Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Your hosts at Grootberg Lodge are members of the conservancy in which the lodge is located. Enjoy a sundowner on the deck or a swim in the pool. The rooms are comfortably appointed and blend into the surroundings. Through active conservation, black rhino and desert elephant still freely roam the land. Explore the landscape, rich in geological and botanical wonders, encounter stunning wildlife and get acquainted with the traditions of the #Khoadi//Hoas people.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
I stayed here last July as part of my group of 11 friends travelling around Namibia. The location is absolutely spectacular and worth a visit for that alone. The Lodge is nice, the views from the main building are stunning. The rooms are spaced out in either direction from the reception/restaurant/bar building and at varying levels on the top of the massive escarpment you look out into. The rooms are not flash but they are fine but very basic, last July we found them cold and there is no heating so we stayed in the main building as long as possible in the evenings and were under the bed covers quickly on return to the room! The restaurant & bar service was excellent, the food was basic but nice and the breakfasts were good and plentiful. We stayed 2 nights for a break from the long days of driving. I’d recommend doing the sundowner drive, the location they take you to appears to be literally on the edge of the world. It’s seemed very indulgent indeed to be in such a remote place sipping on G & T’s and snacking on the delicious snacks that were supplied. The driveway is 4WD only and not a problem if you are an accomplished off road driver. Otherwise you can park your car at the bottom of the driveway near the security officers post. They will come and collect you in a lodge vehicle. There is plenty of parking up at the lodge, some of it covered. We had an issue with being shown to the wrong type of room where my wife and I were expected to share a room with an older lady that was part of our group. If it wasn’t for the generosity of some Teenage boys in the next room who changed rooms with us it would have been very awkward indeed. The single bed had been tucked around a corner and hard up against two walls; there’s no way the lady would have been able to manipulate herself into the bed! Then on checkout there was an issue with the bill which had been prepaid. Thankfully we had copies of the booking and payments made via nightsbridge so we were fine. Even though we enjoyed the experience we would not return here.
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Date of stay: July 2023
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Anica Britz, Marketing at Grootberg Lodge
Responded 08 May 2024
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. We are grateful that you are return guests and chose Grootberg Lodge and for also calling attention to many good points at the lodge. We are investigating the point mentioned regarding the room sharing and how the booking was placed. We hope we can improve on our impression we left with you and that you will reconsider booking with us again in future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Staying at the Hoaba Campsite was absolutely wonderful. The setting is stunning with all the boulders into which the shower and toilet areas have been built. The camping spots are extremely spacious, so there's a lot of privacy and everything is very neat and clean. The sundown bar was a winner and the sunsets are beautiful from this campsite (we were not up early enough to see the sunrise). The staff is very friendly and helpful. We loved our hike to Deskar's farm. En route he gave us information abou the landscape and taught us a lot about the way of life of the locals also teaching us about the structures in place that govern the area. Warm water is provided via the donkey. Wood, meat for the braai and garlic bread can be bought at the office. This place ticked all the boxes and is highly recommended! Do you visit this campsite if you're in the Grootberg area.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: August 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The setting in the rocks is amazing and the pool with the bar is great for sunset. The staff were helpful and it is a good place to stop en route to Etosha via Damara. It is easy to find and each site has it's own toilet/shower and cooking area.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: July 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Anica Britz, Marketing at Grootberg Lodge
Responded 18 Jul 2023
Thank you for camping with us under the stars. We hope you can enjoy the deck and sunsets again at Hoada Campsite.
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We stayed at Hoada Campsite for 2 nights in July 2024. The camp (and Grootberg lodge) is run by a community conservancy, which empowers the local community to manage their own land and livelihoods. The campsite was in a stunning location very spacious and protected by huge boulders, and the toilet and shower were up on the rocks, which was very unique and gave a sense of privacy. The staff were super friendly and helpful. We went on a Rhino tracking tour with them, which was an amazing experience. They were so thoughtful and professional, and we learned a lot about the community’s efforts to live, harmoniously with wildlife and sustainably through ecotourism. Our only regret is that we couldnt stay longer. Thanks for the great memories, keep up the good work and we hope to be back!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: July 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We enjoyed our stay here immensely. You have your own stone cottage with terrace. From here you have a beautiful view. The only drawback is that you have no electrical outlet in your room. You have to charge all your equipment in the main building. Wifi is moderate, but this is not exceptional in Namibia. We went on a rhino trekking and were able to see 3 black rhinos thanks to the rangers. This was a great experience. A very tasty lunch was provided at this acitivity. Dinner consists of three courses (with vegetarian option) and is incredibly good. In the main building you can have coffee/tea and eat cake in the afternoon. The pool is small but overlooks the valley. The staff was very friendly. We left our car at the bottom in a guarded parking lot and were taken upstairs. The location really is unique and breathtaking.
