The startlingly beautiful Skeleton Coast that fringes Namibia’s northern Atlantic coastline is the best place in the world to be shipwrecked on a luxury getaway. Just the two of you, in this sandy paradise bordering the beach and the sea… Heaven can wait. Baroque Travel has all the details.
It only opened in June this year, and already Shipwreck Lodge on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast is causing a stir. With a rugged, remote setting that is paradise for adventurers, this luxury camp offers a safari experience that is unmatched in one of Africa’s most extraordinary locations.
Uniquely designed around the legendary shipwrecks that are found on the Skeleton Coast, the lodge is architecturally dramatic. It boasts an unrivalled setting in the hauntingly beautiful Skeleton Coast Concession Area, where towering sand dunes and wind-swept plains spread towards the horizon and the protection of rare species of wildlife is of the utmost importance. The only visible blip on this perfect radar is a lone bleached whale, or seal bones and those wind-blown remains of over a thousand ships.
The only luxury accommodation in this remote area, Shipwreck Lodge is sheltered from the elements and offers wood-burning stoves, thick fake fur blankets and hot water bottles to keep out the Atlantic chill. The only lodge of its kind in Africa, its sumptuous interiors in shades of blue, burgundy, black and white offer a plush respite from the harsh landscape outside. Designed by Namibian architect Nina Maritz and interior designer Melanie van der Merwe, the property is completely sustainable. In fact, the cabin-style bedrooms were built using only wooden nails. Each room has a private en suite bathroom, and the lodge is solar-powered.
At the centre of the camp is an innovatively designed restaurant and lounge with a wrap-around deck offering uninterrupted views of the magnificent surrounds, across the sand to the Atlantic Ocean. Original artwork by local artists adorns the walls.
Yes, the Skeleton Coast is magical and beautiful, but it’s actually not completely remote. It is home to an irreplaceable and vulnerable wildlife habitat and the species who live there – we’re talking desert elephant, desert giraffe and the Hartmann’s mountain zebra – are actively being conserved. This desolated area is also home to the only other viable lion population in the country outside of the Etosha National Park.
So what do you do in this exclusive hideaway? Every activity focuses on the wild landscape that surrounds the lodge – there are game drives amongst the desert and flora searching for wildlife in their natural habitat, excursions in four by four vehicles to the geographically remarkable Clay Castles and the remnants of shipwrecks in mysterious Suiderkus and Karimona, an opportunity to explore the Hoanib River Delta and the Mowe Bay seal colony. If you prefer, you can spend the day beachcombing for whale bones and debris from centuries of shipwrecks. There is seriously nothing quite like this place anywhere else on earth.
Climb dunes to watch the sun rise, enjoy an al fresco lunch in the shadow of the Clay Castles, fish for your dinner one afternoon, or head off to the breathtaking dune fields for sundowners. It’s all part of your unique getaway on Namibia’s magical Skeleton Coast.
If you would like to find out more about an exclusive trip to Namibia, let Baroque Travel assist. Mail us right away, request@baroquetravel.com, and we will make a booking for you. We can also assist with all your travel arrangements, including flights and transfers.