Reviews of Dead Valley Lodge
Wildlife sightings and reviews
14 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Dead Valley Lodge and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
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"Dead Valley Lodge review"
Food was plentiful with many options.
Great location" See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 5n in Namibia; 1n in Zimbabwe
Oryx
Multiple sightings
Zebra
1 sighting
"Dead Valley Lodge review"
"Inside the park gate"
When you see the promotional material and pictures from Dead Valley Lodge, it looks like a desert fort with a fantastic location. In reality, the lodge is just inside the Sesriem Gate to the right on the border of the busy “Klondike" of NWR office, exposed Sesriem Campsite, medical centre, petrol station, police station, and staff facilities.
However, with a list price of approx. 7300 NAD for full board for one night, our expectations were high. Therefore, we were surprised to receive very little attention at arrival at the lodge. There was limited commitment from our host who handed us the mandatory paper forms. We sensed we were just one of many new guests arriving that day.
As we arrived early and our tent (room) was not yet ready (fair), we waited in the open-air lounge. Open-air was to be taken quite literally, as the area was exposed to the strong winds that prevail. We had dust sneaking in from all sides covering everything. It appeared that it was possible to close the area with glass sides, but that did not happen at any time during our visit.
We asked politely for a cup of coffee (after no reaction from the staff). The waiter informed us we could use the self-service coffee station and pointed us in the right direction. In addition, I ask for a glass of white wine. The waiter informed us, that at the moment, we could not buy white wine by the glass (but whole bottles). They only have red wine by the glass. I replied – I admit now slightly sarcastic - that this was the first time we have been unable to buy a glass of white wine in a (luxury) lodge in Namibia after 5 trips and visiting approx. 60 different "lodges".
Finally, we got our tent. It was in “the back row” of tents with a view to the many tents in the front row. All tents were quite close together.
Inside, our tent smelled of tobacco, even though smoking is prohibited in the rooms. It also turned out that the cooling system was not working. The staff promised to fix it. In the meantime, we waited to see if they would succeed before unpacking. By now, we had already decided to find another lodge if not fixed ASAP. However, the cooling was fixed (telling them we were about to leave the lodge speeded up the service). Yet no apology or regret.
In the evening, we had the dinner buffet, which was included in the full board. Excellent food - but still no white wine by the glass.
The next day, we were glad we were only booked 1 night for this place. Needless to say, we will never return. On departure, our host did not ask us about our experiences with the place nor provided an evaluation form. It actually makes perfect sense.
PRO´s
- Inside Sesriem Gate
- Good dinner buffet with amusing chef
CON´s
- Just about everything, read above" See all these reviews: 35n in Namibia
"Dead Valley Lodge review"
Rooms are on a single raised platform but the sleeping quarters and toilets are separated by an outside patio, making for an awkward and sometimes dark visit to the facilities in the middle of the night. Plus the bedroom has AC but not the toilet area.
Lodge staff was very friendly and did go out of their way to arrange a private guided tour for our group of six into the park on Day 2." See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia; 5n in South Africa
Oryx
2 sightings
"Dead Valley Lodge review"
Not sure about the waiting on staff wearing, in some cases, ripped jeans; I think they could have been provided with trousers." See all these reviews: 22n in Namibia
Oryx
10 sightings
"Dead Valley Lodge review"
Modern and open, the staff are very helpful, the rooms are stunning/excellent and the food well prepared and varied. Easy to organise a guided tour to Sossusvlei/Deadvlei which is recommended if you want to see the key sights and get the most from the park as some areas are only accessible by rugged 4x4 or park provided transportation.
Perfectly sized lodge with limited numbers - so no crowds" See all these reviews: 14n in Namibia; 6n in South Africa
Oryx
10 sightings
"Dead Valley Lodge review"
The main lodge building is of an exceptional and very appealing design. Dinners (BBQ and buffet) were very good, breakfasts and lunch quite good too. Staff were extremely friendly and pleasant. Our chalet was unusual in layout in that it’s in two parts, the main bedroom being separated from the bathroom so you have to go through a bit of open air (shielded from others’ views, though) to get there. But we found that an advantage rather. Also the fact that the fridge was outside in between the bedroom and the bathroom – which meant no audible humming at night!
There was mild air-con, which was nice during the heat of midday. Nights were cold, and there’s no heating, so our thermals paid off again. A special bonus were the very large wooden supports for luggage in our spacious bedroom tent, so much better than the usual small suitcase rests you typically get in hotels. So no need to put suitcases on the bed – a small point perhaps, but one we took special note of.
