If your romantic idyll involves leaving the mundane far behind in favour of the wild, the beautiful and the remote, then this hidden retreat should be top of your African wishlist. KuanguKuangu - it comes from the Ovambo word for Milky Way - was born of a Frenchman's love for the amazing landscapes of the region where the Namib desert runs up to meet the Naukluft mountains. He chose an isolated corner of remote farmland (with farmhouse), then crafted a wood and stone cabin in such a way that it seems born of the savannah which surrounds it to all sides. And thanks to the cabin's all-glass frontage, you also feel wedded to this hauntingly beautiful terrain.
This is a place for retreat, contemplation and star-gazing. The cabin is eco in the purest sense: solar powered, with a simple rocket boiler, bathroom open to the elements and spare decoration which makes what's outside rather than inside the lead player. And if self-catering isn't your thing, you can eat at the neighbouring Barchan Dune lodge, where great food and fascinating conversation are guaranteed.
Highs
- Watching dawn over the savannah is a sight you'll never forget
- Staying here is a back-to-nature experience in the very purest sense
- There are no less than 4000 hectares of the Barchan Dune estate waiting to be explored on foot or by 4x4
- Managers Gerda and Niekie are the kindest of hosts with a deep understanding of the country and its people
Lows
- You could go for days without seeing another human being, although you should see plenty of buck as well as the occasional warthog, fox or jackal
- You'll need to bring in your own supplies unless you opt to have meals at the Barchan Dune lodge
- It can get very hot here during the summer months and the property is closed for Christmas and New Year
Best time to go
When you come to Kuangukuangu will probably be influenced by what else is on your Namibian itinerary: if you've come for the game this will probably mean being here well after the rainy season at some time between May and September. This is also when temperatures are coolest and most suited for walking in the Rantberge mountains.
Bear in mind that showering beneath the stars could be a mite less appealing in the colder months of June and July when nighttime temperatures regularly drop below 10ºC. But if this doesn't appeal you can always have a bath or shower down at the lodge.
The cabin is closed 16 December - 3 January every year.
Bear in mind that showering beneath the stars could be a mite less appealing in the colder months of June and July when nighttime temperatures regularly drop below 10ºC. But if this doesn't appeal you can always have a bath or shower down at the lodge.
The cabin is closed 16 December - 3 January every year.
Our top tips
Slip a couple of your favourite CDs into your suitcase along with good quality sunglasses, sunhat, swimming costume, good walking shoes as well as sandals, cool clothes for the heat of the day, but also warm clothes and at least one very warm jacket for evenings. If you wear contact lenses, bring glasses in case of dust irritation. Keen birders will want binoculars and a copy of Newman’s Birds. We'd also recommend bringing insect repellent, a high factor suncream and a basic medical kit with painkillers, Imodium and rehydration tablets, and blister protection. A camera with an extra memory stick is a must!
- Boutique Cabin
- 1 bedroom
- Self-catering; restaurant nearby
- Not suitable
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car recommended
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Daily Maid Service
- Towels & Bedlinen
Rooms
The best part of staying at Kuangukuangu is simply drinking in the vastness and beauty of the landscape which is spread out before you.
The cabin has been fashioned as one big, glass-fronted sleeping space with an outside cooking area and shower room slotted in alfresco between its outer wall and an enormous boulder. Beyond the sliding glass doors is a paved and shaded terrace with a table for two and twin director's chairs: this is the place where you're bound to spend most of your time reading, stargazing and gulping in those awesome views.
A large double bed - with a feather duvet and triple bank of pillows and cushions - is the axis round which the cabin turns, positioned so you awake to see the valley bathed in the first light of dawn without slipping out from between your sheets.
Behind the bed stone shelving doubles as your bedside table and on a higher ledge you'll find a CD player along with a selection of the owner's favourite Namibian sounds (choirs, marimbas, local music) - a collection of National' Geo' magazines and a handful of books and maps of Namibia. There are candles to light you to bed should the solar input drop, whilst animal hides and block prints of Namibian wildlife speak of the owner's love for the Great Outdoors.
