n the Sand
Desert Whisper
anie Van Zyl
Little Kulala
“star bed” Kwessi Dunes
under a vivid, twinkling sky. Nearby, and just outside the national park, Little Kulala was the final stop of my weeklong visit. It was a fitting bookend to my circuit: opened in 1996 by Wilderness Safaris, Little Kulala was one of the first luxury-minded camps to put this destination on the map. Today, it’s still managed by the pioneering outfitter, which has recently overhauled the interiors and redoubled the property’s sustainability efforts. There are now 11 solar-powered, thatched-roof cabins; all have plunge pools and other thoughtful extras, such as exercise equipment and an activity basket filled with adult coloring books. The best reason to stay a Little Kulala, though, may be the exclusive access that Wilderness can arrange-not only to the preserve surrounding the
lodge but also to the Namib-Naukluft Park, by means of a private gate. That “back door” access means guests can get to the top sites, like the towering Dune 45, earlier than other people-and stay out later, too. One evening, I set off for the park with a guide, Akser Simeon, and watched the twilight spill a spice rack of color across the Namibian desert. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sands turned first a soft saffron, then cumin, cinnamon, and finally the shade of pink peppercorns. We were, it seemed, the only two people in the whole of the Deadvlei. Later, back at the camp, the light show continued. Tucked into another star bed-this one laid on the deck of my villa-I gazed up at the sequined sky. Stars emerged, then constellations, and the universe stretched on and on. www.travelandleisure.com (June 2021) Image credits: wbpstars.com, Natural Selection, micato.com
51 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021