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Date of stay: June 2023
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Anica Britz, Marketing at Grootberg Lodge
Responded 07 Aug 2023
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. We are very pleased you had a successful tracking experience with us.
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A well appointed main lodge with fantastic views over the valley, an infinity pool on the terrace below make this an amazing place. Each room is situated in a separate stone built lodge over looking the valley with a great feeling of seclusion for each one. Power is limited so battery recharging in the main lodge only. The footpaths to the bedrooms are uneven and would not suit someone with mobility issues, although there were two cabins in the other direction so maybe their access was better. We had some of the best beef steak ever for supper. Took the sunset safari tour, great drive around the plateau top and lovely view.
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Anica Britz, Marketing at Grootberg Lodge
Responded 15 Dec 2022
We hope you can stay with us again soon and enjoy another great steak dinner while enjoying the view.
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Stayed 2 nights as part of our Namibia trip. Probably our least favourite hotel. The positives are an amazing view, great food and lovely restaurant staff. The restaurant team sang some songs one night (a lovely memory from our holiday!). The pool area is a lovely place to spend some time. The rooms were a little bit more rustic than others we stayed in - lighting wasn’t great and no air conditioning. But the rooms were clean and comfortable. The main downsides - the staff watched us move our cases from the car to lodge without any offer of help (the path is bumpy so you really have to carry cases rather than drag them on wheels). We also would not recommend the tracking. We paid £80 each for elephant tracking. We drive around for 4 hours seeing nothing, then found 6 elephants under a tree before having lunch and driving back. This was expensive compared to other activities in other lodges. It felt like the guides knew were the elephants were and dragged out the trip to justify the cost. Had we known we would see elephants constantly in Etosha we wouldn’t have done this activity.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: As mentioned don’t do the elephant tracking if visiting Etosha afterwards - you will see loads...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Anica Britz, Marketing at Grootberg Lodge
Responded 28 Sept 2023
Thank you for taking the time to review us. We take your comments very seriously. Management has addressed your concerns regarding assistance with luggage from the cars to the rooms. Our guides have also received additional training and equipment for tracking activities. Although sightings cannot be guaranteed we want to make the experience memorable for our clients. Thank you again for highlighting areas we should focus on for future guests.
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We stayed here for 2 nights & it was wonderful. The Lodge itself is located along of the Grootberg Pass up a very steep hill which if you are not driving a 4x4 could be quite challenging. The Lodge overlooks Klip Valley and the views are stunning. The Lodge consits of a central reception buildng with a small gift shop, an electrical charging area & toilets. The main part of the building is open plan with a bar area at one end, a lounge area and then the dining area. Outside there is a terrace with seating overlooking the Valley and below that a small infinity pool again with stunning views down the valley. The sunset from the terrace on both nights were beautiful. On either side of the central area area the 14 seperate cottages/huts.. The cottages are reached along a path which although concreted with stones is not very smooth & even more difficult to walk along if carrying luggage. The cottages themselves are fairly basic. Luckily the lodge is at the top of the valley & it is quite windy so although there was no air conditioning and no fans by keeping the windows open you get a very cool breeze. In addition there is no fridge, TV or electrical points. If you need to charge anything then that has to be done into the central area. There was coffee making equipment but as there was nowhere to heat the kettle this seemed a bit of a waste. For some reason we were allocated a family cottage which had 2 bedrooms, one at each end of the cottage with an ensuite bathroom with shower inbetween.. The shower worked well with plenty of hot water though the taps were very difficult to turn on & off. If you are looking for luxury this probably isnt the place for you but the lack of facilities in the rooms was part of the charm of the lodge and the views made it all worthwhile. Our room rate included breakfast & dinner - any beers, wines, spirits etc were extra. Breakfast consisted of a cold buffet with eggs etc cooked to order. Dinner consisted of a different 3 course set menu each evening which was excellent. Dinner was served at 7:30pm for all guests. There was an internet connection in the central area but that was a bit flakey at times. The staff, especially Colin, the manager, were excellent, extremely helpful & friendly. We took the 1/2 day desert elephant tracking (leave at 8am, lunch in the bush, returning at 3pm) & this was superb. We saw a herd of desert elephants including their young along with giraffe & zebra & it was well worth seeing & tracking for over an hour. We had a lovely stay at Grootberg Lodge and the views were truly memorable.
