus Vista is situated along the B4 road approximately 121km from the coast at Luderitz; the turn off to the lodge is just 2km west of the small town of Aus.

Key personnel

Owner: Independent/Owner-run

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Half Board

Food quality: There are two options for eating at Eagle's Nest. Guests can choose to eat in the restaurant which is located at the Desert Horse Inn, which must be prebooked, or they can request a braai pack to cook themselves. All rooms have self catering facilities and equipment, and the braai packs will come with some meat, typically a steak or lamb chops, potatoes, vegetables and/or salad with some cake for dessert.

A three course meal is serves at the Desert Horse Inn, which will typically consist of soup for a starter, followed by a varied buffet including two meat dishes, and then a dessert, which on our last visit was pears poached in red wine.

Breakfast is also served in the restaurant at the Desert Horse Inn, and lunch is available on request.

Dining style: Individual Tables

Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining

Drinks included: No drinks included. All the chalets have an honesty bar in them.

Special interests

Family holidays: Klein Aus Vista's Eagles Nest is ideal for families as the chalets are widely spaced out amongst large granite boulders. Giving them lots of privacy and ample room for the children to run around and play.

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Photographic: The much photographed Namib Feral (wild) horses can often be found grazing beside the B4 road about 20km west of Klein Aus. The stunning scenery of high yellow grass and mountains makes for beautiful photo opportunities – and the location of the viewpoint frequented by the horses makes the photography in the afternoon generally better than it is in the morning.

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Walking: From the Eagles Nest guests have the option of two walking trails, the 12km Eagle trail which is approximately 5 hour long and the 4km Mountain Trail which is approximately a 2 ½ hours long.

See more ideas for Walking in Namibia

Children

Attitude towards children: Yes children of all ages are welcome.

Equipment: None.

Generally recommended for children: Yes

Notes: Children must be under parental supervision at all times.

Central communications

Power supply: Solar Power

Communications: At the main reception area there is a telephone and also fax machine which guests can borrow and pay for direct. Internet excess is very slow

TV & radio: A television can be arranged on request for major events only.

Health & safety

Malarial area: No

Medical care: The nearest medical doctor is to be found in Luderitz, although there is also a small clinic in Aus.

Dangerous animals: Low Risk

Security measures: Rural Namibia is generally very safe, and like most similar places, Klein Aus Vista doesn't use any form of armed security.

Fire safety: There are fire extinguishers in each chalets because each of the chalets has a fire place and gas cooker.

Extras

Disabled access: On Request

Laundry facilities: Extra Charge

Money: At Klein Aus Vista only accept Namibian dollars or Rand in cash.