Reviews of Kulala Desert Lodge
Wildlife sightings and reviews
362 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Kulala Desert Lodge and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
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"Marvellous location, excellent experience!"
Excellent meal and star-gazing session.
Well organised early morning trip to dunes and 'tree pan'. Good guide." See all these reviews: 12n in Namibia; 3n in Zimbabwe
"A truly magical place to stay over ."
The Staff at this location are absolutely superb. The lodge is stunning. The entertainment at dinner time by the staff was first class.
This was our first taste of what was to become one of several fantastic locations to stay over." See all these reviews: 22n in Namibia
"Kulala Desert Lodge review"
There are tea bags, coffee in the room but no hot bottle of water, inconvenient!" See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia
"Desert Star"
This was the only place ever in my life where I have seen such a beautiful star-covered sky. Maybe this activity does not get enough attention or is not promoted by the staff enough. It's a unique asset of the place and it could be better framed. The mattress was not comfortable at all and was too narrow, the cover was not sufficient in the end b/c it became too cold. Everything else was great." See all these reviews: 10n in Namibia
"Terrific choice for Sossusvlei"
We had a terrific guide both into the dunes and later to Sesreim. You do have to recognize and accept that, despite the "private gate", you will not get to the dunes (and certainly not the main ones) by sunrise, given the time the gates open and the distance to cover. Also, like most others, our fixation on getting to see Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei made us impatient with a gradual drive with stops along the way.
We had accepted these realities with regret but, in fact, they turned out to be non-issues as far as we were concerned. The drive, in fact, was stunningly beautiful from the beginning, with the gradual light changes taking your breath away. And the guide was very informative and clearly passionate about the geological and living environment. [We spent quite a bit of time finding and watching a "dancing white spider".] As per the Rolling Stones: "you don't always get what you want....but, if you try real hard, you get what you need"!
We also were lucky that there was only one other couple along for both tours, which definitely enhanced the experience. Again, the guide showed a great deal of sensitivity in encouraging and enabling one of the participants to do more than she thought she could do (especially in Sesriem), which kept her from being deprived of an experience she wanted to have." See all these reviews: 12n in Namibia
"Kulala"
Into the dunes in the morning - another early start - weird, wonderful, windy! The sand and dust blowing around only added to the mystery. Dead Vlei was amazing - the sand road further in was like driving through fog.
Don't miss the cakes at afternoon tea...." See all these reviews: 13n in Namibia
"A wonderful lodge in a stunning location"
Petronella and the staff were first class and thanks to the mechanics for changing a tyre for me.
The facilities were excellent and the accommodation stunning but too cold to sleep on the roof.
We did an evening Game Drive and Sundowner, a trip to Sossusvlei and a trip to Sesriem Canyon. Our guide Alfred was superb and extremely knowledgeable.
Just stunning!" See all these reviews: 12n in Namibia
"Kulala Desert Lodge review"
Our guide on the Sossusvlei trip was really good. Otherwise, though, service was friendly but slightly off. We never really understood what the activity options were. Perhaps there should be a schedule posted? Nor could we determine the cost of our drinks (we were on a half board tariff) until we checked out." See all these reviews: 16n in Namibia
"Wonderful location.... And even better staff"
All of this was very well supported by extremely friendly and helpful staff - particularly Petronella who was very supportive over an issue we had with our hire car including taking multiple phone calls and staying up until late one night with us whilst we were waiting for a replacement to be delivered despite the fact that she needed to be up again for 6am managing guest check outs the next morning.
Our evening nature drive and morning drive to the sand dunes were also excellent, with dead vlei and 'big daddy' being everything we had hoped." See all these reviews: 13n in Namibia
"Good Lodge for the Namib Desert"
The little chalet rooms have recently been extended and are very cute, all offering a great view of the dunes in the distance. They also have a flat roof space, where you can request a mattress to be laid out and sleep literally under the stars - of which there are so many visible, it's incredible! This aspect of the lodge is really cool!
