Camp Kipwe

The Kipwe suits are rooms in the shape of rondavels, each having boulder, rock and cement walls so that each suite feels like a cool, secluded cave. Each room has a twin bed inside and offers a private deck outside to admire the stunning views. With its own En-suite, these bathrooms are partially outside but still private complete privacy to each guest. Hot water is available due to the wood-burning ‘donkey’ boilers and solar geysers, ensuring complete serenity during guests’ stay.

Each bungalow at the property is air conditioned for complete comfort in the hot climate and offers guests a private lounge equipped with amenities such as a minibar, drinks and a satellite television. The bedrooms are spacious, offering guests a king size bed. This then opens up onto an en-suite open air bathroom with its own bathtub.

Being all-inclusive, all meals, drinks and snacks at the camp are provided at no extra cost. Long excursions such as camp drives also provide food and drink for the trip. Guests can be sure to try Namibian favourites and local cuisine given the local vegetable patch that the camp sources its food from.

Visiting this camp is the perfect opportunity to go exploring parts of Namibia that you otherwise wouldn’t see. A trip to the UNESCO world heritage site Twyfelfontein departs early afternoon from the property and lasts around two hours. Guests will be able to see famous rock painting and rock engravings, some between 1000 and 10,000 years old. Declared as a national monument in 1952, visits can only be taken when with a guide and having the property offer such a trip is an opportunity not to be missed.

A guided nature drive can last between four to six hours, giving guests plenty of time to explore the surrounding area. Wildlife animals that have become adapted to the desert climate can be spotted such as elephants and black rhinos. Due to the longevity of this outing, snacks and drink are included.

4km away at Mowani Mountain Camp, guests are welcome to follow short walking trails on their own, admiring the stunning scenery as they do so. Information is displayed throughout the trails so visitors can learn about the flora and fauna and depending on the guides’ availability, you are welcome to ask them to join you and take you on a longer route.

The property has its own pool with stunning views to admire as far as the eye can see. For those who want to enjoy their privacy, each room has a private deck to lounge on and unwind during the days when the temperature is at its hottest.

A strong believer in eco-tourism, the property are in the process of setting up a community vegetable garden so that food served at the property is sourced locally and ethically. This reduces carbon emissions as well as supports the conservancy in which it thrives.

The lodge has been designed with sustainability in mind and features a high roof with ventilation ducts, resulting in a no more than a 5 degree temperature change on the hottest of days. The building also takes into account the natural environment, blending into its surroundings so that it does not obstruct the natural views.

Indigenous plants have been planted across the lodge in efforts to revitalise the natural land. Plants have then been harvested and replanted at the waterhole to increase the natural flora and fauna of the environment.

Being aware that this space belongs to animals, the lodge has expanded the waterhole to ensure that the herds of elephants that roam have enough to drink.

Camp Kipwe proudly supports the Desert Lion Project. This is a small non-profit organisation that is dedicated to the conservation of the desert-adapted lions that roam in the Northern Namib. The organisation collects ecological data and studies their behaviour, biology and ways that they have adapted to survive such harsh conditions. This is all an effort to ensure that they continue to thrive in their habitat and to find a solution to human-lion conflict.

All waste at the lodge is used responsibly and disposed of in the most environmentally way possible. ‘Reduce, reuse and recycle’ is taken very seriously in regards to all refuse that is used at the property.

Energy saving lightbulbs have been installed as have solar geysers to reduce the property’s carbon footprint.