Location
Skeleton Coast National Park, Namibia

The only accommodation located on the ultra-remote Skeleton Coast, Shipwreck Lodge is unique in all Africa. Uniquely designed to mirror its namesake, the camp's individual chalets evoke the enigmatic shipwrecks that line the eponymous Skeleton Coast. An endless stretch of wave-battered sand strewn with whale bones and more than a thousand ship carcasses, it's a raw slice of coastal wilderness hemmed in by cold Atlantic seas on the west and windswept dunes to the east. Here between the Hoarusib and Hoanib rivers, guests stay in 10 architecturally intriguing glass and wood cabins designed to evoke the infamous shipwrecks along this mist-shrouded coast, with expansive windows that look toward the ocean. Each solar-powered chalet has an en suite bathroom with indoor shower and a woodburning stove to take the chill off at night. The main lounge and restaurant comprise a large, innovative gathering area with a nautical touch in the wraparound deck. Cozy socializing space is enhanced with warm wood walls, pillow-strewn sofas, thick rugs, candle-lit tables, books and board games. While the sense of solitude is pervasive, you won't feel bored with the isolation. Head out on game drives in search of desert-dwelling fauna; discover enchanting desert flora (succulents and lichens); spend the day beachcombing for whale bones and debris from centuries of shipwrecks as you keep an eye and ear out for Cape fur seals; marvel at the geologically remarkable Clay Castles; and sit atop the dunes as the sun sets over the ocean. There’s truly nowhere like it on Earth!