General:
The reserve is covered by wind-sculpted dunes, the highest in the world, and 700-million year-old mountains. The valleys and slopes are home to a unique gathering of wildlife, some of which are found nowhere else on earth. Sightings including Hartmann's zebra, Grant's golden mole, oryx (gemsbok), spotted hyena, African wildcat and the ubiquitous springbok. This is big sky country, and home to more than 115 bird species, including Sociable Weavers, Black Eagles and Martial Eagles.
Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge is your retreat from which to explore this rolling sand sea. From dawn to dusk, it's an ever-changing landscape of light and shadows with vast, untrammeled vistas. Clouds and mirages endlessly unfold in a seductive, silent dance of earth and sky as the Namib envelops you in her stillness. The reserve's totally private dunes, mountains, and pristine spaces are experienced by a maximum of 20 lodge residents. This is the place to come and bask in a state of spiritual solitude that others spend a lifetime trying to find.

Services:
Game Drives: In the cool of morning and evening, the resident naturalist will take you in four-wheel drive open vehicles to explore the open grass plains, fossilised sand dunes and orange sand dune belts of the NamibRand Nature Reserve.
Interpretive Walks: In the desert, many of the real attractions are small and well-camouflaged, and may easily be missed. Guided walks are available or you may explore on your own along marked walking trails. Adventures: From the height of a hot-air balloon ride, the view of the orange dunes and seas of dune grass is unparalleled. This bird's-eye view of the desert is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Hot-air ballooning over the Namib is an optional extra (weather permitting). More exciting optional extras are a guided 4x4 excursion to spectacular Sossusvlei, site of the highest sand dunes on earth. You may also choose to go on guided 4x4 excursions to Sesriem Canyon or the famous Sossusvlei pans, resting place of the Tsauchab River. Excursions on ATVs (automatic, all-terrain, four-wheel motorcycles) are also available. For stargazers, the crisp, dry desert air provides unrivalled opportunities to be mesmerised by the Milky Way. Tribute to its prime position is Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge's own observatory, housing the most powerful electronic telescope in Namibia outside the National Observatory. Knowledgeable field guides will direct you through the southern skies and tell of the expanding cosmos.

Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge is situated in the northern foothills of the vast, privately owned NamibRand Nature Reserve (184 000 hectares). In the reserve, the eerily beautiful Namib Desert has been painstakingly reclaimed for conservation to create the largest private nature reserve in Southern Africa, exclusive to lodge residents. It's a world of vast space, far horizons, desertscapes and jagged mountain heights. The reserve lies on the eastern boundary of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Namibia enjoys sunshine virtually every day of the year; it can be especially hot in the middle of summer between December and March. Winters (May-October) are cooler.

Rooms: Suites:
Ten stone and glass desert suites combine unprecedented sophistication with the stark beauty of the desert landscape. The air-conditioned and spacious rooms are designed to capture the splendour and solitude of the desert. Spaced well apart, each suite is a private haven with a shaded deck overlooking the far horizons of the Namib Desert. The split-level suites are located at the foot of a mountain overlooking an expansive Namib grass plain leading into a sea of orange sand dunes. Each suite is equipped for the climatic extremes of the desert. There is a fireplace in the split-level lounge for winter evenings. For the hot desert days, there are showers in the en suite, glass-encased bathroom. There are also outdoor showers for starlit bathing.
Interiors: Cradled against ancient mountains, Sossuvlei Mountain lodge's decor embraces muted hues of ochre, umber and ivory. An expansive star-viewing window above the bed is every child-at-heart's dream come true. The rooms are equipped with personal compact telescopes for game- or star-spotting, a service-intercom to the main lodge and a CD system.

Temperature:
Days are generally hot and sunny. In summer, daytime temperatures can rise to 35°C/95°F and night temperatures drop to around 14°C/58°F - 18°C/65°F. The coastal region is cool and dry throughout the year. Summer is from November to April.
Winter is from May to October: days are dry, sunny and mild to warm, while evening temperatures drop sharply. Daytime temperatures generally reach 23°C/73°C and can drop to as low as 0°C/32°F - 10°C/50°F at night. It can be cold and windy at the coast.

Food & Wine:
In the airy dining room, you can enjoy delectable African cuisine, prepared by a first-class Namibian chef.
Climate Overview:
You can expect hot summers and pleasant winters in this arid climate.
Rainfall: The "rainy" season is from February to March and average rainfall varies from less than 50mm along the coast to 350mm in the central and 700mm in the far north-eastern regions.

Living Spaces:
The split-level main lodge is a dramatic structure of glass and stone curves. Walls have become windows, or fold away completely, engaging the vast desert vistas. The swimming pool is fed by an underground spring, emerging from deep within the desert. There is something deliciously contradictory about floating in a pool in the middle of the world's oldest desert. On winter evenings, guests can select wine from the walk-in wine cellar before wandering through to the fire-lit bar. After relaxing, drink in hand, in the main lounge and terrace, or in our upper lounge and viewing deck, you may browse through our curio shop or CD and book library. Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge's own observatory houses the most powerful electronic telescope in Namibia outside the National Observatory, allowing for breathtaking clarity during stargazing.