Exclusive modern comfort
In the middle of northern Namibia’s arid, captivating savannah, bordering the world-famous Etosha National Park, is Safarihoek Lodge. Perched on top of a hill, overlooking the plains below, Safarihoek is a stylish sort of place, and you’ll find cool, thatched chalets all with private decks, a double-storey photography hide, and a swimming pool with 180-degree vistas of the brilliant savannah.

But if there’s one thing about Safarihoek, it’s the location. Everywhere you turn, the rugged Namibian savannah stretches into the distance, with only a spangly tree here, and a spiky bush there. The wildlife roams freely across the never-ending space, unhindered and unobstructed. This is a place of silence and solitude, and a rare opportunity to be at one with nature and the animals that thrive here.

Why You’ll Love Safarihoek:
• Safarihoek is a serene and stylish lodge in an exclusive private reserve, close to the celebrated Etosha National Park, in Namibia’s most game-rich area.
• The 11 chalets are elegant and well-equipped with 180-degress vistas of the landscape and waterhole. Eight have outdoor showers-with-a-view.
• Wildlife-watch from the comfort and privacy of your room.
• Spend time in the unique photography hide. Not just for photographers, it offers camera-busting close-ups of Namibia’s extraordinary wildlife.
• Enjoy encounters with endangered black and white rhino.
• Experience the silence and solitude of a truly remote corner of Namibia; Safarihoek is a place for escapism, in a vast swathe of perfectly-private wilderness.

We do like a view at Natural Selection, and the vistas at Safarihoek have to be some of the best in the business. Raised high above the savannah on wooden platforms, each of the 11 chalets look out over the ambling zebra and romping elephant on the plains below. Take a seat on your private deck and watch wild Africa wander by, or escape the heat inside; the view is just as spectacular wherever you choose to sit. Under the thatch roofs of the chalets, you’ll find large double or twin beds, and a small writing desk, minibar and coffee station. All bathrooms have air conditioning and are ensuite (with indoor showers), and if you can’t bear to tear your eyes away, some have outdoor showers with a view too.
In the centre of camp, you’ll find a large lounge area, wine cellar, dining area, and a small curio shop all under thatch. On the chilly evenings of the dry season you’ll probably eat inside, watching the wild through the large glass windows, then in the warmer months, it’s all about the alfresco dining on the outdoor deck. There’s also a cosy outdoor seating area complete with roaring fire, and a perfect spot for keeping an eye on passing four-legged creatures. Drinks are served from the outdoor bar and can also be taken to the swimming pool, a cooling space with the same infinite views of the plains below.
Accommodation & Amenities
• 11 chalets: 1 family, 8 luxury, 2 classic.
• Ensuite bathrooms with indoor showers (outdoor showers in the 8 luxury chalets).
• Air conditioning in each room.
• Swimming pool.
• Wifi available: Unlimited WiFi is available for an N$50 donation to the reserve’s anti poaching program.
• Hairdryers: yes, in all rooms.
• Battery charging facilities: in the Lapa & in room.
• Credit card facilities available (Visa & MasterCard only).
• Complimentary laundry service.
• Child policy: we welcome children of all ages.
• Disabled access: please enquire with reservations.

The different seasons bring very different experiences to Etosha Heights, and each has its own charms and challenges. During the winter season (May to September), the land shrivels and dries, and the grass all but disappears. Waterholes slowly evaporate into the crisp, clear air, and animals congregate around them, searching for the little water that remains. The result? Fantastic game-viewing, that’s iconic, easy and prolific.

Then come the summer months of October to April. It’s officially the rainy season across most of sub-Saharan Africa, but actual rainfall is scarce in Etosha Heights. When it does rain, it’s brief and dramatic, and spectacular thunderstorms transform the landscape into bright shocks of green. Higher grass and fuller waterholes make game viewing a little harder during this time of year, but you can still expect to enjoy a diverse cast of the animal kingdom.

As temperatures go, winter highs peak around 30 degrees, but mostly hover in the mid 20s. It does get cold at night, and the mercury has been known to drop below zero – but nothing a cosy sweater and a roaring fire can’t handle. In summer, the average daily highs can sometimes go beyond a stonking 40 degrees.

SAFARIHOEK ACTIVITIES
• Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in the Etosha Heights Private Reserve, and look for the elusive black and white rhino amongst large concentrations of plains game.
• Wrap up warm and hop in the vehicle for a night-time game drive to explore the magic of the Namibian bush after dark.
• Dust off your camera, charge those batteries, and spend the morning or afternoon in the unique, double-tiered photography hide. Even if you’re not a keen photographer, the hide will get you closer than ever to Namibia’s giants.
• Bush meals and picnics can be arranged with a little advance notice.

Landscape
Safarihoek is set amongst an epic wilderness of vast savannah dotted with scatterings of mopane woodland and dolomite hills. This beautiful piece of Namibia is Etosha Heights Private Reserve, situated close to Etosha National Park’s southwestern border in northern Namibia. It’s a dry and dusty yet totally captivating land, and the silence and solitude that pervades is poignant. Down here, the wildlife is as magnificent as it is in the national park, and there’s one key difference too. Access to the reserve is carefully restricted (to humans, not animals!), making for exclusive and totally private wildlife experiences, free from tourist crowds and bulging 4x4s. And that’s exactly the kind of experience we like.

Wildlife
The impressive 60,000 hectares of classic Etosha landscape around Safarihoek Lodge is dominated by vast, flat savannah interspersed with thickets of mopane woodland, riverine forest, and scattered salt pans. The dolomite hills offer cover for elusive mountain zebra, kudu and lion – make sure to have your cameras ready! – and the numerous waterholes attract large numbers of game and their feathered counterparts. The reserve is also home to numerous species of antelope including sable and black-faced impala, as well as giraffe and other plains game. In winter, aardvark and elephant sightings are not infrequent. The Etosha area is rated one of the best places on the continent to view rhino, and Etosha Heights is home to both white and black rhino. A morning spent tracking their footprints through the dust before eventually coming nose-to-horn with one of the endangered beasts is a memory not to be forgotten.