4 minute read
REMOTE PLACES TO STAY
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WOLWEDANS NAMIBIA
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Just a few hours’ drive from the touristy Sossusvlei sand dunes is the 670 squaremile NamibRand Nature Reserve. One of the largest privately owned nature reserves in Africa, it’s a swathe of unspoilt desert made up of red dunes and dotted with mysterious fairy circles. There are impressive mountains, granite stone formations and, happily, many wild animals: gemsboks, zebras, kudus, giraffes, klipspringers, jackals, hyenas and springboks roam, and leopards and cheetahs have also been reintroduced. Out here, in the Namib Desert, you’re reminded of man’s insignificance, and at the same time filled with a sense of peace. It’s what the dreams of desert fanatics are made of: you can drive, walk or ride on horseback for hours through the NamibRand without seeing another human being. Wolwedans Private Camp is the perfect location for those in search of the ultimate, private hideaway. It’s surrounded by nothing but the sensational yet unearthly landscape of the Namib Desert – with the luxury of an on-site butler and personal chef. There are two bedrooms, one at either end of the building, with a lounge and kitchen in the middle. A water-purification system changes groundwater into a useable resource for the kitchen gardens, which provide the camp with vegetables. There is a constant, gentle breeze, which eliminates the need for air conditioning. And just in front of the house is a watering hole where animals come to drink. As the sun goes down, paraffin lamps are lit around the camp, and you can dine outside under starry skies. O £245pppn all-inclusive; wolwedans.com
ULTIMA THULE LODGE ALASKA, USA
Hidden deep in the Wrangell-St Elias National Park, a massive 20,000 square miles of protected Alaskan wilderness, is Ultima Thule Lodge. There are no roads or cars, and virtually no people in this endless expanse of land. There are, however, a lot of bears – both brown and black – which have been known to wander right up to the lodge. The nearest village, Chitina, is 90 miles away by plane. Nights are quiet enough to hear a pin drop, and the air is as pure as the waters of the nearby Chitina River.
It was while flying over the area in the 1950s that John Claus spotted this piece of land. With his wife Elenor, he soon set about building a modest wood cabin and landing strip. Over the years, the lodge has been extended little by little; more recently, their son Paul has taken over the day-to-day running, along with his wife and family.
Rooms are tucked away in cabins dotted in and around the gardens, and the décor is cosy, with large beds and high-thread linen. The main building where guests gather at meal-times has floor-to-ceiling windows for admiring the natural splendour.
Paul and the other bush pilots take guests on some sensational excursions: flying over Mount St Elias (the second-highest mountain in Canada and the USA), visiting abandoned gold mines, or flying where the Pacific meets the Alaskan coast. Besides seeking an adventure in the Super Cub bush planes, guests come to experience an extreme environment. They might go hiking, rafting or fishing, and in doing so explore one of the few places on Earth where not many others have set foot. O £1,150pppn all-inclusive; ultimathulelodge.com
Deep in the Moroccan Sahara, in the still of the Chaga dunes and the seemingly infinite space beyond, you will find Dar Azawad Dune Camp. The closest village is 40 miles away and this, the hamlet of M’hamid El Ghrizlane, marks the end of habitation and the beginning of a playground for desert nomads. The only way to get to the camp is by 4x4 – or by camel. It’s soon very obvious that a Lawrence of Arabia feeling is never far away.
Your first glimpse of this camp of white tents, emerging from a sea of red sand, is a moment you will never forget. Then you’re welcomed with mint tea, medjool dates and an overwhelming sense of solitude. Dar Azawad has four luxurious tents, all of which elevate life as a desert nomad to a whole new level. Softly lit by lanterns, they have beds fitted with fine linen, en suite bathrooms, and a terrace with sunloungers for lying back and surveying the Sahara; real desert devotees can also arrange to sleep outside under the stars. As light falls, guests are invited to an impressive Tuareg tent to enjoy Moroccan cuisine such as tajines and couscous, prepared by the desert nomads.
Owner Youssef has developed a good relationship with the local Tuareg, and with their assistance is able to take guests to some of the most remote and beautiful locations the area has to offer. Clambering out of bed at dawn and climbing high into the dunes to watch the sun come up in complete silence is well worth it – if you can, go on your own to fully appreciate the intense solitude. Take a camel trek guided by Tuareg and explore the environment around the camp to truly experience the magnificence of the desert. O From £210pppn; darazawad.com
