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4.5
#1 of 9 lodges in Omaruru
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4.8
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4.6
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4.2
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Situated between Usakos and Omaruru amidst massive granite boulders overlooking the magnificent Erongo Mountain Range is AiAiba Lodge. The Erongo Region is one of the most environmentally diverse areas in Namibia, hosting an array of endemic and near-endemic plant, reptile, mammal and bird species, as well as a wealth of cultural artefacts. Twenty thatched-roof twin bedrooms, tastefully appointed en-suite shower, offer the visitor a unique, luxurious African experience. The restaurant with its panoramic view, bar and crystal-clear pool nestling amount the rocks add to the natural tranquillity of the surroundings.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
The view over the valley is great. We arrived very early for our check in but were made to feel welcome by the staff who showed us to our room as soon as it was ready which we really appreciated. The room are a bit dated & the shower area definitely looks like it needs a refurb. Dinner & breakfast were good. Climb up the boulders at the back of the lodge & view the painings.
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Date of stay: December 2019
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We almost didn't make it here. At the end of a long road trip and two flat tyres, my husband tried to convince me to skip the last night and just head home. I didn't have any expectations about Ai Aiba but was resolute that we finish our trip and so we went. This place is in the magnificent Erongo Mountains. The drive is quite lovely but the location of the lodge is top notch as it's surrounded by huge boulders and has a fabulous view especially at sunset. The staff was small because of COVID but we got a very warm welcome and great service. The food was very good and they managed a vegetarian meal at the last minute. The rooms are very nicely decorated and private. Most private rooms are those at the far end away from the lodge but I think the view is less spectacular. We got up early to do the walk by ourselves as we unfortunately did not have time for the 3 hour guided walk. The rock paintings are faded but can be seen well in the morning hours. Definitely we will go back. I really enjoyed this lodge and it would be a lovely and easy weekend destination as it's only 3 hours from Windhoek.
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Date of stay: July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Roger Fussell, General Manager at Ai-Aiba The Rock Painting Lodge
Responded Jul 7, 2020
Wow, thanks for your persistence and for making it to the lodge. We're very happy that you made it and happy that you enjoyed your stay. These are crazy times and we are very grateful for your support.
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Driving up to Ai Aiba after a long day with dirt roads was such a breath of fresh air. It is charming and beautiful. It feels intimate and private and welcoming straight away, and the landscape is dynamic and gorgeous. The staff were incredibly kind. The food was delicious, the sundowner hike with drinks on the mountain was fun and stunning. The room is charming, well equipped, and comfortable. We were told by our agent that there isn't too much to do and one night would be enough but honestly we were so sad to wake up and leave early--we wanted to enjoy a leisurely day to reset and recharge with a walk around, some pool time, a good book, great food, and kind people. Strongly recommend if you want a nice place to reset!
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have made 6 years in our marriage and we were searching for a great place to spend our little romance and we saw the Ai Aiba the Rock Painting and we came here to celebrate our memories and our love. We arrived very late and Mr. Josephat was waiting for us and called us to make sure we are on track and gave us a great service. Our dinner was waiting for us and was hot as we arrived and we were so impressed with the service. Now the actual day of our anniversary the 29 Nov 20 we woke up for breakfast and all was great service was great and we then went back to freshen up for the dinner and head back to the dinning area. We the arrived at 8 and ask to have our dinner outside by the pool sine the dinning area was having A lot of other guest and we want privacy and the manager said we can't have a dinner outside and I told my husband if it is like that then I think we have to have our dinner at the room and Mr Josephate came to our rescue and apologies on behalf of the manager and gave us a increasable dinner as we desired. After having our dinner we then went back in the dinning hall since it was getting cooler outside to also get internet access so we could get internet connection and the manager had the audacity to switch off the internet on us and as I write this now we back in our room waiting for the morning to book out. If you have a black skin like mine don't bother to come here because you will be waisting your money go elsewhere.
