Kulala Back in Business

Kulula Desert Lodge (KDL) is back up and running after a devastating fire at the end of February 2024, which resulted in damage to the main area and back of house, including the kitchen.

As the fire-damaged areas needed to be fully rebuilt, it gave us the perfect opportunity to give the lodge a complete revamp. The team quickly sprang into action, intending to get operations back up and running as quickly as possible.

Some time was invested in contemplating the new look and camp logistics, before the expected back and forth while decisions were confirmed. Ground was broken for the rebuild on 19 April.

The team went over and above expectations, creating the reinvigorated KDL in eight weeks! Gone are the towering thatch roofs, replaced by modern stretch canvas tents. Luxurious interiors with a granite-top bar and never-ending vistas of the desert dunes lend a fresh sense of place to this enormously popular Namibian camp.

Throughout the mad scramble to get the lodge finished, the team pulled together and managed the fastest build Wilderness has ever achieved – no small feat indeed. After equal parts humorous and panicked moments, the cherry on top was the team briefing our guide, Immanuel to get himself and the lodge’s first guests ‘lost’ for two hours before their arrival on 15 June, so the team could finish the final touches on the swimming pool area!

Alex Henderson, Wilderness Namibia MD is justifiably proud of the remarkable effort from his team, coming together and working tirelessly to reopen KDL’s doors. “With a full FOH and BOH build in the time allotted, the spirit and character of our Wilderness team was particularly evident, and it epitomises the dedication of our staff to achieving the apparently unachievable”.

Congratulations to the team, and we look forward to hearing about many future unforgettable guest experiences. New camp images will be circulated to all staff in August.