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Namibia Budget Travel
Good-Value Lodges For A Namibia Self-Drive Safari
Budget is not the same as cheap. This collection brings together Namibia lodges, chalets, inns and town hotels that give honest value on a self-drive safari: comfortable rooms, good food and friendly, well-run service at the end of a long day on the road.
The stays follow the classic routes – the Fish River Canyon and Aus in the south, the Kalahari near Mariental, the Namib dunes around Sesriem, Swakopmund on the coast, Damaraland, Epupa Falls on the Kunene, Etosha's Andersson Gate and the Okavango, Kwando, Chobe and Zambezi rivers in the north-east. Most belong to the Gondwana Collection, and several appear in our Visited galleries.
Each one is priced as part of a tailor-made itinerary, so we can build it into a route alongside any other properties you have your eye on. Plan your driving days with our Namibia distance table, or tell us what you have in mind and our team, planning safaris since 1999, will shape the route.
Our Good-Value Namibia Lodges
Canyon Lodge
Rates from NAM$ 3,274.00 Per person per night
Thatched stone chalets tucked among huge granite boulders in the private Gondwana Canyon Park, a short drive from the Fish River Canyon viewpoints. Guided walks, canyon drives and sundowner drives start from the lodge, and the farmhouse-style main building looks out over a pool.
Canyon Roadhouse
Rates from NAM$ 2,650.00 Per person per night
A roadside inn in the private Gondwana Canyon Park near the Fish River Canyon, packed with vintage cars and roadhouse memorabilia. Our team has spent a night here – it is a cheerful, easy stop on the long drive through southern Namibia.
Canyon Village
Rates from NAM$ 1,995.00 Per person per night
Cape Dutch-style stone-and-thatch chalets at the foot of a rocky ridge in Gondwana Canyon Park, with murals telling the story of the Nama people. Guided drives head to the Fish River Canyon rim, and the pool is a welcome reward afterwards.
Chobe River Camp
Rates from NAM$ 2,600.00 Per person per night
On the Namibian bank of the Chobe River, close to the Ngoma border post, this camp looks across open floodplains towards Chobe National Park. Birding is a highlight, and the river frontage makes it an easy stop on a north-eastern circuit.
Damara Mopane Lodge
Rates from NAM$ 2,400.00 Per person per night
Built like a village, with chalets set in a semi-circle around a central pool and each with its own walled vegetable garden. It lies east of Khorixas on the road to Twyfelfontein, and a sunset walk climbs to a viewing platform over mopane woodland.
Desert Horse Inn
Rates from NAM$ 2,145.00 Per person per night
The main lodge of Klein-Aus Vista, in the Gondwana Sperrgebiet Rand Park near Aus, where the Namib meets granite mountains and wild horses roam. Restaurant, bar and pool make it a relaxed stop on the road to Lüderitz.
Eagle's Nest Chalets
Rates from NAM$ 2,770.00 Per person per night
Self-catering stone chalets built into granite boulders at Klein-Aus Vista, near Aus, each with a kitchen, fireplace and veranda. Cook for yourself, or drive across to the Desert Horse Inn restaurant for dinner.
Etosha Safari Camp
Rates from NAM$ 1,980.00 Per person per night
Just south of Etosha's Andersson Gate, with a shebeen-style bar, a township-themed restaurant and live music around the fire. Chalets sit among mopane trees, and guided game drives into the park leave from camp.
Etosha Safari Lodge
Rates from NAM$ 3,721.00 Per person per night
Set on a hill above mopane bush just south of Etosha's Andersson Gate, with chalets along the ridge and pools within easy reach. A comfortable base for early starts into the park, by self-drive or on a guided game drive.
Hakusembe River Lodge
Rates from NAM$ 3,640.00 Per person per night
A green oasis on the south bank of the Okavango River, west of Rundu, with chalets looking onto the water. Take a boat trip on the river, try for tigerfish, or visit the nearby Mbunza Living Museum.
Kalahari Anib Lodge
Rates from NAM$ 2,829.00 Per person per night
Red dunes and golden grassland surround this lodge in the private Gondwana Kalahari Park near Mariental, its interiors inspired by the desert outside. Nature drives head into the park, and it breaks the drive between Windhoek and the south neatly.
Kalahari Farmhouse
Rates from NAM$ 2,125.00 Per person per night
On the outskirts of Stampriet, artesian water keeps this farmhouse green with gardens and palms. The Self-Sufficiency Centre next door supplies the kitchen, and activities run from nearby Kalahari Anib Lodge.
