Name: Intu Africa Suricate Tented Kalahari Lodge
Address: Intu Afrika Kalahari Game Reserve District Road D1268 Mariental, Kalahari Desert, Kalahari Desert, Kalahari Desert, 9000, Namibia
Rating: 8

Air conditioning

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Terrace

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English

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Hiking

Sun Deck

Recreation

Free parking

Parking

Swimming pool

Outdoor pool

Beach facilities

Pool and beach

Business center

Business

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

At the hotel

Intu Africa Suricate Tented Kalahari Lodge

Kalahari Desert

The lodge is on the simpler side - small tented rooms, with no A/C, just a fan. The food is OK, but nothing spectacular. There's wi-fi only in the reception area (and it doesn't work so well), and no cell reception.

The biggest problem, and the reason for my bad rating is that when I returned from dinner my room was infested with moths and mosquitos. It was my mistake to leave the light on, but someone could have warned before (or during dinner, seeing the lights) not to do that. I killed a lot of them (making a mess of the room), but they just kept coming - there must have been a hole in the tent that allowed them to get in.

Serious moth problem

We stayed here for one night in the honeymoon suite as we were the only guests.   What a treat.   We had our own pool looking out over the waterhole.    We saw springbok, giraffe and wildebeest.   

We were looked after so well -  despite being the only people there.   Dinner was so special - they put a table outside at the lodge by the pool with candles.   What an exclusive setting.   Food was delicious.   They catered for me being a non meat eater too.    What is not to love about it all.   

Reginald looked after us like royalty.   Such a lovely man.  

We had to leave early (en route to the Fish River Canyon) before breakfast as we had a long drive laden with rusks and fruit!

Treated like royalty.

My tour guide took me and a fellow traveller to this alternative lodge when our originally lodge Camelthorn was closed for renovation and we were delighted with it. After a long drive from Windhoek, we were greeted with a cool drink and the staff who were very friendly and cheerful helped us with our luggage and the manager informed us of all the tours the lodge provided for an additional cost and as this was our first time in Namibia we all decided to go for an early morning bush walk with decentants of native tribes known as San people and an afternoon jeep safari on their secured onsite game reserve. The rooms are quite unique being built in huts on stints made from wood and canvas, which are very secure and sturdy and just outside your room door is a balcony overlooking a dry lakebed with a small waterhole where wild game come and drink. I had a good view and saw some springbok and oryx, also known locally as gemsbok. Each hut has a double bed with tea and coffee facilities and an en-suite bathroom, although shower is not enclosed. Being in the Kalahari Desert, there is a lot of sand and the terrain was quite rocky especially between your room huts and the main reception building, so good solid walking shoes were required and take small steps at a time. In the main building there is a small swimming pool, decked seating lodge and a restaurant providing breakfast buffet and dinner. The food provided was very tasty and the staff were very kind and helpful. They even helped wake me up when my alarm clock failed and arranged my tour jeep to wait when I am ready. The bush walk was fantastic as was the game drive, the sand dunes at the reserve were very steep so you had to hold on tight to the bars on the safari jeep and made sure you seatbelts were fastened if you were lucky to have any on your seat. Me and my tour group were lucky to see a lioness up close as well as a herd of springbok and waterbuck, we even saw a white hornbill and a tree with a big nest on its branch full of the flock of social weavers. The reserve is quite vast with multiple came thorn trees and termite moulds and we even encountered some abandoned ostrich eggs that are so solid a man can step on it without breaking them. Great experience although the rooms at this lodge could do with an enclosed mosquito net even though there is a strong effective bug spray that can kill most types of insects including mosquitoes, although thankfully I was never bitten on my first night. Would highly recommend using spray constantly to keep insects away before settling in and sleeping. Apart from the bug problem, I enjoyed my stay and would recommend this lodge to other travellers when coming in the Kalahari desert of Namibia.

Good stay on 1st night in Namibia tour, could do with mosquito nets.

Our first night in Namibia we spent at Suricate Kalahari Tented Lodge. Being welcomed with a cool drink after arriving we were shown to our "rooms". The tents were very nice, clean and comfy. We had to fight with some mosquitos in the night, which is perfectly normal for this area, however perhaps arranging for a mosquito net over the beds would be a good idea :)
The Game Drive was obviously also our first one in Namibia and therefore in good memory (even though a bit "staged" at times), but the drivers were very nice and informative, the sundowner including drinks, snacks and a lovely sunset well worth it!
The food served in the evening, tomato soup, Springbock steak with some very delicious veggies and a (perfect!) peppercorn sauce, was great!
The only thing that I personally have to criticise is how tips were handled with. We've been well advised by our Namibian guide what was appropriate, however, upon giving the staff behind the counter that evening a bank note, which was well above the common 15% mark, with the request to change it, so I would be able to tip accordingly, I was told that even this bank note would be too less. Well... never mind the change, I left the amount as provided without further discussion. Nonetheless, a little personal and friendly advise: I myself come from a hospitality background, so I know the business from "the other side", therefore I also know not to tell your clients what to tip. It just leaves kind of a sour taste, other than this, thanks again for a lovely stay!

First night in Namibia :)

Suricate Lodge is located in the Kalahari Desert of Namibia. There is lots of sand! 

It is a very comfortable tented camp on the edge of a large salt pan looking out to the red sands & bush of the desert. It’s a really beautiful outlook. 

The rooms / tents are on a wooden structure with a balcony. There is a couple of comfortable beds & at the back of the tent connected to the tent is a good size bathroom with toilet & shower. However there is only a drip of water for the shower. 

There is a small outside swimming pool at the main building which also overlooks a small watering hole of the animals. Meals were served here. Dinner was three courses & 2 choices of mains which was very tasty. Breakfast had a small section of cold foods & eggs could be ordered. 

The lodge is located on a private game park & it is possible to do a two hour game drive in the afternoon with sunset drinks on the dunes. This costs extra but well worth doing. There are a good number of animals to spot. 

A day & a night is possibly enough but well worth the experience. 

A Special Stay

Although part of the Intu Afrika group this lodge was so much nicer than Zebra lodge. Wonderful kind caring staff and very comfortable bright airy tents. Again the food was mediocre but the staff were fantastic. We had a wonderful walk on the pan in the evening and a glorious sunset.  Sadly no one had told us we couldn't drive around and a very rude man from Zebra lodge attacked us in the car in a most undignified and unnecessary fury - there are ways of asking people to conform and all hoteliers should know this..

A wonderful Kalahari setting with a simple charming lodge

Excellent place with  very good services et very friendly peoples. Very good evening drive and sundowner.
I will recommand this lodge to my friends and family. For the start of our trip it was an very good experience.


Tented camp

Original stay , good welcome and food .Private swimming pool available at some bungalows . Tea and coffee in the room . Bushman tribe can be visited nearby. Wildlife can also be observed close .
In brief a nice place !

Intu Africa Suricate Tented Kalahari Lodge

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