Owned by Namibia Exclusive, Sorris Sorris is the first of four ultra luxurious lodges to open in the isolated reaches of the African wilderness.
Sorris Sorris melts into the land like a mirage in the desert haze. If you make it far enough along a helter skelter road past stacks of Damaraland’s staple crimson boulders, you’ll reach an unexpected bolthole worthy of any adventurous design-lover’s little black book.
Climb a staircase built from boulders to reach the main lodge zone, with its vast open-air restaurant bedecked in modern furniture with a hint of Scandinavian style. To one side is a fire pit and seating zone, to the other, a geometric in infinity pool at the edge of a sheer rock face. Every aspect is angled to make the most of a spellbinding view across the blood orange desert to the Brandberg, a huge mass of red rock once coveted by gemstone miners, which takes the crown for Namibia’s highest peak.
Head down a wooden walkway to reach the nine individual suites tiered down the hillside, each one a palatial blush-hued facade set into the rock with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Step inside and you’ll and a desert chic cabin decked in wide planks of pale wood.
A built in four poster bed swathed with creamy linens sets the scene, with seamless carved wood chairs upholstered in warm greys in the lounge. Just a few up steps up lies an open plan bathroom with matt resin vanities, an overhead rain shower and a bath with a view. Minimalism is key here – after all it’s all about drawing the eye to the outdoors.
And as much as you might like to squirrel away in your Bond-worthy abode, at some point you’ll have to get out and explore as this Mars-like moonscape has more to offer than just a super stylish place to stay. Hop into one of Sorris Sorris’ souped up land rovers in the company of an expert guide and meander down to the Ugab riverbed, where mustard trees quench the desert with leafy sprays of vibrant green. Past the cracked mud huts of goat herders, with the blue hues of the Brandberg Massif shimmering in afternoon light, you might find yourself cocooned in thick long grasses, an oasis for the hardy desert elephants that call this harsh environment home.
Sorris Sorris may be pared back in first glance, but its excellent food, faultless service and slew of surprises on the doorstep make this new lodge a designophiles delight in a setting like no other.
This piece originally appeared in est magazine issue 22.
