Huab Lodge

Huab Lodge & BushSPA General Information

With a hearty welcome to Huab Lodge & BushSPA located in Damaraland in the heart of Namibia, your hosts invite you to recover from the stresses of your day to day lives and to discover and absorb the soul of the African bush.

Enjoy the comforts of the lodge, the relaxed atmosphere and the personal attention as well as the stunning landscape with its impressive variety of animal and plant life. Discover for yourself or together with a knowledgeable guide the beauty and the fascination of ‘the place where kopjes grow like giant mushrooms and elephants tread like ants’ as so succinctly expressed by Oria Douglas-Hamilton.

The History of Huab Lodge

Huab Lodge & BushSPA began as an idea to generate funds to save the desert-adapted elephant from being harassed and shot. Since 1992 awareness regarding environmental conservation has increased, as has tourism and the “value” of the elephant is changing.

The original farmland is a small, unique area called Monte Carlo which boasts stunning views bisected by the mostly dry Huab River. The former rest camp which accommodated tourists in the 1970s now houses the lodge’s staff. At a permanent spring, just down river from the old rest camp where the German “Schutz Truppe” built the so-called German Bath in the late 1890’s, Huab Lodge & BushSPA was erected. Despite its size the unique main building blends into its surroundings. The irregular thatch roof mirrors a mountain on the opposite bank of the river. The stone and thatch bungalows spread along the elevated north bank of the river ensuring a private and magnificent view - even from the shower!

Huab Lodge & BushSPA with all it has to offer and being off the beaten track is not a place for a single night-stop. You should allow several days to enjoy and absorb the tranquility and quiet, the welcoming and comfortable atmosphere, and the many activities. There is an airstrip near the lodge for those that whish to fly in. Special attention has been given during the construction phase of the lodge to provide access to physically disabled guests. Huab Lodge & BushSPA is a charming, unpretentious Africa-style lodge, where guests quickly feel at home. Every year since its inception, Huab Lodge & BushSPA has received a prize in the Best Lodge category in the Hospitality Association of Namibia’s guest appraisal contest as well as Iwanowski’s Golden Award. Huab Lodge & BushSPA continues to be revisited by its guests and is recommended to their friends. This word of mouth advertising is the best form of publicity and speaks for itself.

Accommodation at Huab Lodge

Eight stone and thatch bungalows can accommodate a maximum of 16 guests. Meals are enjoyed with the hosts at the family table, where in the Lodge’s friendly atmosphere guests can make friends and exchange opinions and learn more about the country. In Huab Lodge & BushSPA tradition a variety of less well-known South African from smaller cellars and vinyards wines are presented ceremoniously each evening for guests to appreciate and enjoy.

The spacious bungalows have large private patios and are tastefully and practically furnished. They all include a separate en-suite toilet, two hand-wash basins and mirrors and even the shower has a view. The airy room with two double size beds has large windows allowing lots of light and a view across the Huab river. Tea and coffee making facilities are set out. Mosquito nets, a ceiling fan and a torch as well as biologically degradable soaps and shampoo are provided. 24 Hours 220 volt electricity is generated by the silent solar energy plant concealed on the hill. The chemically untreated water has a neutral pH value and is absolutely save coming from a borehole in the granite. There is no need to close the curtains, instead you can watch the stars and listen to the calls of several owl species and barking geckos as you drift off to sleep. In the morning as you look out from the comfort of your (extra long) bed you can enjoy the soft light as the sun catches the mountains and a new day begins.

The dawn chorus gives voice to grey hornbills, fork-tailed drongos and white-browed sparrow-weavers in particular. The “heart-attack” call of the red-billed spurfowl (francolin) ensures a rush of adrenaline first thing in the morning. Hartlaub’s spurfowl (francolin) shrieks his “machu pichu” call somewhere in the granite. The Wireless LAN and high speed Internet connection in all Bungalows allows you to share your favorite pictures, movies and sound clips with your friends, family and communities. The nearest bungalow to the main building (lapa) is for physically disabled guests.

The Restaurant & Bar

Our Restaurant - located in the Lapa - awaits you with a fresh and delicious breakfast after your morning walk. Just let us know how you like your eggs or omelette prepared for you. At breakfast you enjoy a variety of home made breads, toast, fresh orange juice and fruit salad, cereals, cheeses, different cuts of cold meat, your choice of tee or coffee. After your scenic game drive, our kitchen provides you with three different kinds of delicious and fresh salads, vegetables and different cold meat, chicken or fish dishes, light enough for you to enjoy your snooze afterwards in your bungalow, at the swimming pool or the thermal bath. The Dinner will be complemented by selected South African wines of the excellent cellars and vineyards from the areas of Stellenbosch, Paarl,Robertson, and Swartland, to name a few. Our Chef will present the dinner to you in her mother tongue which is Damara (with the four clicks). The three course dinner provides you with a variety of red and white meat, fish, a number of different fresh and in-season vegetables as well as a choice of salads. Our drinking water is first class quality and many of the salads and herbs served at the table come fresh from the kitchen garden.

Safari Activities

While staying at Huab Lodge & BushSPA, you can enjoy a number of activities surrounded by beautiful and scenic nature, listening to the Huab Sound of Silence. The day starts with an early morning walk when the sun rises at about 6am. The scenic game drive, that will get you up or down the Huab river or towards the mountains, starts at about 10am. Our sundowner drive will start at about 5pm. Beside our safari drives, you can take a rest and just relax at the swimming pool, in the thermal bath or in the lobby, your spacious bungalow or your bungalow’s patio. You can also go hiking on your own and explore the wonderful nature and scenic surroundings of Huab Lodge & BushSPA.

For lovers of animals and plants Huab Private Nature Reserve is a paradise. A variety of animals and vegetation particular to the arid conditions ofDamaraland can be observed and identified. There are desert-adapted elephant, oryx, kudu, Hartman’s mountain zebra,klipspringer, warthog, bat-eared fox and common duiker amongst many others. Enjoy the beautiful vegetation and join us for a morning walk, a scenic drive or the famous sundowner drive. You can also explore the Huab river, animals and vegatation in an unguided hiking tour.

You can also enjoy a wallow in the thermal spring, which contains soothing and healing minerals and has a neutral pH value and NO sulphur. The temperature fluctuates around 37 to 39 degrees Centigrade and the pool is shaded by an attractive thatch roof which is cleverly cut to enable star-gazing. There is a cool plunge-pool next to the hot wallow. A secluded bird-bath makes this a prime spot for birders. If the stresses of life leave you in need of rejuvenating, our resident therapist offers a range of treatments to ease the aches and pains.