Huab Lodge & Bush Spa

Gosh what a great place. Off the beaten track but not isolated. We were guests for 3 nights in January and were warmy welcomed by Lidia, Deon and their team. The track to the lodge could easily be done in a standard car, and well signposted. The food was great and eaten with Deon, Lidia and Ursula, a member of the team. This was a really good way of getting to know the history of Huab lodge and the area. But also fun! Deon and Lidia are passionate about conservation, and it shows. A few storms added to the occasion, but the beers were still cold, phew. The standout part was trecking for desert adapted elephants, a recommended all day trip. Additional cost but so worth it, including a 'braii' in the river bed for lunch. Just us and Deon. And, eventually, 13 elephants! How lucky to see these ultra rare desert adapted animals. So exciting! We can't recommend this lodge highly enough. It doesn't offer 'glitz and sparklers', no air-con ( good fans) but the warmth and passion of conservation and getting back to a real experience is second to none. We hope to go back, soon.

The Villa @Huab Lodge – Nov/Dec 2024 My partner, Barbara, and I sought out an opportunity to spend a breakaway birthday long weekend and found Huab Lodge’s new Villa (room 9). We were the first paying guests and how lucky were we! Deon and Lidia, their manager Rihette, Ouma Ursula and the team made us feel so at home and from the moment we arrived we were spoiled to the extreme. The Villa is magnificently built, the woodwork is sublime and the furnishings take the Villa to a next level of luxury. Views aplenty from various angles and heights make the experience so brilliant, light floods into the many large windows and the expansive deck on the ground level offers so many options to entertain oneself. The Villa comes with a plunge pool which is a godsend and ensures that you can cool down at your whim and still enjoy the magnificent views of the surrounding hills. Bedroom and bathroom (with bath) plus a desk area is upstairs and lounge, kitchenette and bathroom (with shower) is downstairs. Spacious, lovely linen, luxury towelling and gifts galore awaited us. An easy walk to the dining room for breakfast, lunch and or dinner is an option or a drive from the Villa to the main lodge buildings can be undertaken. For a lodge well off the beaten track breakfast offered everything and more and dinner was shared with other guests and the owners. Menu options are explained by the chef and then “sold” in one of the local languages which added to the fun. Service is wonderful and friendly and everyone is only too happy to go the extra mile for you as a guest. I was spoilt with a full-on breakfast service at the Villa for my birthday. Everything was transported and set up and our every request was exceeded in leaps and bounds. We can highly recommend a visit to Huab Lodge for anyone seeking a break away where one can enjoy your own company or choose to go on a variety of drives with Deon “the white bushman” to view game and in particular Deon’s passion – the desert elephants. A spa is currently under construction. Additionally, a swimming pool and a hot spring (warmquelle) are available for use by all guests which makes a visit even more of a must! We spent 3 nights at Huab Lodge and it felt like a week to us so we highly recommend a absolute minimum of 2 nights stay there for all locals and tourists alike. We have vowed to return next year.

This felt remote in the extreme - a long way down a gravel road, then a turn off and many kms down an even more gravel road, opening and closing gates on the way. A real gem in Damaraland. We were only there for a night, but it had a real family vibe. The meals were served at a communal table with a chance to mingle with others. Our daughter loved the fact the family had dogs and she could play with them. There was a thermal spa and an outdoor pool, as well as amazing views over the riverbed and the standard fire pit. In the evening we did a sundowner tour down the riverbed. Saw eagle nests with chicks in and a number of baboons, felt like we were really in the middle of nowhere. At dinner, we were intrigued by the trip to find the desert elephants and Dion put together a specific trip for us as we didn’t have time for the full trip. Was magical, setting off at sunset and going 60km down the riverbed, most of which was not a track. Felt like a real adventure and was amazing to find them and watch them feed, then a breakfast on the campfire. The service was excellent, the food was varied and great quality. The room was great, awesome shower and lots of room. WiFi was OK in the main lodge only, not in the rooms.