An immersive stay at Our Habitas Namibia

To close our wonderful roadtrip of Namibia, we spent 4 unforgettable nights at the Our Habitas lodge. Set roughly 45 minutes from Windhoek in a 51,000 hectare private Kalahari reserve, adventure truly awaits. 

The journey begins at the gate of the reserve, where you leave your car and embark on the first game drive up to the lodge. Following dirt tracks winding through the savannah, we got a first glimpse into the beauty of the reserves’ wildlife – zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, onyx, antelopes, blending in with the golden-brown colours of the steppe. After roughly 30 minutes, we ascended a steep hill, and reached the lodge – hot cacao waiting for us at check-in. 

The rooms at Our Habitas are huge canvas glamping tents on stilts, scattered around the hilltop the lodge sits on. The panoramic views from the outdoor lounging area are breathtakingly beautiful – you can observe wildlife through your complementary binoculars all day long. Inside the tents, you find everything you need for a very comfortable stay. 

A big seating area set at the entrance cushions-on-the-floor-style arranged around dark-stained, low wooden tables on cushy carpets next to a fully stacked and complementary mini bar. A small desk is set to offer perfect views of the Kalahari, and a day bed invites to lounge on. The bathrooms are equipped with a large wooden shower and beautiful organic products. Our favourite part was the bed with the heated mattress, a luxury we never experienced before. The earthy colours, the decoration, the lamps supplying ambient lights – everything works here and creates a luxurious yet very natural feel. 

The best part of the tents has to be the option to roll up the canvas on all four sides to truly immerse yourself into the vastness of the wilderness surrounding you. You don’t have to worry about critters coming in – there is a second layer of an insect proof net underneath the canvas which you can keep closed. We found that it doesn’t get much better than looking out onto the plains whilst lying in a comfortable, toasty bed.

Food served in the communal area was an absolute dream. The menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner varied daily with multiple options to chose from. All dishes were creative, fresh, healthy, and beautifully presented. What stood out for us were the many vegetarian options which was a nice change compared to the very meat-heavy offerings at other places we stayed at in Namibia. 

As with every safari lodge, the game drives are highlight of your stay. A package at Our Habitas includes two long game drives a day, one early in the morning and one in the afternoon. We had a wonderful and very knowledgeable guide, and as the lodge wasn’t very busy during our stay, almost all of our game drives were private. Our guide tailored the drives to our interests and went to great lengths to track down the animals we wanted to see. We saw a pride of lions, cheetahs, elephant herds, rhinos with their babies, to just name a few. We were excited for every single drive in the comfortable jeeps and spotted and learnt something new each and every time. What truly left a mark in my memory was the incredible play of colours in the savanna. Every hour of the day and position of the sun created different colour hues, and dusk was probably the most beautiful for me, layering balmy pinks and light blue shades over the golds, brown and greens of the kalahari. 

Besides game drives, Habitas offers an array of activities guests can join during the days, such as yoga classes, guided walks through the bush, storytelling with local tribes and stargazing. I also enjoyed two wonderful massages at the spa. We felt that the programming was really balanced, allowing us to see the wildlife, and immerse ourselves into Namibian culture whilst relaxation by the pool, gazing out onto the plains, and listening to the sounds of the savanna never came too short. 

We visited at the beginning of June, which is dry season in Namibia. Dry season also means prime game viewing conditions as the animals have to seek out waterholes to drink. Important to note is that whilst it is warm during the days with up to 25 degrees, it will get quite cold during this time at night. Especially for early morning activities and evenings after sunset you want to wrap up a little. I opted for layers of linen trousers and shirts, knitted sweaters or cardigans and light jackets. I personally found the temperatures in June very comfortable, I liked that it didn’t get too hot in the day which made activities much more enjoyable.

This was a stay that left us truly inspired and with memories that will last a lifetime. Namibia definitely put a spell on us and staying at Habitas with its wonderful views, hues, and comforts surely contributed to this feeling. Whilst our stay was not cheap, it was worth every single cent. A stay at Habitas Namibia isn’t just that, it is an experience, and one that will take you on a journey that will last till long after you will have returned home.