Intu Afrika Kalahari Reserve & Lodges – Zebra Kalahari Lodge

Simply stylish and elegant, the Zebra Kalahari Lodge is the most decadent of the 3 lodges on the Intu Afrika Private Game Reserve. After a short drive through the contrasting Kalahari Desert where game languish under trees or in pans, guests are welcomed with a much-needed refreshing drink and a smile as warm as the desert sun. The gurgling fish pond and the beautiful stone and wood buildings immediately soothe one’s soul and guests are ushered into the coolness of the lounge area overlooking a rather vibrant waterhole and swimming pool whilst logistics are efficiently handled.

“The Zebra Kalahari Lodge is one of Namibia’s best kept secrets and offers visitors a unique opportunity to commune with the tranquillity and intrigue of nature.”

Guests of the Intu Afrika Game Reserve are encouraged to spend more than one night at the lodge because of the variety of activities with which guests can occupy and enthrall themselves with. Guests can explore the neighbouring lodges and choose to have dinner at one of the other lodges or to spoil themselves with the ever popular dune dinner.

All the activities on offer at the Game Reserve can be enjoyed at any of the lodges and the friendly staff efficiently facilitate the client’s desires. So whether it’s a game sunset game drive on an open-air 4×4 vehicle or on a quad bike, or a walk with the Bushman (San) or simply a massage, simply ask, it shall be done.

Game drives are the most popular activity at the Intu Afrika Game Reserve because of the high density of animals that live here and because of the different landscapes one can lose themselves in. The sparse vegetation allows one to easily spot the plethora of game that live in the reserve and the high density of the game enhances our notion of respect for nature and will delight any traveller wishing to reconnect with Mother Nature. Let our guides explore this 10 000 hectare paradise in the Kalahari with you as they are extremely clued-up on the fauna and flora of the area and have many interesting anecdotes to share with our guests. The reserve is home to Zebra, Oryx, Wildebeest, Springbuck (including the black Springbuck), Waterbuck, Kudu, Blesbok, Tsessebe, Eland, Ostrich, Giraffe and even a lioness and there are many interesting bird species to discover whilst enjoying one of the two and a half hour game drives on offer. The guides are extremely knowledgeable and zealously share their passion for the animals, the plants and the area. The lone lioness whose partner succumbed to illness last year is a sight to behold in the Kalahari which is their natural habitat. She is enclosed in a 1000 hectare electrified camp. Game drives can be booked in the morning or in the late afternoon which allows the Kalahari to show off its magical sunsets. After a 2-hour drive, the guides set out a lavish display of snacks and drinks for our guests to enjoy as they watch the sun set.

Bushman walk – Walk with the San One of the most interesting and exciting activities on Intu Afrika is an hour long ‘Bushman Walk’ in the Kalahari landscape that is conducted at the guests requests and can be booked from any of the lodges on the Intu Afrika Kalahari Game Reserve. The term ‘Bushman’ now referred to as the San people, refers to the nomadic hunter-gatherers indigenous to this area. The San People know the Kalahari Desert better than any other human beings and have survived the dry conditions for generations. They have studied nature and know where to find food and water in the harsh conditions of the unrelenting and unforgiving desert landscapes. They are hunter-gatherers, hunting with bows and arrows, trapping small animals and eating edible roots and berries and they eagerly demonstrate this to guests. What makes this phenomenal experience is the click language that the San use to express themselves and with dramatic illustrations, guests are able to communicate with and understand the interesting information the San people share. The Bushman Walk Walks with the San can be arranged at any of the lodges on the Intu Afrika Kalahari Game Reserve and they usually take place in the morning. Allow the original people of this area to teach you their desert survival secrets and you will be amazed by what you learn.

Quad bike safari Driving through the red dunes of the Kalahari together with a guide, get close to the animals and feel one with the nature. For all the adventurous ones among us is it a challenge to push your limits. Explore the most beautiful creatures of nature when you are on a Quad Bike, there is no better way to go and discover all the secrets of the Kalahari Desert. You will be able to see the animals so close that you won’t believe your own eyes. The vegetation that grows in this dry desert is unbelievable, the camelthorn tree is one of the most common tree in the Kalahari Desert. Every time you take a run-up to get up a dune, you get the adrenaline and want more and more. And when you are on the top of a dune, you will have a view full of camelthorn trees, animals and sand dunes. Every dune is a surprise, you never know what you’re going to see! Going on a quad bike safari is probably one of the most amazing activities you will have ever done, you can enjoy the speed, the weather, the fresh air, the nature and the animals, all in one activity!

Dune dinner (Weather permitted) We offer you a unique experience where your dining room is on top of a dune in the Kalahari desert. Peace and quiet, there will be no one else around you. The perfect end of a day is, with now doubt, a dune dinner. Enjoying the sunset on the top of a red sand dune, you can see every single phase, with its own color, of the sunset. The amazing view over the Kalahari Desert, with your feet in the warm sand, the cozy light of a candle-light,… And when you look up, you will see the night sky with it’s thousands stars, you even can see the Milky-way. Next to all this, you can hear the sounds of silence, and sometimes penetrated with the roars and cries of the African Bush. Sit back and relax, your dining room is changed into a red sand dune! The staff will organize your dinner, so you don’t have to think about anything! Going to the top of the dune is by a game drive vehicle or a quad bike, this makes it even more exciting.