Reviews of Kalahari Red Dunes
Wildlife sightings and reviews
49 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Kalahari Red Dunes and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
0% success
0% success
92% success
70% success
64% success
62% success
57% success
41% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
"Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge review"
Upsides:
Lovely room, very spacious. We were put in a standard room and then moved shortly afterwards to a Superior Suite (their mistake I think, rather than an upgrade!)
Downsides: not really a downside but the staff do like to spend a long time going through the registration/orientation process. The more lodges we stayed at the more we realised this is standard practice (and often for your safety) so you have to be patient as a Westerner in a hurry, and just go with it and not expect to be in your room within 5 minutes of arrival like you would be in a European hotel
Lots of funky lighting in the bedroom but all very dim. Again we realised that this was standard practice and bright lighting is not desirable for lots of reasons. However, one bright reading light next to an armchair would be really appreciated. Often the one bright light was by the bed - not helpful for reading the map!" See all these reviews: 20n in Namibia
"Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge review"
Food during diner was a bit disappointing. My fish took ages to prepare and when it finally was served it was awful: cold and even a bit frozen. Terrible." See all these reviews: 12n in Namibia; 5n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
"Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge review"
The food here was outstanding - dinner was presented gourmet style and staff were all very friendly and helpful.
The walking trails around the lodge allowed us to get close to zebras, wildebeest and giraffes.
excellent two night stay here - would highly recommend" See all these reviews: 23n in Namibia
"Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge review"
"Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge review"
Again, we had a bat in our room on the last night, which was annoying!" See all these reviews: 13n in Namibia
"Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge review"
The rooms were spacious with a bedroom and adjacent living area. A nice bonus was the mini bar whose contents were included in the room rate. Some of the design choices were a little incongruous and seemed out of place in an African lodge e.g. the navy velvet and gold crescent sofa, the black and gold tiles in the bathroom (which also had appallingly dim lighting). Also, we didn’t understand the purpose of the outdoor shower which had no privacy.
There are attractive communal areas although again some of the furnishing choices seem out of place. The restaurant menu was very ambitious with a menu of 5 courses, including amuse bouche and a palate cleanser, but I think they managed to pull it off and we enjoyed the food. Lots of very well price wine on offer." See all these reviews: 23n in Namibia
"Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge review"
"Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge review"
The rooms were a little OTT in their size and decor. The dining was formal compared the other lodges we had stayed in.
The sundowner was disappointing - this is a converted farm surrounded by farms and the guide was limited in his knowledge of the animals and environment. Of note this was the only lodge where drinks on the sundowner were charged additionally (we were charged for a full bottle of wine).
On the positive it was a pleasant place to while away the day before a drive to the airport." See all these reviews: 16n in Namibia
"Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge review"
"Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge review"
We did the Trans-Kalahari trek. This sounds a grand affair but its really a Trek around the (10,000 acre) property in a kind of zigzag direction to make the mileage. It does give you a nice insight into the terrain and we did see some wildlife. Our guide, Phillomon (Sp ?) was very good in pointing out all sorts of desert flora and insects etc. There were many yellow flowers out too and it was nice to walk in the cool of the morning, though this does give way to extreme heat approaching the middle of the day.
We did +/- 18 km, it finished at the bush camp, which is very comfortable, even with a plunge pool which is v cold. The guide and a cook put together a really nice braai and it was fabulous to eat out in this way. Both guys talked about the bush and Namibia and we all enjoyed their company.
The rooms were very comfortable, but they were very, very hot ! the blanket/duvet is completely unnecessary, only really needs a cotton sheet. There isn't aircon or a ceiling fan, I opened some windows slightly to encourage a draught, but it was only any good when I cracked open the door a bit, which the next morning I learned I should NOT have done, as some insects/reptiles may want to come in and join us ! SO this IS a problem here. It was too hot for us to sleep properly, despite being tired after our trek. If you can't open the door and / or windows (later in the night I killed 3 or 4 mozzies so that was frustrating too) the camp owners need to consider how to make this work more efficiently. The windows need a fine gauze to allow a draught but to keep out even the smallest of insects. Not sure about how to modify the doors, but they need a large gauze panel with perhaps a drop down flap secured by velcro, again to keep out unwanted insects and reptiles but to allow the lovely breeze in, that does indeed blow at night and would have transformed our experience. Its all doo-able, Ive seen it in other camps. Kulala do it well in the Namib in their rooms.
In short, we loved the whole thing except the hot room. If we did it again, we'd just stay in our nice cool room ( # 5 Springbok) and get up early for an early morning walk and forget the sleep over in the bush camp. BUT, if they made the mods, this would be even better and quite special, please consider it Red Dune Lodge owners.......
I put 'Good' on the room grade which really doesn't take into account our pretty much sleepless night in the bush camp.
Food was ok, no choice, and no vegetarian option, given the increasing amount of people moving away from meat, this should be
a consideration, even if the dish is the same, just without the meat !" See all these reviews: 7n 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 Southern Namibia
Alternative places to stay in this same area.