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Roger Fussell, General Manager at Ai-Aiba The Rock Painting Lodge
Responded Dec 3, 2020
We have noted your comments and have obviously taken time to follow this up with our manager and staff at the lodge, to get their side of the story too. By all accounts, the service you received was upto our usual high standards at Ai Aiba, from the room being prepared for a special anniversary celebration, and a hot dinner being ready and waiting for an arrival at 23h00. While we often serve lunches out by the pool, experience has shown that the evenings usually get too cold and windy to serve dinner out there too. We are truly sorry if you found the manner in which our manager tried to explain this to you to be at all offensive. We have before had guests who have wanted to sit outside, only to have their meal disrupted halfway through when they find that it has become too cold/ windy outside, and they then move inside. At the time, there were only 6 other guests having dinner inside the restaurant, so our manager felt confident that he could still find a nice, private spot for the 2 of you. Please be assured that this suggestion to rather sit indoors was therefore made with your best interests in mind – it really makes no difference to us whether we serve guests inside or outside, neither option is any more difficult or any more work. We do also really need to clarify the issue about the wifi. This was not switched off by anyone. Unfortunately, our wifi is simply erratic sometimes, and can fluctuate on and off. At the time, our manager had actually left to drive the staff back to their houses after their shift – by the time he got back, all guests had left the restaurant already. We all know the power of social media, and it is often disappointing that this powerful tool is used, before other avenues have been exhausted. This can be very damaging to a business and to its people. For instance, at no stage were any of your concerns communicated to us – even with the wifi, Josephat was in the restaurant at the time that you left, and it was not even questioned as to why the wifi was not working. This simple question, with its equally simple, albeit frustrating answer, may have helped to clear up this misconception? As no complaints/ issues were raised by yourselves at check-out the next morning either, we can understand that perhaps you felt you could not approach the manager with your concerns – but please be assured that our office in Windhoek is always available to deal with any issues and to refer them directly to ourselves as the owners of the business. We take all guests’ comments extremely seriously, and believe that all our guests are equally important and are equally well-looked after. We are available to discuss your concerns further, but kindly request that you contact us privately should you wish to take this further.
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This was one of the best accommodation we had during our Namibia trip! The hotel is really nestled between huge rounded rocks and harmonized with nature. We spent two nights at a nice little house in contemporary African style and colours, spacious and opening almost into the wilderness. In our room we had even a Nespresso machine which we found cool! The only negative thing with the rooms is that you have to drive in a relatively narrow road between the rocks and the houses and parking can be an issue if your car is quite big like in our case with the Hilux. Breakfast is nice as well as the food served at dinner time. We found laundry a bit pricey so if you have clothes for washing they offer this service, but choose only what is necessary to wash because the cost per piece is quite high and I think they do this for preventing laundry of big quantities of clothes (water save). There is a very beautiful path just behind the lodge (it's indicated), through the rocks, going up and then descending and going a bit around the lodge (sort of a circular path) that is a must to do just before sunset. The colours of the rocks are WOW, as well as the view of the surrounding vast areas and rocky hills. Additionally, at this walk you can admire some rock paintings which are marked on the way. I strongly recommend to do this nice walk on your own, which is free of charge and you can still see some rock paintings, than paying extra for the organised walk with a guide, that the hotel offers and also takes you to some other rock paintings. Of course, you can do both if you want. But I think, once you saw a few paintings, it's like you saw everything because more or less all are similar. It's nice to spend at least two days at Ai-Aiba Lodge as it's a great opportunity to just relax for a full day, from driving around. It was our break from our non stop daily driving (which of course we loved, but we needed some time to rest too). Ourselves, we dedicated the second day to just enjoy the place and rest. It's generally interesting to walk around the lodge, because you can spot some wildlife. We saw baboons and wild boars. In general Ai-Aiba The Rock Painting Lodge really ROCKS! Highly recommended!
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Date of stay: August 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were here for 3 nights. Interesting lodge nestled into the erongo mountains.
Lovely rooms with plenty of hot water. Comfortable beds. Food was very good. A choice of starters and main course and a good selection of drinks.
Afternoon tea/ coffee and cake served 3 to 5 .
Breakfast very good. Each guest is brought an individual breakfast tray with fresh breads buns croissant etc with butter and jams cheese and ham. We found this to be plenty but they will take an order for additional cooked items if you wish.
Good place for self guided walks to see the paintings or follow the bike trail for good birdwatching. Good views over the watering hole over the course of the day.
Looked like a nice swimming pool with lots of chairs to sit with a sundowner.
Really friendly lovely people. Really helped us by pointing out a problem with our car we hadn't noticed.
The charging point at the desk in the room would have been very convenient and nice modern touch when working.
An electrical storm knocked out the server for a few hours however there is usually free WiFi which was greatly appreciated.