We did the Namib Desert tour, but really disappointed at our guide: we left 25minutes and stopped at a non-spectacular point (Dune 1) to view sunrise and a talk about the wildlife, when you should actually make sure to get to the photogenic dunes as quickly as possible to view the amazing color changes there at sunrise. The guide didn't understand this - he didn't even stop at more interesting dunes on the way to Sossusvlei. Given the namib desert and deadvlei were the main reason we went to Namibia, this was quite a disappointment. We even sat down with the tour guide the night before and stated that we wanted to leave as early as possible and he confirmed departure times with us. We then ended up leaving 25 minutes later than we should have - partly because we were waiting for other guests - something I have no understanding for when it's meant to be a sunrise experience.
In addition, there was a school class of 35 staying at the lodge while we were there, which we were surprised the lodge or Expert Afria (if known) didn't tell us in advance as they knew we were celebrating our honeymoon. Knowing this we might have opted to upgrade to Little Kuala - or as a gesture the lodge could have upgraded us when they saw our disappointment.
The staff were friendly, but not that attentive. E.g.-
1) they set out a twin mattress on our honeymoon
2) the same waitresses would need reminding about our dietary requirements even after serving us every meal.
3) needing to repeatedly remind staff to put out the mattresses in the evening.
However, the Food & Beverage Manager Brodwin really made our stay! He went extremely out of his way to cater for our dietary requirements - something none of the other lodges had done to this extent and was really touching!
Having said all this - the own gate really does make a difference (with the right guide) if you don't want to stay in the government run lodge within the park. So staying at one of the two Kuala lodges is definitely recommended - we will probably opt for the more luxurious little kuala next time." See all these reviews: 9n in Namibia
Holiday styles & special interests in Namibia
From birdwatching breaks to walking holidays, find great ideas for your trip in Namibia.
Other lodges in Namib-Naukluft National Park
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Hoodia Desert Lodge
The owner-run Hoodia Desert Lodge offers a high standard of accommodation, delicious food and excellent service in a stunning, peaceful setting just 22km from Sesriem.
BullsPort Lodge & Farm
A traditional Namibian farm, BullsPort offers warm hospitality and a genuine rural experience, with excellent hiking and horseriding.
Sossus Dune Lodge
One of only two properties inside the Namib Naukluft Park, Sossus Dune Lodge has a superb location, for visiting the dunes.
Desert Homestead
With great-value accommodation in a lovely setting, Desert Homestead is a great base for exploring Sossusvlei.
Zebra River Lodge
Zebra River Lodge offers a range of hikes around the Tsaris Mountains from a comfortable and homely base.
Little Kulala
A high-end lodge with spectacular views, Little Kulala, makes a great base for visits to Sossusvlei or a balloon ride over the Desert.
Rostock Ritz
The igloo-style chalets at Rostock Ritz offer exceptional desert views and make a convenient stopover between Swakopmund & Sossusvlei.
Barkhan Dune Retreat
Barkhan Dune Retreat is a welcoming lodge close to the impressive Spreetshoogte Pass, majors on hiking and relaxation.
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.
Dead Valley Lodge
Dead Valley Lodge is inside the Namib-Naukluft National Park, affording guests almost unprecedented access to the dunes.
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
Desert Quiver Camp is an economical option self-catering, well located for access to Sossusvlei.
Elegant Desert Lodge
Elegant Desert Lodge can be used as a base to visit Sossusvlei. It offers comfortable accommodation and facilities in the desert.
Corona Guest Farm
In central Namibia, north-east of the Namib-Naukluft, Corona Guest Farm offers a traditional farm stay and rugged hiking.
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.
Sonop
Away from the hustle and bustle of the area immediately surrounding Sossussvlei, Sonop offers a luxurious stay in a remote part of the Namib Desert.
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.
Desert Hills Camp
Conveniently located for the renowned dunes of Sossusvlei Desert Hills Glamping Camp offers a simple but comfortable tents in picturesque surroundings.
Le Mirage Lodge
Le Mirage Resort and Spa offers accommodation and a range of massage and beauty treatments in a Moroccan-style building in the desert.
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.
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.
