Holiday Destinations

Shipwreck Lodge offers spooky stays in the boat graveyard of Namibia's Skeleton Coast

Shipwreck Lodge offers spooky stays in the boat graveyard of Namibia's Skeleton Coast
Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
View 38 Images
Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
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Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
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Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
Prices for a double at Shipwreck Lodge start at N$8,685 (US$650) per night
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Prices for a double at Shipwreck Lodge start at N$8,685 (US$650) per night
Activities at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge include touring some of the shipwreck-hunting along the coast, visits to seal colonies
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Activities at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge include touring some of the shipwreck-hunting along the coast, visits to seal colonies
Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
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Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
The solar-powered chalets making up Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia are built to mimic fallen ships
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The solar-powered chalets making up Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia are built to mimic fallen ships
Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
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Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
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Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
Prices for a double at Shipwreck Lodge start at N$8,685 (US$650) per night
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Prices for a double at Shipwreck Lodge start at N$8,685 (US$650) per night
Activities at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge include touring some of the shipwreck-hunting along the coast, visits to seal colonies
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Activities at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge include touring some of the shipwreck-hunting along the coast, visits to seal colonies
Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
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Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
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Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
The solar-powered chalets making up Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia are built to mimic fallen ships
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The solar-powered chalets making up Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia are built to mimic fallen ships
Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
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Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
Prices for a double at Shipwreck Lodge start at N$8,685 (US$650) per night
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Prices for a double at Shipwreck Lodge start at N$8,685 (US$650) per night
Activities at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge include touring some of the shipwreck-hunting along the coast, visits to seal colonies
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Activities at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge include touring some of the shipwreck-hunting along the coast, visits to seal colonies
Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
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Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
The solar-powered chalets making up Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia are built to mimic fallen ships
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The solar-powered chalets making up Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia are built to mimic fallen ships
Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
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Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
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Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
Prices for a double at Shipwreck Lodge start at N$8,685 (US$650) per night
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Prices for a double at Shipwreck Lodge start at N$8,685 (US$650) per night
Activities at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge include touring some of the shipwreck-hunting along the coast, visits to seal colonies
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Activities at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge include touring some of the shipwreck-hunting along the coast, visits to seal colonies
Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
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Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
The solar-powered chalets making up Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia are built to mimic fallen ships
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The solar-powered chalets making up Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia are built to mimic fallen ships
Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
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Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
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Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
Prices for a double at Shipwreck Lodge start at N$8,685 (US$650) per night
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Prices for a double at Shipwreck Lodge start at N$8,685 (US$650) per night
Activities at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge include touring some of the shipwreck-hunting along the coast, visits to seal colonies
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Activities at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge include touring some of the shipwreck-hunting along the coast, visits to seal colonies
Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
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Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
The solar-powered chalets making up Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia are built to mimic fallen ships
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The solar-powered chalets making up Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia are built to mimic fallen ships
Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
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Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
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Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
Prices for a double at Shipwreck Lodge start at N$8,685 (US$650) per night
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Prices for a double at Shipwreck Lodge start at N$8,685 (US$650) per night
Activities at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge include touring some of the shipwreck-hunting along the coast, visits to seal colonies
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Activities at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge include touring some of the shipwreck-hunting along the coast, visits to seal colonies
Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
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Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
The solar-powered chalets making up Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia are built to mimic fallen ships
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The solar-powered chalets making up Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia are built to mimic fallen ships
Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
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Shipwreck Lodge is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park
Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
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Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia mightn’t sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations
View gallery - 38 images

Skeleton Coast in the north west of Namibia might not sound like the most alluring of holiday destinations. Here the angry surf and harsh weather have brought down thousands of ships, whales and seals, the remains of which now litter its infamous beaches. But joining them is a cluster of luxury cabins inspired by the shipwrecked surroundings, offering unique and spooky stays between the desert and an otherwise untouched shoreline.

Shipwreck Lodge, as it's called, is a collection of 10 eco-minded cabins inside Skeleton Coast National Park, which was declared a nature reserve in 1971. These solar-powered chalets built into the dunes are designed to mimic fallen ships, with a bathroom found inside a bow-like section connected to a bedroom that, from the outside, resembles a boat hull that has tipped onto its side.

Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite

Inside these cabins guests find a wood burner stove, an ensuite, desk, lamp and safe, with a large horizontal window offering sweeping views towards the sea and the sunset. A lounge and restaurant are also onsite, along with facilities for full-time staff and systems for power, water and sewerage.

Unsurprisingly, constructing the cabins in this remote location presented the team with some unique challenges. Not only is it in the middle of nowhere, which simply makes logistics difficult, the coastal wind would constantly blow sand away from the footings. Even now with the cabins in place, they require ongoing maintenance to ensure the structures remain properly secured to poles embedded deep in the sand.

Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite
Inside the cabins at Namibia's Shipwreck Lodge, guests find a wood burner stove and an ensuite

The wall panels are made from South African Pine and were pre-manufactured off site so they could be properly treated to endure the salty, moist coastal air. This would also allow the cabins to be more easily taken apart in the future, with the ability to be completely dismantled with no environmental impact after a 25 period part of the design brief.

Activities include shipwreck-hunting along the coast, visits to seal colonies, 4x4 river excursions and wildlife-watching, with brown hyenas, elephants and lions among the creatures that inhabit the Skeleton Coast National Park.

Prices for a double at Shipwreck Lodge start at N$8,685 (US$650) per night, while single rooms are available for N$9,960 (US$750).

Source: Shipwreck Lodge

View gallery - 38 images
6 comments
6 comments
bwana4swahili
Too many repeat images and not enough pix of the coast and wrecks!
akarp
@bwana4swahili; I was actually just in Namibia. The reason there are no images of the wrecks is beacuse they are best visible from a small plane just off the coast. People staying in these lodges really won't see much from the rooms.
Martin Hone
I can't see this venture being economically sustainable.
ljaques
That's a lot of money for a noplace in Africa, folks.
HEADLINE: Hilton Motels announced today that their plans for the Mogadishu Mile Hilton in Somalia have been discontinued. It appears that most of the tourism has been sidelined to Namibia's Skeleton Coast and their oh-so friendly next-door neighbors in South Africa. In other news, Academii (formerly Blackwaater) is hiring dozens of operators for security stations somewhere in Namibia.
bwana4swahili
Just watched the first Starwars movie. There "cottages" look a lot like the Jawa's Sandcrawler (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/File:Sandcrawler.png)
Tom Lee Mullins
while that sounds really neat, it is a little steep in price for me.