We didn’t do any activities offered by the lodge but instead drove to the dunes and Deadvlei, as well as to Sesriem Canyon, ourselves. The scenery is fantastic to behold – but we found it far too busy with tourists. In fact, Sossousvlei was the only place on this trip that felt like it suffered from too big crowds. That was quite a contrast to the vast emptiness we experienced almost everywhere else in Namibia." See all these reviews: 21n in Namibia
Oryx
Multiple sightings
"Dead Valley Lodge review"
Huge tents (18ft x 20) tastefully decorated and well thought out with all the facilities including kettle, climate control and fridges.
The separate bathrooms are a poor design for nighttime visits but to be honest it is a small price to pay for the fact their water is heated by an individual hot water system for each room so is available 24/7 !!
The lodge itself is brand new and looks like a showroom for Timothy Olton !! Open plan, Modern and fresh….. stunning.
The two front men - Richard and Julio couldn’t do enough for us - physically helped with car pressures, arranged washing with a housekeeper (they don’t offer this service) and were genuinely on hand to ensure your stay was a very enjoyable one.
Klaus (manager) was also always there and it shows.
The lodge was only half full so do hope they can keep up the quality when they are full but for a government run facility (within the park gates which was a requirement for us) this lodge was exceptional and we would certainly rank it within our top three amongst shipwreck lodge and Serra Cafema !!
Food was excellent ….. only dinner drinks service slightly slow on BBQ night but small Critism really" See all these reviews: 17n in Namibia
"Dead Valley Lodge review"
"Dead Valley Lodge review"
Anyway, I harp on about this, because there is indeed another lodge inside the second gate. It’s called Sossus Dune Lodge, where we stayed in 2018, and they can drive guests to Dead Vlei starting around 5 or 5:30 AM. Their food may not be as good as that provided by the Dead Valley Lodge, but the rooms are much nicer and provide the better views (in our opinion).
Another point I want to bring up is the way they handled the sundowner they offered us on the first evening after our arrival. Well, it consisted of a short drive to an unremarkable dune 5 minutes away, and they had the guts to charge NAD 700 per person for that endeavor. Compared to the NAD 980 p.p. they charged for the guided sunrise tour (which lasted for about 7 hours and included a lunch) this was outrageous.
Other than that our stay in Sossusvlei was really all we had hoped for. As spectacular as ever, and we’ve been here twice before. Bearing in mind what I said above, I would, however, recommend the Sossus Dune Lodge." See all these reviews: 20n in Namibia; 15n in Botswana
Oryx
5 sightings
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Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Kulala Desert Lodge
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Hoodia Desert Lodge
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Sossus Dune Lodge
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Desert Homestead
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Zebra River Lodge
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Little Kulala
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Rostock Ritz
The igloo-style chalets at Rostock Ritz offer exceptional desert views and make a convenient stopover between Swakopmund & Sossusvlei.
Barkhan Dune Retreat
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Sossusvlei Lodge
Sossusvlei Lodge is one of the larger options in this area. However, it occupies a convenient location next to the Sesriem gate into the Namib-Naukluft Park.
Namib Outpost
About 30km from the gate to Sossusveli, Namib Outpost is a great base for exploring the dunes and surrounding attractions.
Desert Camp
Desert Camp is an economical option for independent travellers who want to self-cater, and is well situated for access to Sossusvlei.
Desert Quiver Camp
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Corona Guest Farm
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Elegant Desert Lodge
Elegant Desert Lodge can be used as a base to visit Sossusvlei. It offers comfortable accommodation and facilities in the desert.
Namib Naukluft Lodge
Namib Naukluft Lodge offers clean, comfortable rooms with pretty views, although it's 60km from the Sesriem Gate into the Namib-Naukluft Park.
Le Mirage Lodge
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Namib Desert Lodge
Namib Desert Lodge is a good budget option in the Namib-Naukluft although, it is further from Sossusvlei than we'd typically suggest.
Solitaire Country Lodge
Solitaire Country Lodge is a good stop-off on the way to Sossusvlei and can be used as a base to explore the Naukluft Mountains.
Desert Hills Camp
Conveniently located for the renowned dunes of Sossusvlei Desert Hills Glamping Camp offers a simple but comfortable tents in picturesque surroundings.
Sonop
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Desert Grace
A stylish offering giving access to the famous dunes in the Namib-Naukluft National Park as well as to activities on a private nature reserve.
Camp Sossus
Camp Sossus is a offers top notch guiding in a remote wilderness area of the Naukluft Mountains with easy access to the famous dunes of Sossusvlei.
The Nest
Designed to emulate the appearance of a sociable weaver nest the opulent Nest at Sossus is arguably the most exclusive private property in the Sossuvlei area.
