Views. Views. Views. You are surrounded by the most wonderful views of mountain peaks pretty much wherever and whenever you stay at Hohenstein.
On the one side of the lodge there’s the star of the show and the inspiration for the camp’s name - the Hohenstein Mountain which is 2319m high. On the other side, the 1469m Mount Kainachab. And in the distance, the Spitzkoppe Massif, known as the Matterhorn of Namibia, reaching up to 1728m above sea level.
Wait until you see how sunsets illuminate the rockfaces, but in the meantime, let’s take a look around this remote camp that’s open all year round:
Hohenstein is home to14 semi-detached bungalows, each with a bed made for two with nets to protect you from insects, and an ensuite bathroom so you stay feeling fresh no matter how hot it gets. Your accommodation will enjoy a position in camp that ensures those majestic mountains are always in your line of sight.
About 300 metres from the main lodge (which we’ll get onto shortly), is what’s known as the superior chalet. Basically a detached, air conditioned house, with a living area you can relax in and a fridge to keep your drinks cool. Its superior status is well-earned, as there’s more space here and the quality of the fittings and furnishings are an upgrade on the rest of the accommodation.
But that’s not to knock the other bungalows which offer perfectly acceptable places to relax, sleep and watch the comings and goings of the local wildlife, either from inside your modern accommodation or from the comfort of a shaded veranda.
The bar and restaurant in the main lodge overlook the waterhole where springbok, giraffe, hyena, kudu and oryx gather to refresh. So you can watch them while you refresh yourself, perhaps with a sundowner, or while tucking into a delicious menu of food at mealtimes.
When you’re not taking a dip under the water pretending you’re a deep sea diver (come on, we’ve all done it), the swimming pool is somewhere else from where you can enjoy the views, with the decking around the pool giving you places to sit and dry off, and plenty of shaded areas to give you a break from the sun.
Safari drives out into the wilds leave the lodge at various times of day. The morning drive will see you sitting in a comfortable 4x4 vehicle and in the expert hands of trackers and rangers who’ll take you to the places where you’ve the best chance of seeing springbok, giraffe, hyena and other animals and birds.
In the afternoon, you can book your place on a trip to a gemstone mine. This one requires you to trek across a rocky landscape for part of the journey, although the route isn’t too steep or challenging.
There are other guided hikes of different lengths and difficulty levels. These include the short but sweet Damara Trail along dry riverbeds, a trip to a boulder forest, and the longest of them all, the Panorama Trail. If you’re up for it, you can also book a day trip that takes in the Brandberg and Spitzkoppe mountains.
And as the day draws to a close, many guests choose the sundowner drive which visits ancient Damara and Bushman rock paintings in the Philips cave which is about 10km from the lodge.
Other activities include mountain biking, a visit to the Ameib Farm, guided nature walks, and insightful journeys on which you can learn more about local history, traditions and cultures.
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We had the most amazing family holiday, everything worked so perfectly, the arrangements and accommodation was spectacular!
"Unforgettable trip to Namibia – Thank you Namibia Tours & Safaris!"
We are a group of four from Romania and spent 3 unforgettable weeks in Namibia. We can't recommend them enough, and for any future travels in Namibia or other parts of Africa, we will definitely use their services again.
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From the time we put the key in the ignition till we boarded the plane in Windhoek nothing went wrong.
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It was a fantastic experience, everything was very well organised, went smooth and according to expectations. It was our first self drive in Africa and it was a great, unforgettable time.
