Etendeka Mountain Camp

This is not a review of Etendeka Mountain Camp but rather Etendeka Walking Trail which is run by the same owners.
We did the two-night option. The trail starts with an easy 2 hours on the first afternoon; then a more demanding 5 hours the next morning, and an afternoon stroll. And then an easy one hour downhill to Mountain Camp on the third day. Bags are transferred by vehicle, and there are water drops arranged so we did not have to carry much.
Thanks to exceptional rains, the landscape is looking fantastic, endless vistas of waving golden grasses. We did not see a lot of wildlife — kudu, oryx, zebras, lots of birds — but that did not matter, it was just a pleasure to walk through such a gorgeous remote area.
The camps are quite special, the first near a riverbed and the second in a gap in the hills with incredible sunset views. Both have sleep-out decks and private WCs/sinks below, and solar heated showers. Sleeping under the moon and stars was fun, and while it was a bit windy, the bedrolls were cosy.
Our guide, Gelasius, made sure we took plenty of breaks to investigate plants and tracks and insects and so on, and had an endless trove of traditional knowledge. Camp crew (of three) were all good humoured and produced excellent tasty food, eaten from a buffet at the camp fire.
Overall highlighly enjoyable few days — strong recommend.

This is just the most fantastic remote lodge. Wonderful staff from Suzanna the housekeeper to Helesius the guide for our 3 day trip. Good home cooked food and comfortable tents. Dennis the owner is so helpful to understand the lodge, the area and even an explanation of the southern stars on a clear night. Great walks and drives. Can't recommend highly enough — 3 nights is best.

What a find. This is Luxury camping with superb staff. The manager was so efficient and professional. The tents are brilliant with real camp feel like bucket showers and completely out in the country. The hike organised was very informative and we managed to see some mountain Zebras. In the evening Simon took us into a journey into the stars with his telescope.

We arrived at Etendeka Mountain Camp located in the lava plains, on foot, the culmination of a three-day Etendeka hike guided by the amazing Boas. The hike included two wild sleep-outs at River Camp and Hill Camp and is 100% recommended if you are fit, have a bit of resilience and wish to immerse yourself in Namibia.
Etendeka Mountain Camp prides itself in its culture. Run by the owners, it is rustic and a true eco-lodge pioneering community involvement in local tourism initiatives. Thus all energy is produced on site (solar), and the accommodation reflects this. Actually, the accommodation was wonderful! Our en-suite menu tent was superbly fitted, comfortable and stylish. They tents are widely spaced affording guests a degree of privacy, and do come with flushing loos and basic bucket showers. Water is at a premium, though it soon becomes obvious how little water is actually required to enjoy a decent shower. The decking at the front of each tent has outdoor seating, and affords captivating views over the dramatic scenery.
The central lodge is large with adjoining dining room, lounge and bar, with a central charging point for devices. Furnishings are plentiful and very comfortable. There is a small swimming pool just outside.
One aspect of meals at Etendeka is community meal times, guests sat around the long table. Although the menu is set, the meals are simple, wholesome and delicious; we enjoyed a gin and tonic as the meal was foil-cooked over an open fire.

Family of 4 incl 2 older teenagers, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Etendeka. The food is simple and served buffet style but really delicious. You could tell that all food was freshly prepared using seasonal local products. We loved the tents, especially the bucket showers. The drives and walks we did were excellent, with very knowledgeable guides. Two nights was enough for us.
The highlight was the football match! My teenage boys had a ball with them and the manager organised his staff so that we were 5 vs 5! It was a laugh! I don’t know who selected the teams though as my team lost 10:5!
A great place that I’d truly recommend!

A fantastic experience! We drove ourselves from the main turn-off at Palmwaag, which is a challenging but stunning drive. All the staff and Dennis were welcoming and generous with their time. We loved the tented chalets, secluded location and delicious food. The morning hike was informative and enjoyable.

An unique experience! From the beautiful sky, landscape, excellent camping to the friendly hosts! Boas was an excellent guide, the hiking trails were great! The food was delicious! Bring extra warm clothes for the cold nights! 1000% recommended!

Such a lovely stay. Really comfortable and great team including the guide. The food was really wholesome and tasty throughout. Not the typical lodge experience but a really memorable one.

I'm on the cusp… But I think this may be my favourite place to stay in Namibia. It's not luxury, but it is a genuine humble stay in a mountain desert. The tents are comfortable and washing facilities unique in that they force the conservation of water. The elements are in your face here from the cold winter nights to the wind slapping the tent canvas in the night. If you like the feeling of being away from it all, cocooned up in a comfortable bit of civilization then this will be your cup of tea. Meals were a you get what your are given affair, but all food was nice and importantly, wholesome. We did the morning walk 2 times. And an evening game drive. Our guide was knowledgeable and informative and always enjoyed a good laugh. This is one of the few places we went where it was safe enough to do major walks without worrying about being eaten. The crystal mountain walk was a highlight. The scenery and views were amazing. There were not many animals about when we were there and the staff sold the activities as landscape tours, and the landscape is worth the visit. Loved it!

This is an amazing lodge. It has been designed to fit into the local and leave no footprint. We were so glad we ended up there and had two nights.
You need to leave you vehicle at a lodge on the main road and travel in a 4x4 to the lodge. It is about a 2. Hour drive. You see lots along the way.
There are some animals that wonder through. The geology and red rocks are what makes it amazing.
There accommodations are tents with outdoor bucket showers and private bathrooms.
Things are solar so you need to do charging at the lodge. That is not a problem.
We did a nature walk in the morning and enjoyed the sights along with some animal sightings.
Dennis, the owner, was there for meals and has invested so much energy in this amazing spot.
If we return to Namibia this is definitely on the list of places to see again.
The sights and what we learned from our guide was wonderful.

The three-day-hike was the highlight of our round-trip through Namibia. Led by a very friendly expert guide, we hiked through nature and got great insight in flora and fauna. Our guide pointed out and explained a lot of details of nature on the way, that you just pass by when you do a car round-trip. For us, the hike was an incredible experience. We spent two nights under the clear open sky watching the southern starry sky with the prominent milky way from the Etendeka mountains. We highly recommend doing this trip!

Unique.
Despite bucket showers and outdoor toilet, this was an awesome place to stay.
Clear skies at night makes it a superb place to see the Milky Way.
So friendly.
Loved it.

Everything you need, would have loved to stay another night. We did the three day hike, so we also stayed at River and Hill camp. The hike is not hard, the views are great. Especially the sun-downs and the view of the Milky-way from the platforms.

No fences no guns no traffic, visitors vehicles left outside in protected parking at gate, morning guided walk and afternoon drive, an amazing experience. Africa seen at it’s best. Unique.

There is nothing fancy about this lodge. Nothing grand. And yet it is one of the best destinations I have ever been to in Namibia. It is so real. Shower from a bucket and sleep in a tent in the wild. The food is Amazing, the staff, guide and managers are of the highest quality. And at night you sit around a camp fire listening to stories and sipping on amarula under a canopy of stars that will take your breath away. A must visit!