(9 chalets) PO Box 5048, Windhoek; tel: 061 230616; fax: 061 220102; email: info@wolwedans.com.na; web: www.wolwedans.com
Just before this book was going to press, Wolwedans Dune Lodge was completely destroyed by fire, but the owners have pledged to rebuild it and have it open once more by June 2003. It is to be expected that the accommodation will remain at the same high standard as before the fire, to which the description below relates. (For directions, see its sister Dune Camp, above, but note that the two are some distance apart after leaving the farmhouse.)

Originally opened in 1998, Wolwedans Dune Lodge is run with all the courtesy and attention to detail of a country house, with an atmosphere of relaxed gentility. More luxurious than the Dune Camp, accommodation consists of purpose-built wooden chalets, each built on stilts with its own secluded veranda and en-suite shower and toilet. The real coup is the bedrooms. Solid wooden twin beds, draped with nets that give all the allure of a dreamy four-poster, face directly east through a canvas 'wall' that, when rolled up, affords unparalleled stargazing and a front-row view of sunrise over the mountains.

Simple walkways over the dunes lead to the hub of the camp, where a comfortable bar with leather armchairs, a separate library and a dining room all share that same view. Meals are taken around a large table in the dining room. Dinner is a relatively formal affair, with some of the best food to be had in Namibia, and good wines to match. And after dinner, what better than to while away the evening around the campfire on the deck. This is a place to relax, unwind and get a real feel for the surroundings. Guided activities follow the same pattern as those of the camp, usually returning in time for a civilised afternoon tea.