The Ranch
Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch
Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch is a relaxed lodge on a private reserve in the red dunes of the Namibian Kalahari, north of Mariental. At its heart is an old farmhouse, now the reception, lounge, dining room, bar, wine cellar and library.
You can stay in chalets raised on stilts on top of the dunes, in thick-walled chalets in the grassy valleys between them, or in garden and pool rooms close to the main house. There is also a small campsite a kilometre away.
Afternoons are for the pool or the waterhole, then a drive through the dunes to a sundowner on the crest. Bagatelle also offers horse riding, a morning walk with San guides, and a visit to the cheetahs it cares for with the Cheetah Conservation Fund.
Rooms
The Rooms
Four chalets standing apart on stilts on top of the red dunes, with views to the south-west over the dune sea. Each has a bath and shower, air-conditioning, tea and coffee and a minibar.
Two larger chalets on the dune crest with the same wide views, plus a private jacuzzi on the deck.
Eight thick-walled chalets, most built from plastered straw bales, spread out in the grassy valley between the dunes. Each has a shower, air-conditioning, tea and coffee, a minibar and a sleeper couch.
Six spacious rooms close to reception, each with a small private garden, a shower, air-conditioning, fans and tea and coffee.
Six sites in a dune valley about a kilometre from the lodge, each with its own tiled ablution block, gas hot water and solar lights.
On the ranch
Things to do
Nature drive and sundowner
A drive through the dunes and valleys for giraffe, oryx, kudu, zebra and eland, ending with a drink on the crest of a dune at sunset.
Cheetah visit
Meet the orphaned cheetahs that Bagatelle cares for with the Cheetah Conservation Fund, then head to the dunes for sundowners.
Walk with San guides
San guides show you how they find water, use plants as medicine, set traps and make jewellery. A guide translates.
Horse riding
Guided rides through the dunes on quarter horses, with horses for beginners, children and experienced riders.
Night drive
Look for aardvark, aardwolf, porcupines, bat-eared foxes and owls with a spotlight.
Activities are booked and paid for at the ranch. Ask us to reserve them with your stay.
Good to know
Information
When to go
May to September is the cool, dry time, with sunny days and cold nights. October to April is hot, and most rain falls from January to March. Tap or hover over a month for more.
On our itineraries
Safaris with a night at Bagatelle
Itineraries we have planned that stop at Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch. Each one is a starting point we adapt to your dates, budget and pace.
12-Day Namibia Self-Drive Luxury Circuit
Windhoek · Kalahari · NamibRand · Swakopmund · Twyfelfontein · Ongava / Etosha · Okonjima
See the itinerary →14-Day Luxury Namibia Fly-Drive Photographic Safari
Windhoek · Kalahari · Luderitz · NamibRand · Swakopmund · Hartmann Valley · Onguma
See the itinerary →27-Day Namibia in Full Safari
Windhoek · Eros Mountains · Kalahari · Fish River Canyon · NamibRand · Sesriem · Swakopmund · Spitzkoppe · Twyfelfontein · Kaokoveld · Purros · Khowarib · Grootberg · Palmwag · Etosha South · Onguma Reserve · Waterberg Plateau
See the itinerary →17-Day Scenery & Serenity Namibia Safari
Windhoek · Kalahari · Keetmanshoop · Fish River Canyon · Tiras Mountains · NamibRand · Sossusvlei · Solitaire · Gamsberg
See the itinerary →Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch in pictures
Gallery
The Kalahari & the South
Explore the Area
Bagatelle lies among the long parallel red dunes of the Namibian Kalahari, north of Mariental. Between the dunes are grassy "streets" with camel thorn trees, where oryx, springbok and meerkats live.
Where you'll stay
Find the Ranch
Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch · off the D1268, north of Mariental.
Before you go
Questions answered
What are the rooms like?
Choose from chalets on stilts on the dunes, two with private jacuzzis, straw-bale chalets in the valleys between the dunes, or garden and pool rooms near the main house.
Is there a campsite?
Yes. Six sites with private ablutions lie about a kilometre from the lodge, and campers can book meals and activities at the lodge.
Can children ride the horses?
Yes. Bagatelle has horses for children and beginners as well as experienced riders, always with a guide.
Can we see the cheetahs?
Yes. The ranch cares for orphaned cheetahs with the Cheetah Conservation Fund, and you can visit them on an afternoon outing.
Is there a pool?
Yes, there is a swimming pool at the main house, next to a waterhole.
What time is check-in?
Check-in is from 13:00 and check-out is by 10:00.
The Kalahari
Pair it with
Sundowners on the red dunes
Let our experts add Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch to your Namibia journey.
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