Desert Hills Lodge

A vast swathe of arid earth…. a stretch of the Tsauchub river…. the ever-moving land…. this was the stage for the ancient San people to dance their adventures to each other within the safe glow of their evening fires, surrounded by their yellow grass huts. These resilient nomads etched out a living on the plains and mountains where Desert Hills Lodge rests today.

In more recent times, commercially minded people settled on these very same plains, mountains and dunes and would come to call it home, this time as pastoral farmers. They named the piece of land Hebron, meaning “the binding friendship place” and primarily farmed karakul sheep for their wool and skins. In 1981 the Porteus family acquired a portion of Hebron and recently decided to open this incredibly beautiful piece of land to tourism.

Desert Hills Lodge opened its doors in June 2018. The lodge comprises of 18 individual on-suite luxury huts, inspired by the San peoples grass huts of old. Guests can relax around the bar, refresh themselves at the pool or take their meals in the breath-taking restaurant, overlooking the magnificent vastness.

There are few things so powerful as to wake up to the splendour of the desert stretching to the limits of your vision. Tendrils of sunlight lazily creeping about in preparation for their day, their primordial existence in sync with the age of the stones around you. The lodge pride themselves on providing luxurious comfort and rest to all their clients by only using the best quality linen, 100% cotton towels and fragrant bathroom amenities.

Inspired by the huts of the ancient peoples of the Namib, designed, built and engineered by the owners and founders, Desert Hills Lodge is certainly a visual delight. The proprietary designs of the high grass domes leave one in awe as the eye journeys across its curved organic surfaces, without the edges and corners of the buildings of the daily hustle and bustle of cities.

The owners not only wish that you enjoy your sleep and cuisine when visiting Desert Hills Lodge, but they want you to go back home invigorated by grand adventure and exclusive experiences. You can book a three-hour nature drive, including refreshments, to look at the unique fauna and flora adapted to desert life in the area, sundowners to greet yet another spectacularly full day or even just hiking along the mountain trails cut into the mountains by zebras over centuries.

A must see in the area is Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon. Day trips to marvel at these splendours of the Namib can be booked at the lodge and includes a lunch pack and refreshments. The lodge is only 30km from the Naukluft gate, and a further 60 to Sossusvlei.