Reviews of Kulala Desert Lodge
(91%) From 287 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Kulala Desert Lodge review
Very well located for an early morning trip into the Sossusvlei area. Fabulous staff, good food (with an excellent meal out in the Bush one evening) and great guiding. A two day stay allows you to get the best out of the area.
Our guide, Gabriel, was outstanding throughout. We enjoy a local Bush walk and tracking trip just after arrival. The highlight was an early start to walk up Big Daddy Dune and visit Dead Vlei; here, Gabriel excelled in his care of my wife as she nervously descended the dune face - a big thank you to Gabriel for his kindness and patience.
A tip - if you want to see Dead Vlei before the crowds, go as early as possible and go straight there; see the other parts of the area later. Any delay and you will share your experience with many others!
Brilliant location for Sossuvlei
Eco-friendly lodge with nice views and well-located for access to Sossuvlei.
Our guide for the dunes trip was not as enthused as others we met on the trip, but the excursion itself into the dunes was really amazing - a dream come true.
Food was great and when we left one of the staff spotted some trouble with one of our tires, and arranged for us to see the on-site mechanic who diagnosed damage to the tire wall changed the tire for us, which was amazing - he probably saved us a burst tire on the road!
Perfect for the dunes
We stayed here for 3 nights in early September. The main lodge rooms are very spacious, with a nice dining area with views out to the dunes. The individual rooms are also comfortable and spacious, with the same views. There is the option to sleep on the roof - which a number of people seemed to do. We didn't, but regretted it on our last night as it was very hot in the room!
There is a small pool, with lounging area around it - it was very cold when we were there!
The main activity is of course a trip into the dunes - it is well organised and the private gate saves a considerable drive and also means you are ahead of the main rush. Other than this we also went on a trip to Sessriem canyon (interesting, worth the drive) and around the reserve (not many animals, but interesting scenery). Our guide Obbie found us some lovely spots for the obligatory sundowners.
Because this is one of the larger camps we stayed in dining is at individual tables rather than communal, so there is less chance for chatting with other guests
Superbly situated for visiting the dunes
Loved the location with stunning views of the dunes on the skyline.
The small waterhole provided a few sightings of oryx and silver backed jackals.
Kulala Desert Lodge review
Excellent service, meals and facilities.
Location is excellent provided one is prepared to use the hotel excursions to gain entry to the park
Whilst staying here the travellers took part in a hot air balloon flight and commented:
Everything went according to plan, wonderful experience.
Very well placed lodge
A very warm welcome here and a good-sized comfortable room with a great view. We tried star gazing from a mattress on the roof but the cold drove us inside.
We took the early morning trip to Dead Vlei and Sossusvlei. It is an extraordinary area. Our advantage of closeness to the entrance to the park didn't seem to make any difference as we watched a fleet of vehicles from Sesriem flash past us. It was very busy at Dune 45, Dead Vlei and Sesriem and we felt the trip was too hurried. We would have appreciated more time, particularly at Sossusvlei. But it was the peak period so I suppose it was not surprising.
Great welcome. Ideal location to access dunes
Very warm welcome, and engaging staff throughout - taught children any number of ways of folding napkins into animals, and very enthusiastic when presented with an irish dancing display!
Stayed in family kulala - actually two separate units with single walkway so kids wanted an adult in each room, which was fine. Plenty of room for third bed in one unit. Slept out on roof one night which was spectacular, chilly but not too cold even in August. Setting quite spectacular but harsh, in site of dunes. A few oryx drinking at waterhole from time to time.
Morning trip into dunes was excellent - but although we had our own vehicle and guide who was good, the main benefits of the trip are really to have direct access into the park to avoid an otherwise even earlier drive round to Sesriem, and 4wd to get to Sossusvlei without using the shuttle. Passed several self-drive 4wd stuck in the sand. Getting pretty hot by mid-morning so kids quite happy to be heading back by lunchtime. Be prepared to do a bit of walking if you want some solitude.
Pool area, central accommodation and bar very pleasant. Food good. Kids menu available if ordered in advance.
Internet connection pretty poor so checkout was a bit slow - be aware if trying to make an early departure.
Kulala Desert Lodge review
Lovely location, great staff and great activities.
Read more about the whole safariKulala Desert Lodge review
This is a great lodge! The site on the edge of the desert is isolated and fantastic. The main lodge is beautifully designed and has fabulous outdoor lounging areas.
The chalets/tents were well built and equipped and they have a fantastic option of sleeping under the stars in a small roof area. If you tell the staff you'd like to do it, they set up a mattress on the roof space with a comforter, and hot water bottle. We all did it and loved the incredibly starry night and woke up at sunrise to see a balloon rising in the distance. The staff was very friendly and the food was excellent.
We took advantage of Kulala's private entry way to the park and took one of their guided tours into the desert. While we could have done it ourselves, we saved a great deal of time by going through their entry way, particularly because the regular road from Kulala to the park is long and on some of the worst gravel roads we ran across in Namibia. Also, there are some parts once you are in the desert near deadvlie that are on sand and if you don't know what you're doing and lack a 4x4, there is a risk of getting stuck. Two nights was just right for a desert visit.
As for the balloon, we didn't take it because the cost was ridiculously high. It would have cost our family of 5 over 2K USD for a 45 minute experience. From watching the balloons, we also noticed that they didn't actually go over the desert -- they rise up near the lodge on the edge of the desert, don't go very high, and hardly move. I"m sure its a great experience, but hard to see it being worthwhile for a family. My wife and teen signed up for the eco-bike excursion and had a great time with it.
Kulala Desert Lodge review
Beautiful comfortable terrace (and restaurant behind) with lounge chairs etc. overlooking the desert.
Cabins / chalets equally lovely with very nice private veranda/terraces in front with the same beautiful views over the desert.
Professional guides, friendly staff - well-organized.
