Kunene River, Namibia

Serra Cafema

Serra Cafema

Insider’s Review of Serra Cafema

For explorers and nature-lovers looking for a true final frontier, Serra Cafema is the place. Incredible quiet. Brilliant stars, unpolluted by any city lights. Time—for discovery and re-discovery and naps in the shade—stretches away in front of you, as never-ending as the desert you stand in…

Meandering through the desert, the Kunene River is the only permanent source of water in the whole region. The river has created a lush oasis along its banks surrounded by rugged mountains and enormous sand dunes…not to mention a fascinating array of animals. It is a mystical landscape, otherworldly—truly unlike anywhere else.

Accommodations at Serra Cafema

Serra Cafema is one of the most remote camps in all of Southern Africa. The seven luxurious canvas and thatch chalets are situated on decks under the shade of big Albida trees, overlooking the Kunene River, each with its own en-suite bathroom. The sunken lounge, library, curio shop and swimming pool also look out over the Kunene River, and their rustic elegance is a pleasant contrast to the true wilderness beyond. The sounds of the rapids just downstream from camp contrast starkly with the views of the sand dunes in one of the driest deserts on Earth.

A note for families & children

Serra Cafema is happy to host children over the age of six, though they request that children from ages six to twelve share a chalet with an adult.

Amenities at Serra Cafema

  • Laundry services
  • Shared pool
  • Library
  • Butler service
  • 24-hour electricity

In-Room Amenities at Serra Cafema

  • In-room safe deposit box
  • Private deck/veranda
  • En-suite bathrooms

Activities at Serra Cafema

Active adventure is the name of the game here. Traverse the sand dunes in a 4×4, ogling the landscape speckled with springbok, ostrich and gemsbok. Or go boating down the winding Kunene River, which has created a lush oasis along its banks, inhabited by a fascinating array of animals—slender desert-dwelling giraffes, well-digging elephants and salt-whitened lions among them.

We may embark on a guided quad-bike excursion, travelling out in formation with a guide and exploring the dunes in a unique way. The experience is carefully controlled in order to protect the environment—and will get you into some wonderful areas while having a lot of fun.

Catching up on relaxation is always a welcome pastime. Enjoy some R&R on your luxury safari and relax poolside under the big skies and soul-warming Namibian sun.

Or perhaps we visit a Himba settlement—one of the last true nomadic people in Africa. This is a rare opportunity to befriend members of this small and little-known tribe, and to ask questions about their fascinating and ancient way of life.

The end of the day brings a surprise: dinner in the desert. Hundreds of candles mirror the stars that cake the sky. Waiters bring out course after course of an incredible feast, flavoured even more intensely by the beauty of the southern moon.

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