Eagle's Nest: Our full report

Rustic and remote, Eagle's Nest stands on the Klein-Aus Vista reserve, 2km west of the small town of Aus ...

... in the semi-desert of southern Namibia. The reserve encompasses both rugged mountains and the plains of the Namib: very stark, but very scenic.

Eagle’s Nest shares the Klein-Aus Vista reserve with three other accommodation options, notably including Desert Horse Inn. This is where the main reception, lounge and restaurant are based, whereas Eagle's Nest is 7km away: a small group of nine chalets spread out over a boulder-strewn hillside.

Each of these is individual, but all feature fun, original designs with fairly rustic fittings, and their own verandas and braai (BBQ) facilities. They are constructed of stone, with stone floors, though some also incorporate boulders, and may even be built into the rock walls. Some of the chalets have open fires which is a welcome feature in the colder winter months (Jul-Oct) The hand-made wooden furniture, decorated with earthy designs and colours, includes a wardrobe, a luggage rack at the foot of the beds and bedside tables (complete with lamps). Small en-suite bathrooms with brick and tile interiors come with a flush toilet, washbasin and shower.

Although all the chalets are unique, three stand out for special mention:

The Boulder is made up of two interlinked chalets, so is ideal for a family or friends traveling together; the chalets are not generally sold separately. Each has its own private entrance and en-suite bathroom, but they share an open plan lounge/dining/kitchen area, which is accessed from each bedroom or through its own external door.
Desert Vista backs onto the rock of the mountain, and has a double and a single bed, a small, open-plan lounge area and a private terrace.
The Rock is built higher on the mountain side than the rest of the chalets, up a steep path. Along with a very large rock in the middle of the room, there’s a double and a single bed, an open-plan lounge area, an usual en-suite bathroom and a lovely terrace,.

Wherever you stay at Eagle's Nest, for meals you have a choice: either drive the 7km or so to the restaurant at the Desert Horse Inn, or prepare your own meals at your chalet. For this, each chalet has a small kitchenette, with a gas stove with a couple of rings, a fridge, napkins, cutlery, crockery and plenty of utensils, including those needed for a braai (BBQ). When you arrive, you'll find a table set and ready for use. Guests, as we did on our last visit in May 2018, can request a ‘braai pack’ from an extensive menu (typically including T-bone steak, game meat or lamb, vegetables, salads and a dessert) for dinner, and/or a breakfast platter of fresh fruit, bread, muffins, eggs etc for the next morning. Each chalet has a stocked honesty bar, too, so you can enjoy a drink with your meal.

Activities at Klein-Aus Vista include scenic drives, sundowners, mountain biking and several self-guided walks. (Note that we don’t recommend attempting the walking trails in reverse as the signs aren’t the easiest to see when walking the ‘wrong’ way; as we found from experience, it is very easy to get lost.) Many self-drive visitors use Eagle's Nest as a base from which to visit the area’s feral horses, the coastal town of Lüderitz and the ghost town of Kolmanskop - without staying in Lüderitz itself.

Our view

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

Tom Morris

Country manager: Namibia

Geographics

Location: Luderitz, Namibia
Ideal length of stay: 2–3 nights
Directions: Klein-Aus Vista is just off the B4, 2km west of Aus and approximately 121km east of the coastal town of Lüderitz.
Accessible by: Self-drive or Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Bed & Breakfast
Food quality: Many guests at Eagle’s Nest choose to cook their own breakfast from a pre-ordered breakfast platter, but you can also opt to eat in the restaurant at the Desert Horse Inn. This is the usual buffet of cold meats, cheeses, breads, cereals, juices, fruit, tea and coffee, with eggs and bacon etc cooked to order.

A light lunch is available on request from the restaurant only. This is chosen from a small seasonal menu.

For dinner guests again have a choice: eat in the restaurant at the Desert Horse Inn, which must be pre-booked, or request a ‘braai pack’ to cook themselves (our preferred option when we stay here). All chalets have self-catering facilities and equipment, and the braai packs – chosen from an extensive menu – typically include meat, potatoes, vegetables and/or salad, with cake for dessert.

Dinner at the Desert Horse Inn is a three-course meal with the starter and dessert served to the table, and a self-service buffet for the main course.
Dining style: Individual Tables
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Further dining info, including room service: No room service.
Drinks included: All the chalets have an honesty bar, but no drinks are included.

Special interests

Family holidays: Come to Eagle's Nest for scenic drives, self-guided walks, day trips to Lüderitz and fun barbecues on your family safari holiday in Namibia. Its family chalets, which have no age restrictions, are widely spaced out and equipped with self-catering facilities.; See ideas for Family holidays in Namibia
Photography holidays: The Namib feral (wild) horses, high yellow grass and mountain backdrop around Eagle’s Nest make for stunning photos. It is also a convenient base for visiting the ghost town of Kolmanskop, a must see on your photographic holiday to Namibia.; See ideas for Photography holidays in Namibia
Walking: Set in beautiful surroundings, the Klein-Aus Vista reserve is a great place for walking in Namibia. From Eagles Nest, guests have the option of seven self-guided walking trails, ranging from around 4km to just over 20km.; See ideas for Walking in Namibia
Private villas & houses: Spaced well apart and with he option of being entirely self contained the chalets at Eagle's Nest are the perfect place to hide aways and sed a couple of night in privacy on your Namibian safari.; See ideas for Private villas & houses in Namibia

Children

Attitude towards children: Children of all ages are welcome.
Property’s age restrictions: There is no age restriction here.
Special activities & services: None
Equipment: None
Generally recommended for children: Yes
Notes: Whilst this is a relatively safe environment, parental supervision of children at all times is still recommended – there are loose rocks, steep climbs and the potential to get lost.

Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from Eagle's Nest

Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at Eagle's Nest 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.

Oryx

80% success

Brown Hyena

9% success

Zebra

9% success

Cheetah

0% success

Leopard

0% success

Spotted Hyena

0% success

Communications

Power supply notes: There is battery power to the chalets overnight although excessive use may drain the system and hairdryers cannot be used.
Communications: There is a telephone at the Desert Horse Inn that guests can borrow and pay for direct. There is also free WiFi at the inn, although it can be somewhat unreliable.
TV & radio: A television at Desert Horse Inn can be arranged on request for major events only.
Water supply: Borehole
Water supply notes: There are flush toilets and hot and cold running water in all the chalets.

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended: No
Medical care: There is a small clinic in Aus, but the nearest doctor is in Lüderitz, about a two-hour drive away.
Dangerous animals: Low Risk
Security measures: 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.

Activities

4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Horse-riding
Mountain biking
Self-guided walking

Extras

Disabled access: On Request
Laundry facilities: Extra Charge
Money: There is a small electronic safe in each chalet.
Accepted payment on location: Klein-Aus Vista takes cash in Namibian dollars or South African rand, and both Visa and Mastercard. Travellers’ cheques are not accepted.