When I first saw a photo of the 1,000-year-old skeleton trees in Deadvlei, Namibia, I really thought it could be the moon or Mars. The scene is stark, desolate, scorched, and barren save for colorful layers of white clay salt pan and the iron-oxidized red sand hills juxtaposed against a deep blue sky. This is the surreal backdrop to lifeless black skeleton acacia trees that provide a visual mystery as to how these sun-blackened dead trees managed to survive upright for countless generations. The scene is simply out-of-this-world.
The Location
The Dead Valley lodge is situated inside the Namib–Naukluft Park, one of Africa’s largest parks. It is one of only two lodges located inside the Namib-Naukluft Park. For photographers, this is essential for early morning starts and setup before the crowds overpopulate the scenery.
The Lodge
The lodge offers luxury tented chalets in a natural but arid environment. As mentioned earlier, it is strategically located to see some of Namibia’s most iconic and photogenic scenery.
From the Lodge, guests can enjoy a panoramic view of the Namib Desert while soaking in the cold-water swimming pool. If driving, there is free and secure parking available. Wifi is also complimentary, essential for those who require connectivity for social media platforms and business in general. Great for staying in touch with family and friends as well.
If you are not already pre-arranged with your tours, the site has a tour/sightseeing desk that can help with bookings.
Wheelchair access is a notable feature of this property.
The Room
The lodge offers twenty (20) free-standing, climate-controlled, luxury tented chalets. Some are a bit far and may require that you take the local cart to go back and forth from the main entrance.
Each luxury chalet comes with a panoramic view of the Namib Desert along with vistas of the red sand dunes, mountain ranges, and desert savannahs.
My room had nice area carpets. The en-suite bathrooms featured dual basins, a flush toilet, and a shower with hot and cold water.
Wash-up sinks are in the exterior connector corridor, between the bedroom and the bathroom.
- Get a Car Rental
- Get a universal plug adapter
- Get an eSim to be able to use your smartphone abroad.
- Buy Travel Insurance
Sinks and showers are actually in a separate room, apart from the bedroom, necessitating going outside about 10 feet before you get to the bathroom entrance. At night, the short stroll can be a bit cold.
The Food
Open-sided dining lets you enjoy your meal while appreciating the local environment.
Food is ample, with three hearty meals included in the price of a stay. Local Namibian dishes are featured, including various game meat choices, so vegetarians need to advise the facility of dietary restrictions or preferences.
My experience was that this place can be a bit challenging for vegetarians, as on many nights, several meat options were offered, including game meat. Vegetables on the other hand, seemed to be not so plentiful as the meat choices.
The Rates
For the best rates online as well as special packages, book directly with the Dead Valley Lodge website. As an alternative, check Booking.com or Expedia for competitive prices. Depending on day of the week, season, and room type, rates can run from $ N8,200 per night for 2 adults. (Based on current conversion rates, that is about $463.00 USD per night.) Check the website for special promotions.
Check rates online at Expedia, Booking.com, Agoda.com or Hotels.com.
The maximum guests per room is 2 adults. Children 6-18 pay 100% of the sharing rate. Please note that children younger than 6 years old are not permitted on the property.
The Bottom Line
Location for this luxury lodge/chalet is tops and strategically positions guests for the closest entrance to the park. This is essential for photographers who seek early morning light.
Rooms are spacious, but can get cold at night. Since the bathroom is connected to the bedroom by a private, interconnected outdoor walkway, it can be a bit cool on your way to using the toilet. However, we are only talking about 4-5 steps, depending on your stride.
The food was good, but in my opinion, it was satisfying but not great. A lot of game meat was served, so this is usually when I am a vegetarian. However, vegetarian dishes are not as varied, sometimes with limited choices, and sometimes not enough. Many times, I filled up on bread.
A minor annoyance for me is that when guests come to dinner, they are greeted by the chef and staff with what seems a prolonged and somewhat raucous singing debut. At times, it was a bit too much and too protracted.
Where else to stay in Namibia
Looking for other places to stay while in Namibia? Be sure to check out these Hotel Scoop reviews:
Karin Leperi Pezo is a writer and photographer living part-time in Peru and part-time in Nevada. She paid full fare for two nights as part of Aaron’s Photo Tours. All photos are by Karin Pezo, unless otherwise noted. As always, all opinions are those of the author and are based on an actual overnight stay(s) at the property. This is in contrast to AI-generated content that only summarizes source data in a second-hand fashion.
