Reviews of Kulala Desert Lodge
(91%) From 254 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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stunning view of dunes, wonderful staff
sleeping on the roof was amazing; refreshing ginger drink upon arrival; felt very safe; greately appreciated water conservation in showers as well as electricity conservation efforts; was nice to be on a property that was also protected so we were able to see animals such as oryx, ostritch, and springbok; plan for 45 min trip to park entrance.
Read more about the whole safariKulala Desert Lodge review
Remote but great place. The accommodation was in tented huts with a ladder to get up to a small outside sleeping area to see the stars - well worth doing! The actual tented hut was not that huge but very nice and a great little balcony to sit and take in the views of the dunes. It is the closest accommodation to the dunes with its own private gate and this was great as we had great views and also meant you did not have to get up that early to get into the park.
The service was great too - again they were very accommodating to challenging dietary requirements especially making fresh gluten free bread. The staff were very friendly and our guide Richael was brilliant. We did the nature trail and the morning sand dune drive. The sand dunes drive was excellent - we were taken to climb Big Daddy rather than Dune 45 as is was quieter and less touristy. We climbed the half arm of Big Daddy and it was not that hard at all - and lots of fun coming down.
We stayed two nights and think that this is enough as there are not that many more activities you can do. It is a long drive to get there but well worth it when you get there - highly recommend the lodge!
Kulala Desert Lodge review
Only negative - because they could not assure us transportation to Adventure Center for helicopter ride we booked, we ended up renting car and driving from Windhoek.
Once there they ended up insisting they drive us even though we had the rental car. Had we known we would have flown from Windhoek.
Kulala Desert Lodge review
We enjoyed a two-night stay at Kulala Desert Lodge, joining the morning drive out to Sossusvlei.
The 'tents' (rooms) were very comfortable and well kitted out, with magnificent views over the riverbed and dunes. We slept on the roof on the first night of our stay - enjoying the magnificence of a night sky unpolluted by light.
The location of the lodge is brilliant - and a great boon that they have their own access to the National Park, which saves a lot of time on the morning drive to Sossusvlei. Having said that, we were certainly not the first to reach the dunes that morning. Whilst it is recommended that you wear enclosed shoes for your trip to Dead Vlei, Sossusvlei etc. I personally believe that sandals with enclosed toes (such as Keens) would be a far better choice - enabling the sand to run out of your shoes whilst still protecting your feet from any nasties.
Whilst we really enjoyed our stay here, the staff seemed somewhat disengaged... which was at odds with the other lodge run by Wilderness Safaris where we stayed a little later in our trip.
Perfect location to explore the dunes
We stayed at Kulala for a couple of nights, and it was an excellent choice - south of Sesriem and probably the closest camp to the fabled Sossuvlei dunes. As long as you realise this is a massively touristy destination then you'll be fine. Also be aware that big groups (seemingly of Spanish and Italians) do use this lodge so if its remoteness and peace you're looking for, then the latter could be an issue.
That said we had an excellent time - a spacious cabin with the opportunity to sleep under the stars, a great viewing platform over the waterhole with regular Oryx and Springbok plus the food and service - exemplary with the Kudu steak being the highlight!
We did excursions out to the dunes, plus some wildlife drives (where we saw African Wild Cat), a balloon ride and our guide Mathew was great too.
A great friendly dune lodge
An excellent friendly lodge in a great location. The manager, Petronella, was very helpful and welcoming.
The dunes activity is well worth booking onto - the guide, Mathew, was very informative, and the landscape is incredible. He even managed to spot a young spotted eagle owl from quite some distance which enabled us to go right underneath it and look at it. This activity also includes a lovely lunch back at the lodge - you cannot fault any of the food at this lodge. The frittas and soups were amazing, along with the warm breads.
The morning we were leaving we went on the hot air balloon (the lodge will book this if you ask them). Well worth doing, and hence well worth staying two nights so you can fit both the dunes and the hot air balloon in. Only small niggle we would say is that the rooms are a little dark even when the lights are on so its hard to see things. However again hot water bottles were very welcome and the lovely honeymoon surprise.
Kulala Desert Lodge review
Dios (the manager) was a stellar welcome to this very tightly run lodge. There was, however, miscommunication between this lodge and our next one, which caused our drivers to have to wait a couple of hours. Sky tops on the guest room facilities provided excellent views to the nighttime skies. The access to Sossusvlei is a huge plus. An amusing note is that we got hit by four drops of rain...it never rains in Namibia in June!
Read more about the whole safariKulala Desert Lodge review
Much bigger camp than Wolwedans and doubled in size since our last visit. However, and despite its size, the ambiance was better and the staff extremely helpful, Petronella was the consummate host and our guide Stephanos went out of his way to accommodate our requests for photographic locations.
Returning from drives we were always welcomed with a cold towel and drink. Despite the numbers at mealtime the food arrived quickly and was excellent.
Best croissants at breakfast ever!
A lodge with a few
From the airstrip to the lodge we saw from a far distence some animals. But in this territory it's all about the unique extensive landscape with glorious mountains and high dunes.
Comming into the lodge you will be drawn to the magnificence vieuw!!!!
The staff is very warm, personal and helpfull.
The chalets are large safaritents (sleeping) and a clay ensuite bathroom. Everything very clean. (note: the shower is not flexible, difficult if you wash your hair) In front of the tent is a wooden platform wit chairs and of course the vieuw. There is enough space between the chalets. It is possible to sleep on the roof. Sounds good but it is very cold during the winter. I tryed it but after one hour I was too cold. (may)
In the main area are, inside and outside, very comfortable places to sitdown.
The food is tastefull. But dining is a little bit stiff. It felt formal.
One of the great advantage of Kulala is the private gate into the park.
I enjoyed my stay very much. The highlight was the day into the Naukluft National Park. It was beautiful! I had a very good gide.
In the future when I can effort it, I will chose a smaller lodge. Say something about me and not about the quality of Kulala Desert Lodge.
Kulala Desert Lodge review
Efficiency is how I would sum up Kulala Lodge and extremely busy with early morning balloon safaris heading off at the same time as those of us heading for the National Park. One felt that there was a bigger "turn over" of people here and it had more of an International flavour.
The thatched kulalas were delightful.
We have always believed that acting responsibly is the only way to approach tourism and we're one of
the few companies to hold AITO's original coveted 5-star status for responsible tourism. It's a lead
that others are now following.