Namib Desert Lodge
Rates from NAM$ 2,542.00 Per person per night
At the foot of fossilised dunes in the private Gondwana Namib Park, north of Sesriem and the road to Sossusvlei. A spacious, friendly lodge and one of our favourites, with nature drives into the park and golden desert light in every direction.
Namib Dune Star Camp
Rates from NAM$ 3,694.00 Per person per night
Simple cabins on a dune crest in the Gondwana Namib Park, where beds roll out onto the deck so you sleep under the stars. We add it as a night's excursion to a longer stay at Namib Desert Lodge.
Namushasha River Lodge
Rates from NAM$ 3,640.00 Per person per night
Chalets along the leafy bank of the Kwando River, opposite Bwabwata National Park. Game drives head into Bwabwata, river trips glide past reeds and hippo pools, and evenings belong to the deck.
Omarunga Lodge
Rates from NAM$ 2,650.00 Per person per night
On the Kunene riverbank under makalani palms, a short walk upstream of Epupa Falls in remote Kaokoland, with Angola on the far bank. The falls, the river and the surrounding Himba country are all on the doorstep.
Palmwag Lodge
Rates from NAM$ 3,000.00 Per person per night
Beside a palm-lined spring in the Uniab River, at the gateway to the Palmwag Concession in northern Damaraland. Stone-and-thatch bungalows look out over the riverbed, and guided drives search the concession for desert-adapted elephant and black rhino.
The Delight Swakopmund
Rates from NAM$ 2,106.00 Per person per night
A cheerful town hotel within walking distance of Swakopmund's Mole, with bold, colourful décor and a generous breakfast. Restaurants, cafés and the seafront are a short stroll away, so there is no need to drive in the evening.
The Desert Grace
Rates from NAM$ 5,930.00 Per person per night
In the private Gondwana Namib Park near Sesriem, every bungalow at The Desert Grace has its own plunge pool. Nature drives explore the park's fairy circles and dunes, and a guided night walk shows the desert's smaller residents.
Zambezi Mubala Lodge
Rates from NAM$ 3,541.00 Per person per night
A modern river lodge on the Zambezi in Namibia's far north-east, reached by boat from Zambezi Mubala Camp, where you leave the car. Days are spent on the water and evenings on the deck, with birdlife on every channel.
Namibia Budget Travel Questions
What does "budget" mean in this collection?
It means honest value rather than the cheapest bed. The properties are comfortable, well-run lodges, chalets, inns and town hotels suited to a self-drive safari, most of them from the Gondwana Collection. Rates are quoted as part of a tailor-made itinerary, not as standalone nightly prices, so the whole route is planned together.
Is this collection designed for self-drive safaris?
Yes. The properties sit on or near Namibia's main self-drive routes, from the Fish River Canyon and Aus in the south through the Kalahari, the Namib and Swakopmund to Damaraland, Epupa Falls, Etosha and the northern rivers. Several also run guided activities, so you can leave the car parked for a day.
Which budget lodges are near Etosha?
Etosha Safari Camp and Etosha Safari Lodge both lie on the C38 just south of Etosha's Andersson Gate. The camp has a lively shebeen-style bar and restaurant with live music, while the lodge sits on a hill above mopane bush. Guided game drives into the park can be booked from both.
Where can I stay near the Sossusvlei dunes on a budget?
Namib Desert Lodge, The Desert Grace and Namib Dune Star Camp all lie in the private Gondwana Namib Park north of Sesriem, the gateway to Sossusvlei. Namib Desert Lodge sits below fossilised dunes, each Desert Grace bungalow has a plunge pool, and at Dune Star Camp you roll your bed out under the stars.
Is there self-catering in the collection?
Yes. Eagle's Nest Chalets at Klein-Aus Vista, near Aus, are self-catering stone chalets built into granite boulders, each with its own kitchen and fireplace. If you would rather not cook, the restaurant at Desert Horse Inn, the main lodge a short drive away, serves meals.
Where are the budget stays in southern Namibia?
Canyon Lodge, Canyon Village and Canyon Roadhouse lie in the private Gondwana Canyon Park near the Fish River Canyon. Further north, Kalahari Anib Lodge and Kalahari Farmhouse break the drive near Mariental and Stampriet, and Klein-Aus Vista, near Aus, is the stop on the road west to Lüderitz.
Which budget lodges are on Namibia's northern rivers?
Hakusembe River Lodge sits on the Okavango west of Rundu, Namushasha River Lodge on the Kwando opposite Bwabwata National Park, Chobe River Camp on the Chobe floodplains near the Ngoma border post, and Zambezi Mubala Lodge on the Zambezi itself, reached by boat from Zambezi Mubala Camp. All four offer time on the water.
Map of Lodges in and around Namibia
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