Fish River Lodge

My group of 11 people stayed here for two nights. We found the access road to the property easy to find but in my opinion you need a 4 wheel drive off-road type vehicle such as a Toyota Fortuna or Hi Lux bakkie to safely negotiate the long road into the property. We had 2 x 4WD Safari vehicles so we were fine but I’ve read before where folk have attempted this road in regular vehicles just with high ground clearance like an SUV. On approaching the property you see immediately that both the lodge and the view are spectacular. The rooms fan out either side from the Restaurant/Bar/reception building and the rooms are large and spectacular in appearance and construction. If you have difficulty walking on uneven pathways you should request a room closer to reception. The rooms were very clean and all features of the room worked well. We were here last July and it was absolutely freezing cold. We had even encountered some snowfall on the high elevations of the road leading from Sesriem. We had plenty of warm clothes but weren’t prepared for just how cold the rooms were once the sun went down. You really wanted to have a hot shower and jump into bed under the bed covers as soon as possible. There is no heating (or cooling) of any sort in the rooms. I understand why in such a remote location. Oddly enough we were given one hot water bottle each night but a single lady in our group was given two!! The meals were nice and it was great to be in a building with two big double sided fireplaces but once the fires went down it seemed staff were reluctant to replenish them. On the second night we were enjoying ourselves so much that we put more wood on the fires ourselves. Maybe it is a way of getting the guests to return to their rooms, maybe not but that was the impression we had. During the full day we walked around the canyon rim for a reasonable distance and returned to the lodge for lunch. Then later we all went on the sundowner drive. We were taken to a spot that seemed to be on the edge of the planet, it was truly spectacular and very decadent to be sipping on G & T’s and enjoying the delicious snacks in such a place. All in all we loved the experience here, just a pity it was so cold during our stay.

The most amazing accommodation to see the Fish River Canyon up close, without the tourist throng e.g. Hobas Viewpoint.

"When I grow up, I want to be Fish River Lodge", said all of the other 9 Game Lodges we have stayed in over the last three+ weeks in Namibia. Our short two night stay here proved to be the "pièce de résistance" in terms of Namibian lodges, hands down. The Fish River Lodge is situated "on the edge of eternity", overlooking the Fish River Canyon. As far as lodges go in this region, it occupies "pole position", set back just metres from the rim of the ancient canyon, invoking a breathtaking response from all first-time vistors who view her. Its fun to sit out on the long balcony and observe guests arriving to step out and see the Canyon for the first time, replicating your exact reaction the day before! The feel of the lodge is one of relaxed and informal luxury, with the rooms designed to feel calm and restful with tactile elements such as woven natural fibre light fittings, cushions and throws. The Canyon itself though is the real star of the show, its strange silence ever-present. Everywhere from the infinity pool to the terrace bar encourages you to revel in the panoramic, sweeping views. The food and service is very much the focal part of the Lodge's offering. I do not know the name of their chef, but she/he certainly knows that they are doing. Lodge Manager Phillip creates an friendly, warm and welcoming atmosphere for guests, which seeps down through to his staff. Top marks to our guide Gordon, who did a terrific job escorting us out on a sunset drive and makes a mean G&T sundowner to boot. What stopped us giving this a 5 star review? Just three small things - no wifi or hair dryers in guest rooms, (a bit annoying but easily fixed) and there was a smell of sewerage outside our room (Room 10) which made sitting outside taking in those magnificent views not as enjoyable as we would have liked. They are doing an amazing job providing this level of service to guests in the middle of the Namib desert though, so.......

We spent a few days at Fish River Lodge in Namibia. Wonderful weather, but more importantly the perfect stay at the hotel. Everything was just right there. From the warm welcome to the sweet guidance upon departure. We had a delicious meal there and were looked after by top staff. The drive into the canyon was a wonderful experience. We will definitely return to Fish River Lodge in Namibia this year A wonderful stay

I agree with the comment somewhere below: 'as you arrive and walk into the main building and get a glimpse of the view into the canyon, just WOW!" The whole place is very well designed and decorated. The bar area is the place to get a solid Negroni mixed. The 3 course menu was the best we had in 3 weeks travelling. We really liked the sometimes howling winds when sleeping with the high windows open. It's a mindblowing experience and to wake up from a dream to find the reality even more dreamlike! The drive on the D436 from the B4 down and westbound to Rosh Pinah is a beautiful nature experience in itself. Highly recommended.

Staying at the Fish River Lodge is highly recommended. It is wonderful from the first moment on and provides superb experiences as a stunning view, very kind staff and very good meals. WLAN is available at the main building but not in the chalets.

In the middle of nowhere. We really like our stay here. The dinner and the staff was really kind. The swimmingpool offers a spectacular view on the canyon. A little bit windy during the night but it is part of the Charm;)

Stunning location with great lodges perched on the cliff edge. Food was very good here. Swimming in the pool while looking over the edge of the canyon was amazing. Sundowner trip going north of the lodge to a great viewpoint with superb sunset views. Would also recommend a self guided walk to a great viewpoint south of the lodge (c1-2 hr return). While the staff were fine this was (surprisingly) the busiest lodge we stayed in and it consequently felt somewhat less personal than other lodges. Overall - a great place to visit and stay

Wonderful lodge on the edge of the stunning Fish River Canyon - spent 2 nights here and wish we were staying longer. Room was excellent right on the edge of the canyon with an outside seating area looking across it - food some of the best we had in Namibia - amazing considering how remote the location is. The staff were so so friendly and we took the excursion to the bottom of the canyon with our guide Wilhelm where we saw many animals and had a great barbecue lunch after a quick dip in the pools down there. Only drawback was the large party of Chinese who followed us down in 3 separate vehicles and then proceed to fly a drone in the gorge - really??? Luckily no drones were allowed around the actual lodge - so sad we need notices about this now. All in all a wonderful experience.