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The lodge is set in an amazing scenery in the middle of nowhere in the Erongo mountains. You can best appreciate the landscape by joining the sundowner walk with the guide (included in our rate) up on the boulders in front of the lodge. The view from there is just breathtaking. The rooms are nice and comfortable, though a fridge could have been a nice treat. The staff was welcoming but seemed a bit disorganized when it came to serve a room full of people. Food was very good, both at dinner and breakfast. I would surely recommend it.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First of all: The landscape is breathtaking, but I cannot take this into consideration for reviewing the accommodation. The Nature Drive fur Sundowner (through the mentioned landscape) was a highlight though. The food is good to very good, but clearly staff was unorganised when fully booked (e.g. we did not get a startet). The rooms are good, but the dark paint on the wall is depressing and makes the room feel tiny. The mattresses need an urgent (!) change. Service was overall very welcoming and friendly. I would actually not rate the experience "average" (3 dots), but rather "good" (not very good, 4 dots, though)
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Date of stay: February 2022
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ai-Aiba never disappoints! The location is stunning, in the majestic Erongo mountains. The rooms are spacious, clean, ours even had a coffee station (Nespresso machine). The food was beyond excellent, the meat was prepared as ordered. The service is friendly and efficient. All Covid protocol is observed and all staff are fully vaccinated. So everything is just right and it is the ideal location to relax and to spoil yourself.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lovely location with every lodge enjoying views over the surrounding. Countryside to a small water hole where springbok come in the early morning .
Great welcome on arrival with lots of information sharing and the daily menu is on display offering two choices and a veggie option on request .
The sundowner walk and climb with our guide was excellent and the following day we did a 3 hour jeep drive / walk with Cules our guide to view the rock paintings and learn about the geology and history of the area . We were fortunate to see an oryx with her calf , springbok, and then giraffes and horses in the distance .
There are also trails behind the lodges which are well marked and lead to several lovely rock paintings .
The lodges are spacious with a large shower and have a fridge and coffee station. Their dark colours and poor lighting felt a bit oppressive but the small outdoor seating area was lovely . You have to hunt to find a plug to charge your phone and camera behind the fridge .
The disadvantage of the lodges bring divided into two, one bedroomed apartments is the lack of sound proofing . It was ok the first night with minimal noise until a family of 5 moved in tge next day and the noise level escalated to 4 hours of non stop screaming infants and yelling toddlers with lots of raised voices - followed by shouting happy youngsters. Sitting out was also spoiled as their friends ( party of 9) chose to shortcut over our 2m patio within inches of our feet rather than walk around the building -.It went from bird song and peace on earth to the neighbour’s from hell . We advised staff of the issue but nothing was done . I love children, I work with children but the over crowding of a family in a poorly insulated lodge really spoiled our experience . I’m not sure what they got out of it as most of the time the kids sounded unhappy .
Sadly the high level of noise started again in the early hours and continued until they left .
There’s lots to love about this place and a 4x4 is essential given the road conditions and distance ., but it’s worth the journey time .
The staff are delightful, Yvonne is sunshine on legs , the food is ok, the pool is a good size , the guided walks and drives are excellent and the setting is idyllic . We had one great day there but the second day was totally spoiled due to excessive noise from next door
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Sound proofing is poor between adjoining lodge -.take your ear plugs if family next door...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Roger Fussell, General Manager at Ai-Aiba The Rock Painting Lodge
Responded Nov 24, 2023
Thank you for your feedback and for your positive comments on Ai Aiba Lodge. We are so sorry that your stay was spoilt by having a busy family stay next door to your room. We have one family room at the lodge and, as a general rule, we always try and leave the room next door to it either open, or allocated to their friends if travelling together. Unfortunately however, this is logistically just not always possible, which is why the staff were not able to assist by moving you to another room on the 2nd night of your stay, as all other rooms were occupied. We will therefore do some research on possible ways of improving the soundproofing between the family room and the next door room, in order to improve this situation in future. At check-in, we do also request guests to respect other people’s privacy and to not walk in front of their rooms, but to rather use the road behind the rooms – we have reinforced this now with all our Reception staff and sincerely hope that all guests will adhere to this.
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Hi there. The drive to Ai Aiba Lodge was easy and very much managable for 4x4 newbies. We ouverselves also were newbies and it was a good drive there. You just have to follow the road signs to the lodge. there was good signage but it is necessary to have a GPS just to make sure as it is quite remote.
Hi Sue. Sorry for the late response.
The distance between Ai Aiba Lodge and the Spitzkoppe Mountains is about 90km. But, these road are not in great condition and require slow and careful driving. This distance will take about 1.5 hours but could take as long as 2 hours based on how quickly you drive and how much wildlife you see along the way. It is a very scenic and stunning drive but one that must be done slowly. I hope this helps but please let us know if you need any further info.
Many thanks, Roger
Thanks a lot Sue. In any case, if I understood correctly, you go on your own and then take a guide once there. Do you know if bushman people can bring you to rock painting ? To go there around 4 pm would be too late ? Sunset is at 7pm
There are more places to choose from in the Omaruru area.
PRICE RANGE
$218 - $281 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
NamibiaErongo RegionOmaruru
NUMBER OF ROOMS
20
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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