Palmwag Lodge - Gondwana Collection

You stay at Palmwag Lodge in northern Damaraland, Namibia, where twenty-two rooms sit among mopane trees and makalani palms. The lodge overlooks a landscape dotted with euphorbias, shaped by underground water. This is a base for guided activities in the five hundred and eighty-two thousand hectare Palmwag Concession, a conservation area.

Rhino tracking on foot is the main draw, led by guides who follow spoor to find black rhino. The concession also holds desert-adapted elephants, though sightings are not guaranteed. Other activities include morning hikes and scenic drives through the concession, which has one of Namibia’s largest predator populations outside Etosha.

The lodge has two swimming pools and an outdoor bar. Rooms are simple, with twin beds, mosquito nets, and en-suite bathrooms. Family rooms take up to six people. The restaurant serves meals with a view of the distant mountains.

Palmwag works with local conservancies and Save the Rhino Trust to protect wildlife in the area. The lodge is a hundred and twenty-one kilometres west of Kamanjab, off the C43 road.