A six-foot pair of skull and crossbones adorn each of the wrought-iron gates at the entrance.
The shoreline, an endless vista of sand backed by formidable dunes, is strewn with the bleached bones of whales and debris from the more than 1,000 wrecked ships that have met their fate here. By day, the temperature can change in an instant, from hot sunshine to bone-chilling winds. At night, an eerie fog drifts in from the ocean.
It doesn’t sound like a typical honeymoon destination… let alone one fit for the newlywed royals.
But Namibia’s bleak but hauntingly beautiful Skeleton Coast, located in the arid north-west of the African country, has emerged as the frontrunner for Harry and Meghan’s honeymoon destination.
Desolate: Shipwreck Lodge’s design is based on the vessels washed up on the Namibian shore
And sources have told the Mail that £800-a-night Shipwreck Lodge, a new luxury hideaway in the remote spot, is being tipped as the couple’s venue of choice. The hotel, a trendy eco-friendly safari lodge whose striking architecture is inspired by wrecked ships, is due to open on June 1 – and insiders say builders are ‘frantically working to get it ready’ for the royal honeymooners.
Double chalets at Skeleton Lodge are set on a private patch of sand and equipped with an outdoor hot tub, wood-burning stove, chandeliers, faux-fur animal throws and views of the windswept dunes, where lions, elephants and kudu antelopes can be spotted.
Appealing only to ‘exclusive clientele’, the hotel also boasts a gourmet restaurant, bar and lounge with wraparound deck, where those fortunate enough to bag one of its ten rooms can sip cocktails as the sun sets.
However, Kensington Palace has confirmed that, like William and Kate in 2011, Meghan and Harry won’t go on honeymoon straight away. Instead, they’ll stay in the UK to attend Prince Charles’s 70th birthday celebrations on Tuesday. There are also plans for a trip to Dublin within weeks.
Luxury: Guest chalets at the lodge in Namibia feature breathtaking views of the ocean
Indeed, their joint schedules are so busy over the coming months that some have predicted August is the earliest they will be able to escape. Last month, a local wrote on Facebook: ‘A little birdie told me that Prince Harry and Meghan are here for their honeymoon.’
A spokesman for the lodge, Anica Britz, did not deny claims that Harry and Meghan might soon be jetting in, but said: ‘Unfortunately we cannot comment on or confirm the rumours that the royal couple will be staying at Shipwreck Lodge.’ Sources say Namibia – and the arresting landscape of the Skeleton Coast – is certainly top of Harry and Meghan’s list. Africa is a continent close to their hearts: both have done extensive charity and conservation work here and neighbouring Botswana was the location of one of their early dates, as well as a whirlwind holiday to mark Meghan’s 36th birthday last August. It will also appeal to their love of wildlife: Namibia is home to the world’s largest free-roaming black rhino population and Harry is a passionate animal-lover and anti-poaching campaigner.
He has travelled to Namibia in the past. With ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, he canoed the Orange River in 2006 and missed Princess Charlotte’s christening in 2015 because he was working with rhino conservationists. Also said to be on the royal wish list is the enchanting opportunity to watch wildlife by moonlight at a waterhole in Ongava, a game reserve on the edge of the Etosha National Park. Visitors can watch leopards, rhinos, lions and zebras coming and going in near silence. Shipwreck Lodge, which is owned by the local government in conjunction with three upmarket travel agencies, has a number of activities on offer for any adventurous couple. Locals admit access is ‘tricky’ – making it perfect for this publicity-shy pair. Guests can charter a plane from the capital, Windhoek, or drive the five-and-a-half hours from Swakopmund to Mowe Bay themselves, after which the hotel provides guided 4x4s to cover the remaining two hours.
Insiders say builders are ‘frantically working to get it ready’ for the royal honeymooners
Their nautically-themed accommodation features porthole windows and curved wooden beams.
On the walls are vintage posters depicting the fates of vessels that have been wrecked, including the Dunedin Star – a cargo liner heading from Liverpool to Cape Town that ran aground in 1942.
Day trips include excursions to the Mowe Bay seal colony, hyena-spotting at the Hoarusib River, sundowner cocktails in the spectacular dunes and treks to the homes of the nomadic Himba people.
Rates rise to £1,450 in the August to mid-November peak season, although food and drink is included in the price, served by uniformed staff. Trespassers – and the lenses of passing paparazzi – will certainly be told to keep their distance.
As well as the intimidating motifs on the gates, the entrance to the 146,600-hectare coastal area is fenced off with whale bones – and rusty metal ‘no entry’ signs.