River Crossing Lodge

You stay at River Crossing Lodge on a six-thousand-five-hundred-hectare reserve five minutes by road from central Windhoek. The reserve holds nineteen species of game — oryx, kudu, giraffe, wildebeest — and the lodge runs morning and afternoon game drives that last two to three hours, with drinks and snacks included. Guided walks take you closer on foot for up to two hours, and horse-riding is available for beginners and experienced riders alike.

The restaurant looks out over the reserve, with a deck for sunset dining. The kitchen serves breakfast from half past six — cold buffet, hot eggs and bacon to order — and lunch from midday: salads, game meats like springbok and oryx steaks. Dinner is a set menu with two starters, two meat mains, a vegetarian dish, and two desserts, served by candlelight in winter or on the deck in summer. The bar stocks South African wines and Amarula for nightcaps under the stars.

Rooms have air conditioning, satellite television, and small balconies facing the reserve. The lodge also takes weddings and conferences for up to a hundred guests, with a private conference room and veranda.

From Windhoek, you drive east on Sam Nujoma Drive for eleven kilometres to the reserve gate, which opens automatically. The airport is thirty-five kilometres away, with a turn-off onto Sam Nujoma Drive before the gravel road to the lodge.