Wild Shots Outreach
An immersive experience that gets young adults from underprivileged areas learning to appreciate wildlife and wild environments from the perspective of a camera.
Check availability online. Should you need more rooms than are showing available, contact your Africa Safari travel specialist or reservations@naturalselection.travel, so that we can look at provisional bookings (marked as PROV) and see if we can juggle things around.
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Set on a hill overlooking a small waterhole and the plains below, Safarihoek is contemporary lodge well regarded for its warm hospitality. You’ll find cool, thatched, light and spacious chalets all with private decks and views over the reserve, a double-storey photography hide, and a swimming pool with 180-degree vistas. With the Etosha Heights Private Reserve sharing a boundary with the world-famous Etosha National Park, the reserve’s animals – including black rhino – are the major attraction. Safarihoek is both wonderfully remote and perfectly located for watching wildlife.
We take rhino conservation extremely seriously, and the Etosha Heights team work tirelessly to safeguard the future of these iconic species. Our anti-poaching rangers are on the ground 24/7 and together we strive to preserve a safe haven for rhinos in this crucial area for biodiversity, and some of the revenue from your stay goes directly toward this goal.
Etosha Heights Private Reserve is one of the largest private reserves in Namibia, sharing a 65-kilometre boundary with the famous Etosha National Park. Located in the northern part of the country it offers 60,000 hectares of unspoiled wilderness, alluring landscapes and tranquillity. Dedicated to conservation and sustainable tourism practices, it is a game-rich part of Etosha, without the crowds. To get to this captivating wilderness area you can take a 6 hour drive or a 1 hour flight from Windhoek.
The different seasons bring very different experiences to Etosha Heights Private Reserve, and each has its own charms and challenges. Winter (May to September) brings dry landscapes and abundant game-viewing opportunities as the dwindling waterholes slowly evaporate into the crisp, clear air, and animals congregate around them.
In contrast, summer (October to April) features brief but dramatic thunderstorms that turn the land lush and green. Higher grass and fuller waterholes make game viewing a little harder during this time of year, but you can still expect to enjoy a diverse cast of the animal kingdom.
At Safarihoek we have an exciting double storey photography hide that looks out onto a large natural waterhole with an abundance of game and birdlife frolicking there throughout the day. Ideal for guests wanting to stay close to camp, it’s perfectly positioned to capture incredible sightings, including the endangered black rhino that the area is famous for.
Being on two levels there are two amazing vantage points. The upper level has wheelchair access and a toilet and offers magical birds-eye views looking out onto the waterhole and surrounding areas from above. The ground level is ideal for an eye level view of all the action. The hide has also been set up for serious photographers. There is a charging station with international adaptors, USD port charging areas for gear storage and even a day bed for any of our guests wanting to take a little nap in-between shots. Beverages and snacks can also be arranged at any time.
The waterhole is also well lit up at night, allowing guests the opportunity to get in on the action after dark. A different experience as the nocturnal creatures come to life and one that truly will be remembered as you quietly sit, viewing the game under the mesmerizing moon.
We do like a view at Natural Selection, and the vistas at Safarihoek have to be some of the best in the business. Raised high above the savannah on wooden platforms, each of the 11 chalets look out over the ambling zebra and romping elephant on the plains below. Take a seat on your private deck and watch wild Africa wander by, or escape the heat inside; the view is just as spectacular wherever you choose to sit. Under the thatch roofs of the chalets, you’ll find large double or twin beds, and a small writing desk, minibar and coffee station. All bathrooms have air conditioning and are ensuite (with indoor showers), and if you can’t bear to tear your eyes away, some have outdoor showers with a view too.
In the centre of camp, you’ll find a large lounge area, wine cellar, dining area, and a small curio shop all under thatch. On the chilly evenings of the dry season you’ll probably eat inside, watching the wild through the large glass windows, then in the warmer months, it’s all about the alfresco dining on the outdoor deck. There’s also a cosy outdoor seating area complete with roaring fire, and a perfect spot for keeping an eye on passing four-legged creatures. Drinks are served from the outdoor bar and can also be taken to the swimming pool, a cooling space with the same infinite views of the plains below.
The impressive 60,000 hectares of classic Etosha landscape around Safarihoek Lodge is dominated by vast, flat savannah interspersed with thickets of mopane woodland, riverine forest, and scattered salt pans. The dolomite hills offer cover for elusive mountain zebra, kudu and lion – make sure to have your cameras ready! – and the numerous waterholes attract large numbers of game and their feathered counterparts.
The reserve is also home to numerous species of antelope including sable and black-faced impala, as well as giraffe and other plains game. In winter, aardvark and elephant sightings are not infrequent. The Etosha area is rated one of the best places on the continent to view rhino, and Etosha Heights is home to both white and black rhino. A morning spent tracking their footprints through the dust before eventually coming nose-to-horn with one of the endangered beasts is a memory not to be forgotten.
Get access to a range of experiences that can be enjoyed during your stay
When you visit, you will be directly supporting the following Natural Selection conservation initatives:
Namibia is raw, rugged, and real, and the desert landscape is full of challenges, both for the wildlife and the people that inhabit it. The dream for Safarihoek was to create a lodge that would convince people to explore the wild, even if they weren’t naturally intrepid. We wanted somewhere that would allow people to discover the wilderness, but without forgoing the comforts; to have an adventure, but one that wasn’t too far out of the comfort zone. We also thought about price. Safaris can often be expensive, and we wanted to keep the lodge within the realms of possibility. And when Safarihoek opened in 2016, we think we managed to tick quite a few of those boxes.
