Wilderness Doro Nawas

The 16 chalets at Wilderness Doro Nawas, one of which is a family unit, are built on stone bases and arranged in a circle at the foot of the hill, with canvas walls supported on wooden poles that in turn hold up the thatched roof. Inside, each chalet is open plan, with a large bedroom in which you'll find a double bed, or twins, below a ceiling fan, and a couple of comfortable, padded wicker chairs. At the side of each room, sectioned off slightly by canvas and stone dividers, the bathroom has a flushing toilet, a hot shower, and twin washbasins standing on wooden wash-stands – each with a large mirror. On the veranda at the front of the chalet there is an additional outdoor shower, reached through a large set of sliding glass doors.

During the day, you can relax and soak in the view from a couple of iron chairs on your veranda, while at night, the beds can be rolled out here, allowing you to sleep under the stars. This is a truly magical experience.

Located at the top of the hill, Doro Nawas incorporates a long indoor dining area, a smaller lounge area with comfortable sofas and a fireplace, a bar, and a curio shop with a small picture gallery. Floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors make the most of the views from this amazing hilltop viewpoint. In the middle of the main area is an open-air courtyard, with a fire-pit and comfy red beanbags. Stairs from here lead to an open roof-top terrace with panoramic views, often used for dining, sundowner drinks and after-dinner stargazing. Between the main area and the chalets is a rectangular swimming pool.

The team at Doro Nawas runs many activities, including guided 4WD trips to track desert-adapted elephants, normally in the Huab River Valley, and to see the Bushman rock engravings at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Twyfelfontein, usually taking in the Petrified Forest and the Organ Pipes. Back at the lodge, there's also a walking trail in the vicinity that can be done with a guide.

About Doro !Nawas Conservancy

The Doro !Nawas Conservancy is a geological wonderland lying between the Huab and Ugab Rivers, two of Namibia’s largest ephemeral river systems.

Doro !Nawas is home to a great variety of game. The area is an important refuge for black rhino and is home to desert-adapted elephant, giraffe, leopard, and cheetah. Other mammals include kudu, mountain zebra, gemsbok, hartebeest, springbok, duiker, klipspringer, steenbok, spotted and brown hyaena, caracal, jackal, and baboon. Many of Namibia’s near endemic bird species occur in the conservancy, including bare-cheeked babbler, Carp’s tit, rosy-faced lovebird, Rüppell’s parrot, Hartlaub’s francolin, violet wood-hoopoe, Rüppell’s korhaan, Damara hornbill, Monteiro’s hornbill, white-tailed shrike, Herero chat and rockrunner.

The Huab and Ugab ephemeral rivers are linear oases that create an important refuge for wildlife, providing water and supporting a variety of flora, including large camel thorn and ana trees, and salvadora thickets. Ringwood trees are a distinctive feature in the conservancy, and welwitschias grow in drainage lines, while white-trunked sterculias stand out on rock outcrops, where various Commiphora species also grow. Mopane savannah is dominant in the east, while much of the west consists of desert plains with very few trees and only a sparse seasonal grass cover.