Abandoned Villages You Can Actually Stay in Overnight

4. Kolmanskop, Namibia

If you’ve ever seen photographs of ghostly houses filled with waist-deep sand, you've seen Kolmanskop. Once a booming diamond mining town, it was abandoned in the 1950s and gradually swallowed by the Namib Desert. Today, it’s a surreal sight—bathtubs buried in dunes, wallpaper peeling under desert sun, and windows framing nothing but sand and sky. While you can’t sleep in the buildings themselves (they’re part of a protected site), camping is available at nearby desert lodges and rustic sites just beyond the boundaries. These areas offer unparalleled access to one of the darkest skies on Earth—perfect for night photography, meteor showers, and simply watching the stars rotate above the dunes. Helpful Tip: Arrive before sunset to explore the ghost town in golden light, then head to your campsite nearby. A guided tour in the morning is well worth it—but for the full effect, stay long enough to experience both dawn and dus