Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge

This was a decent place to spend 2 nights. But compared to the other places we stayed at during our 10 days in Namibia, it was definitely not the best. Starting with the positives, our suite was spacious and well designed with huge picture windows. There was a watering hole that attracted wildebeests and eland antelopes, which we could see from those big windows. The wi-fi worked well. The lodge provides bikes free of charge so that guests can explore the trails on the property. Our friendly guide Etosha took us out on a game drive (which cost US$40/person), where we got to walk close to giraffes and see a spectacular sunset. But there were some areas that seemed deficient. One of those is out of the lodge's control, but I will mention it anyway. In Namibia, there are incredible things to see: Deadvlei, Sandwich Harbour, Kolmanskop. But this property lacks a natural wow factor. The lodge faces a very ordinary-looking field. And when we biked on the lodge's trails, we only saw uninspiring scenery and humble springboks (which get less impressive the longer you spend in Namibia). Perhaps, if we had started our Namibia trip here, we would've been more impressed. But coming from the three places I mentioned, it was tough for this property to compete. And to be honest, we only stayed here because it was a rest stop on the long drive from Aus/Luderitz to Windhoek. But let's move onto the things that ARE within the lodge's control: the food, the staff and the in-room amenities. On the food, it just wasn't good. Salads were wilted, meats were fatty and tough, and the sorbets they kept serving as appetizers were pretty bad. On our first night, two of the courses revolved around flavorless mushrooms. (We wondered whether they were trying to get rid of their surplus mushroom supply.) The issue of food is supremely important in a lodge like this, because there are no other places to go; you really are dependent on the lodge's restaurant for sustenance. Regarding the staff, every single time we showed up at the restaurant at the appointed meal times, they silently stared at us with utter confusion, as if they had no idea why we had come to the restaurant. We basically had to say things like: "Um, we're here for lunch. Can we have lunch now please?" None of the waiters were particularly friendly or made any effort to engage with us. Also, even though there weren't that many guests, and there was plenty of space, they would seat us all so close to each other at meals, which led some patrons to whisper to each other instead of speaking out loud (for privacy). Several times during our stay, the front desk was unmanned. So, there was no one to ask questions to. And the trail maps were unclear (and even inaccurate according to one staffer). Finally, in our room, the air conditioning was extremely weak, which made our room uncomfortable at night, and the safe was quite confusing. In fact, this was the only place we stayed at in Namibia where we opted not to use the s

We loved to stay at the Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge and Floyd was a super guide. We enjoyed our first gamedrive in Namibia with him.

We booked for the 2 of us a luxury suite with full board "plus" (meaning: most drinks were included). The suite was designed for 4 people; 2 bedrooms and a living room with a view. It had its own waterhole where one could watch animals in the morning and before sunset. Food was excellent, service was good. The name "Red Dunes" is slightly misleading as the colour is more beige. The red dunes are elsewhere.