Elegant Desert Camp: an eco-oasis in the Namib Desert

What makes Elegant Desert Camp so special is that it allows you to get close to nature in an eco-friendly way. We’re situated in the mighty Namib Desert, which is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its shifting sands, just west of the Naukluft Mountains and south of the Tiras Mountains. We’re only seven kilometres from the Sesriem gate, which leads to some of the world’s tallest sand dunes at Sossusvlei.

The initial idea for the camp was 10 safari-style tents for adventurous travellers to enjoy a five-star nature experience in the desert, with a focus on the views. The beds can be rolled out onto the deck, so you can sleep beneath the African stars – that’s always a highlight for guests. All of the tents are built on wooden platforms to keep them cool, with canvas walls that can be rolled up so you’re immersed in the desert.

We also have a large pool deck where you can take in views; on a clear day you can make out all the different colours of nature, the yellow grass, the blue sky and glimmer of the red dunes. After exploring Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon in the morning, guests love cooling off in our semi-natural pool, which is built into the rocks. The pool bar has swing chairs overlooking the desert, it’s the best place to enjoy a cold sundowner.

Elegant Desert Camp was designed to have a very minimal environmental impact. The building materials are removable and recyclable, we use solar power and water comes from boreholes. We even have our own waterhole which is visited by plenty of wildlife, from mountain zebras and springboks to jackals and hyenas. Guests often spot animals while walking our nature trails too, which you can do with or without a guide.

You can dine at our open-air boma, where chefs prepare food right in front of you, BBQ style, so you can eat under the stars. Sometimes, we get oryx passing by the boma, which provides great photo opportunities. We’re always thinking of ways to make our guests’ experience magical, what we want most of all at Elegant Desert Camp is to live up to our slogan: creating lifetime memories.