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Date of stay: February 2020
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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A sublime panorama, small houses scattered in a rocky area. The rooms are small but comfortable, it feels like we're in the middle of nowhere, it's soothing. The meals are delicious. The top host and charming staff. A good step in our journey.
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Date of stay: November 2024
Value
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A magical place with spectacular views from the reception area and room. A very warm welcome from the staff (although they were not sure of our accomodation details and would have been good to be clearer on when guests could walk around in terms of lions being around). Beautiful sunset view from the deck and amazing pool which was cool and needed during the hot period. Great breakfast spread and dinner was delicious too with the staff being very friendly and high level of service. The staff do a wonderful performance in their language and get the guests involved too- however they did do this while we were eating dinner so we felt a bit awkward eating and watching (so we suggest doing it when guests are finished) and then was also a bit too long.
Rustic room decor with great views (from the shower too).
Roads are not great through damaraland so give yourself time and don't recommend to drive at night.
Overall highly recommend Grootberg for couples:)
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Anica Britz, Marketing at Grootberg Lodge
Responded 08 Jan 2024
Thank you for your 5 star review and recommendations on approving our services and guest experience. We are very pleased to know you enjoyed the pool and sunset view over Damaraland.
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This depends on what vehicle you have. We recommend a high clearance or 4x4 vehicle.
We would recommend driving up the Skeleton Coast, Swakopmund to Henties Bay, Skeleton Coast Park through to Springbokwasser on C39 to Bergsig- Palmwag.
Alternatively, you can drive from Henties to Uis, up to Twyfelfontein to view the rock paintings before you drive to Palmwag to Grootberg Lodge.
Important to remember, you need to leave early as its quite a distance to travel.
If you haven’t got a 4 wd vehicle, then the last half km off the main road is not ok for use. But - the lodge has parking at the foot of the climb up and they will secure your vehicle and transfer yo up the hill.
We did elephant tracking with the lodge - a fascinating full day bushwhacking and we finally found 3 let pm. Well worth it but we had a far better and easier desert elephant experience from our stay at Camp Kipwe - this was superb and we saw a group of 22 which we had to ourselves for at least 2 hours.
Hope this is of help
Guildford, United Kingdom5 contributions2 helpful votes
We had the most amazing experience at Grootberg. We had a fly/drive tour so travelled 1800km in our two weeks but was worth every km. The staff at Grootberg were wonderful and we did an elephant tracking tour from there and were shown lots of local life. food was fantastic and view with sundowners were stunning. highly recommend
Wales, United Kingdom585 contributions135 helpful votes
you are discouraged from wandering away from the lodge because of potential danger but there is nothing to stop you. You will be told that lions have been seen very close by. The lodge prefer you to take one of their trips. We opted for the Rhino walk which to be honest was a bit disappointing. When we visited in January there had been a drought lasting several years and most of the wildlife has moved or died. There are Rhino there and indeed we found one but the extent of the walk was no more than 30 metres from the truck to the viewing point where a Rhino was stood down below. My first ever Rhino and a wonderful sight but I went on to see more in Etosha and it didn't cost me ÂŁ250 for two of us to see one either. If the money goes to conservation fair enough but I have my doubts. Grootberg was to me worth a visit but I wouldn't go back for a second one.
There are more places to choose from in the Palmwag area.
PRICE RANGE
RÂ 4,785 - RÂ 5,302 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
grootberg hotel damaraland
LOCATION
NamibiaDamaralandPalmwag
NUMBER OF ROOMS
16
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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