Le Mirage Desert Lodge & Spa

Location

Just 21km from the entrance to the Namib-Naukluft National Park, it’s one of the closest lodges to the Sossulevi area, home to some of the highest sand dunes in the world. One of Namibia’s major visitor attractions, the dunes are an intense reddish colour and, at up to 380m high, boast stunning views of the sprawling saltpan. For those wanting an even better vantage point, the lodge puts on hot air balloon rides over the area. Located in the south of the Namib Desert, visitors can expect to see springboks, ostriches and zebras.

Accommodation

The thick rock walls of the battlements will keep your rooms cool and protect you from the harsh desert sun. Inside the rooms, the exposed brickwork makes for a stylised contrast with the room’s soft furnishings, red livery and large bed. Boutique en suite open bathrooms with his and her sinks round off the lodge’s contemporary feel. The rooms’ balconies are a great place to enjoy a drink with the sunset while looking out for wandering antelopes and zebras on the plain.

Dining

More of a lavish banquet hall than a restaurant, meals are served in the castle’s high-ceilinged centre. With up to five course meals the menu spans traditional Namibian cuisine, think hearty hotpots and tender grilled meats, to a wide range of Western favourites. Evenings often end swapping safari stories with other guests by the lounge fire. Lunch is a la carte while breakfast has light offerings such as freshly baked croissants. Guests returning from the sunrise balloon rides are treated to a champagne breakfast.

Facilities

Famed for its spa, Le Mirage does everything to relax you after a day spent in the hot African sun. Expert masseurs offer a range of treatments from deep tissue massages and aromatherapy to traditional Namibian body scrubs and Thai massages. There’s also a range of beauty treatments, such as manicures and pedicures as well as hydrotherapies. Or you can simply relax with a drink in the lodge’s bar or by the pool and hot tub. In a change of pace, the lodge also puts on quad bike drives through the desert’s dunes or jeep safaris to spot local wildlife.