Marc and Mariza Pampe opened Mushara Lodge in 1998, the first of four lodges to carry the name, and the name came from the trees. Purple seed pods hang from the terminalia around the chalets. Eight kilometres down the road is the Von Lindequist Gate of Etosha National Park, with the eastern waterholes just past it. By midday the morning drives are back, and the pool takes over.
Purple seed pods hang from the terminalia around the chalets.
Ten thatched chalets curve in a horseshoe round a large swimming pool, each spaced well apart for privacy, with a triple room and a family house besides. The main building keeps a library and a wine cellar beneath its high thatch, and its lounge is gathered around a fireplace. The kitchen draws on the lodge’s own vegetable garden, and the scraps go back to it as compost.
Past the gate, the roads around Namutoni lead to Klein Namutoni and Chudop, two waterholes fed by springs rather than by rain. Not all the water here is so reliable. When the rains are good, Fischer’s Pan fills and flamingos follow. And then there is the Dik-Dik Drive, a loop through low woodland named for the small antelope that browses its thickets.
One report of lions can change a morning’s plan.
Every passenger rides above the scrub, in open vehicles with raised seats. The guides are kept up to date on game movements, so the route is never set in stone. One report of lions can change a morning’s plan. Drives go out shared or private, and a private vehicle sets its own pace, which suits families with small children and photographers prepared to wait at a single waterhole.
Many of the staff are local people who have worked at Mushara Lodge for years, and it shows in small things, done before anyone has thought to ask. They look after a main building where original paintings hang beneath the high thatch alongside traditional African and modern artwork. Wide pathways run out to the chalets. In the evening, dinner comes by candlelight and is rarely rushed. The cellar is well stocked for anyone in no hurry to leave the table.
The family house gives parents and children two en-suite bedrooms under one roof, and out in the park a private vehicle moves at the pace of small children. Every room is air-conditioned, and the wifi reaches the chalets as well as the lounge. The lodge works easily as a break on a longer journey through northern Namibia. Guests who stay a single night often wish they had added a second. A second night leaves room for a full day around Etosha, and for a drive that lingers at one waterhole.
Out east, springs feed two of the waterholes and flamingos follow good rains to Fischer’s Pan.
The spa opened in March 2025, twenty-seven years after the lodge itself, with two treatment rooms and qualified massage therapists. The menu is short: deep-tissue or aromatherapy massage, using African oils made from baobab, marula and Kalahari melon. Some blends are chosen to relax, others to energise or to detox. A massage fits into the middle of the day, between the morning drive and the afternoon one. The pool and its surrounding gardens take care of whatever time is left before the vehicles go out again.
Etosha National Park was proclaimed in 1907. It spreads around a salt pan of more than 4,700 square kilometres. Out east, springs feed two of the waterholes and flamingos follow good rains to Fischer’s Pan. That eastern corner is the part within reach of the lodge. Private charters land on Mushara’s own airstrip, swapping the long road north from Windhoek for a short flight. Staying this close to the Von Lindequist Gate leaves the evenings unhurried, with the lounge fire and the library close at hand once the drives are done.
accommodation
Mushara Lodge has twelve units, all en-suite: ten thatched chalets spaced apart in a horseshoe around the pool, one triple room, and a family house with two en-suite bedrooms under one roof. Each comes with air-conditioning, a mosquito net, a minibar, a tea and coffee station, a safe and wifi.
activities
Guided drives in open vehicles with raised seats enter Etosha National Park through the Von Lindequist Gate, shared or private, into the Namutoni side of the park, home to Klein Namutoni, Chudop, the Dik-Dik Drive and Fischer's Pan. Wildlife viewing takes place in the park, on its roads. Back at the lodge, guests can book a deep-tissue or aromatherapy massage, or spend the hours between drives by the pool and in the library.
dining
Dinner, bed and breakfast are included at Mushara Lodge, with meals served in the dining room of the thatched main building. The kitchen cooks with vegetables and herbs from the lodge's own garden and buys what it cannot grow from local producers. Fresh fruit juice, homemade jam and marmalade come from a local farmer. Lunch and packed lunches can be added, and the bar keeps an extensive wine cellar.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
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rated five stars by our clients
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our approach
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
