If you’re someone who likes travel and adventure, I may have found your next must-see destination – The Shipwreck Lodge on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast.
The hotel, which features cabins designed to resemble the rusted carcasses of ships smashed on the country’s inhospitable shores, were designed by local architect Nina Maritz and perfectly captures the haunting past evident in the nearby landscape.
Photo Credit: Instagram
The 10 rooms are designed using sustainable materials and construction methods, and sit above the sweeping dunes of Skeleton Coast National Park – they’re also the only luxury accommodations within 6300 miles, which means you’ll really get a feeling of what it’s like to be standing at the edge of the earth.
Photo Credit: Natural Selection Travel
Photo Credit: Natural Selection Travel
The Skeleton Coast gets its name not only because of the wrecked ships that dot its shores, but also because of the 19th century whale and seal bones that litter the dunes, a relic of the height of the whaling industry. There are also undoubtedly human skeletons among the ships and shells, as well – sailors who lost their lives when their ships crashed onto the jagged rocks in rough seas or dense fogs.
Photo Credit: Creative Commons
15th century Portuguese sailors called the coast “The Gates of Hell,” but the interiors of the rooms and cabins are anything but terrifying. Inside, you’ll find sleek, modern decor and an upscale restaurant and lounge.
Photo Credit: Creative Commons
The hotel also isn’t far from safari offerings where, if you’re lucky, you can see wild giraffes, lions, and other African zoological treasures. If landscapes are more your thing (and if you’ve chosen this hotel, they probably are), you can also take a day trip to the Hoanib River Delta to check out its towering granite rock formations before heading back to your sandy hideaway.
