Place: A welcome oasis situated on the dry Auab riverbed in the Kulala Wilderness Reserve, Little Kulala celebrates the splendour and solitude of the Namib Desert. Excursions to Sossusvlei (via a gate exclusive to Wilderness Safaris vehicles), nature drives, guided nature trails, eco-sensitive guided quad bike excursions and guided electric fat-wheeled bike excursions, explore this fascinating landscape. A hot air balloon safari (at extra cost) offers a wondrous experience soaring above the desert.

Wildlife: Desert-adapted wildlife to be seen on the Kulala Wilderness Reserve includes ostrich, springbok, gemsbok, spotted hyaena, and the occasional brown hyaena. In addition, smaller creatures such as bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, porcupine, Cape fox, and aardwolf may be seen. One bird, the aptly named dune lark, has its entire global distribution limited to the area. A surprisingly diverse array of insects, reptiles, and rodents make their home around Little Kulala. At dusk the call of barking geckoes can be heard, with guided nature walks revealing other creatures such as the buck-spoor spider with its multi-entrance burrow or the ambush specialist antlion, to name a few.

Accommodation: Inspired by Dead Vlei, the design of the eleven luxury desert suites (ten twins and one family unit), offers improved airflow to the brick and glass accommodation set under thatch. Each suite features a spacious deck, sala and private plunge pool, merging seamlessly into the timeless desert setting. A private rooftop area offers romantic stargazing, and sleep-outs on the bottom deck of each accommodation complete the experience. Interiors illustrate an extension of the desert’s natural beauty, replicated in colour choice, palette, decor and art.

Purpose: Once farmland used for subsistence goat farming, the Kulala Wilderness Reserve had very little indigenous wildlife. In 1996 Wilderness stepped in to rehabilitate the area and today the land and its wildlife have returned to their former glorious natural state.

NOTE: Hot air ballooning closed on 25 December and 01 January, and from mid-January to mid-February.

Unique Selling Points

• Bordering the Namib-Naukluft National Park and accessible through an exclusive-use gate, our two Kulala Wilderness Reserve camps are the closest to the iconic red dunes of Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei
• Set on 27-000 hectares (66 700-acres) of pristine private land bordering Sossusvlei, the Kulala Wilderness Reserve offers endless spectacular desert scenery and extraordinary, and unexpected, desert wildlife – the “living desert”
• Thrilling hot air ballooning (weather permitting, and at extra cost) over the vast Namib Sand Sea and mystical fairy circles are launched from our private reserve