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Wolwedans- Desert Luxury

Wiebke Schmit
There is a definite reason why Wolwedans is known for being one of the best known tourist accommodations in Namibia. It is not only for being situated on spectacular sites, but notably also for its deep-rooted values, which sees them trying to be innovative and remaining committed to sustainability. Wolwedans has always remained true to its aims of trying to leave a human footprint and no more.

When buying a piece of land in the desert in the mid 1980’s, everyone regarded local business man Albi Brückner as having turned crazy, for wanting to own land in such a harsh environment, a region totally unsuitable for farming. But his vision was simple in that he created a nature reserve for desert-dwelling creatures - for them to survive in and thrive. So the Namib Rand Nature Reserve was born. Funding an endeavour like this is however not cheap and in 1994 Wolwedans Dune Camp was built in an effort to finance these conservation efforts, as well as providing much needed employment in the area.

Fast forward by 25 years and Namib Rand now covers a park of almost 200 000 hectares which border the Namib Naukluft Park. Furthermore, this non-profit private-enterprise reserve has become financially self-sustaining by serving the Namibian tourism industry through “high quality, low-impact” tourism offers. Visiting Wolwedans, guests can book their stay at either Dune Camp (where it all began) or Dunes Lodge.

The charm of Dune Camp lies in its unassuming setup, which while it remains stylish, reminds one of the safari camps of the olden days. Set on the edge of a 250 metre high dune, spacious tents erected on big wooden decks allow for wonderful views towards the East. The space on the deck also allows for sleep-outs under the millions of stars ruling over a dark desert.

Dunes Lodge is situated on a dune plateau and gives an unrivalled view of the desert in all directions. Built from a combination of wood and canvas, the lodge provides the comfort of a more permanent structure, while staying true to having a small ecological footprint. Additionally it has a pool which is suspended above the sand and allows the visitor to cool off in on the hot desert days, which are common to this apparently forgotten part of the world.

The Namib Desert - as harsh and unforgiving as it can be - is also one of the most intriguing and beautiful landscapes that you will ever have the pleasure to visit and this magnificent experience is rounded off by the magic of staying over at Wolwedans.

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Allgemeine Zeitung 2024-11-23

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