On a small side terrace between the cabin and a huge rock you'll find your outside kitchen comprising a moveable gas hob, sink, cool box and small cupboard containing your cutlery and crockery, pots and pans, kettle and cafétière, matches and a few basic spices.
And tucked away round the corner is the shower room and toilet which are also open to the elements. Water is heated by a simple rocket boiler: it's lit for you on the day of your arrival then you're responsible for firing it up yourself. You'll find a small bottle of shower gel, another of shampoo and a small bar of soap.
Eating
As a guest at Kuangukuangu you choose between cooking your own meals up at the cabin or dining at Barchan Dune lodge which is a 10-minute walk away. The chances are that you'll only be here for 2-3 nights, so we'd recommend you do both: it would be a shame not to have at least one meal beneath the stars at KK.
If you don't fancy shopping before you arrive (which in practical terms would mean in Windhoek, Walvis Bay or Solitaire) you can order a braai pack for your first night which will include sausages and meat for the barbecue, potatoes with garlic butter as well as salad and dessert: wine or beer can also be picked up at the main lodge.
You may prefer to have all your meals at Barchan Dune round its one big dining table, inside or out.
Big breakfasts include homemade breads, cheese and cold cuts, juice of the carton kind, fruit and cereals and the offer of eggs any way you'd like them.
If lunches at the lodge are fairly light in content - something along the lines of quiche, carpaccio or tuna fish with salad and served with a glass of white wine or beer - dinners are a lot more substantial. Our supper was excellent: a tuna, gherkin and onion wrap as entrée was followed by springbok steak with a Greek salad and potatoes, and then a scrummy chocolate brownie for dessert.
Activities
- Kick back with one of those really chunky novels that you've been meaning to read
- Wake at dawn, then laze in bed watching the ever-changing light and colour of the surrounding desert
- Stargaze: seeing is believing when it comes to things astronomical in Namibia and you'll soon understand why the cabin was named Kuangukuangu ('Milky Way')
- Go walkabout in the Naukluft mountain park (30-minute drive) or NamibRand Reserve (2-hour drive) and experience the exhilaration of finding yourself alone with no sign of habitation for miles and miles - and miles. Note: some may prefer to overnight closer to NamibRand Reserve in order to make the most of it
- Join one of the guided Nature drives out from Barchan Dune lodge
- Go hot air ballooning in Sesriem
- Rediscover the joy of being without a computer or TV for a few days
- Head off to Sossusvlei to see the dunes at sunset which are an easy half-day excursion from here
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Hiking
- Wildlife
Kids
The Namib Hideaways are conceived as a remote and romantic retreat for adults, so children aren't allowed.
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
KuanguKuangu is in the Sossusvlei area, between Nauchas and Solitaire near the Spreetshoogte pass.
By Air:
Fly to Windhoek's Hosea Kutako (350km). Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving the airport.
From the Airport
KuanguKuangu can organise a flight by private aeroplane, from Hosea Kutako to KuanguKuangu, with one of the licensed companies based at the airport (who work with experienced pilots, and follow the strict Namibian rules of aviation). If you plan to charter a plane to fly in bear in mind that the farm has its own airstrip. Solitaire, where the Dunehopper makes regular stops, is just 20 minutes down the road.
By Car:
You can rent a car with one of the car rental companies at the Hosea Kutako airport or in Windhoek. The nearest petrol station to KuanguKuangu is at Solitaire, the last from Windhoek is in Rehoboth. You can reach KuanguKuangu in a normal car, it is not necessary to have a 4 wheel drive vehicle. It takes about 3 hours from Windhoek or 3.5 hours from Swakopmund. If you want to hire a vehicle in Namibia, see our car rental recommendations; or ask our Tailormade Safari Operator who can give you a wider range of options.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.
More on getting to Namibia and getting around
Airports:
- Windhoek Hosea Kutako 350.0 km WDH
Other:
- Beach 350.0 km
- Shops 30.0 km
- Restaurant 1.0 km