Namibia Safari | Namib Desert & Etosha

Three nights at Boulders Safari Camp

Arriving at Boulders Safari Camp, we joked that this is what Bedrock would’ve looked like if Wilma had designed it rather than Fred. The raised tents are stylish enough to not be overshadowed by the towering granite boulders, but it was a close call. After absorbing the view from our private verandah – magnificently untouched, here in the deep south of the NamibRand Nature Reserve – we headed out on a guided walking safari in the cool of the afternoon. Our guide showed us the mysterious ‘fairy circles’ and we debated whether they were made by termites, plants or lightning – or, as the local Himba people maintain, by the footprints of the gods. Our own tracks were less impressive! We’d decided to spend our second morning slowly exploring the reserve by vehicle. This involved an early start, but seeing the sun kiss the slumbering dunes awake as it rose was worth every minute of missed sleep. We were glad of our choice to stay in this remote area, as we felt truly alone here, without a single other vehicle in sight. Clambering up one of the dunes, we sank up to our knees in the cool red sand and then indulged our inner children by half-running, half-rolling down again, inadvertently filling our pockets with ancient sand. As the light strengthened, we broke our fast in the shade of a gnarled tree, pausing to register our astonishment at its stark beauty. As if we weren’t already on enough of a high, our early-morning scenic flight took our luxury Namibia safari to the next level. It was perhaps the most serene and peaceful experience of our lives, gliding above the ‘waves’ of the dune sea. The air was so clear that I felt I could reach down and write my name in the sand with my fingertip. As we landed, a friendly voice called to us and our guide emerged from behind his vehicle, brandishing Champagne. And so the magic continued and our (ahem) bubble wasn’t burst. The afternoon was spent relaxing at the pool.

Arriving at Boulders Safari Camp, we joked that this is what Bedrock would’ve looked like if Wilma had designed it rather than Fred.

The raised tents are stylish enough to not be overshadowed by the towering granite boulders, but it was a close call. After absorbing the view from our private verandah – magnificently untouched, here in the deep south of the NamibRand Nature Reserve – we headed out on a guided walking safari in the cool of the afternoon. Our guide showed us the mysterious ‘fairy circles’ and we debated whether they were made by termites, plants or lightning – or, as the local Himba people maintain, by the footprints of the gods. Our own tracks were less impressive!

We’d decided to spend our second morning slowly exploring the reserve by vehicle. This involved an early start, but seeing the sun kiss the slumbering dunes awake as it rose was worth every minute of missed sleep. We were glad of our choice to stay in this remote area, as we felt truly alone here, without a single other vehicle in sight. Clambering up one of the dunes, we sank up to our knees in the cool red sand and then indulged our inner children by half-running, half-rolling down again, inadvertently filling our pockets with ancient sand. As the light strengthened, we broke our fast in the shade of a gnarled tree, pausing to register our astonishment at its stark beauty.

As if we weren’t already on enough of a high, our early-morning scenic flight took our luxury Namibia safari to the next level. It was perhaps the most serene and peaceful experience of our lives, gliding above the ‘waves’ of the dune sea. The air was so clear that I felt I could reach down and write my name in the sand with my fingertip. As we landed, a friendly voice called to us and our guide emerged from behind his vehicle, brandishing Champagne. And so the magic continued and our (ahem) bubble wasn’t burst. The afternoon was spent relaxing at the pool.

Three nights at Little Ongava

The light aircraft flight to Ongava Game Reserve was very much in keeping with the rest of our luxury safari: filled with incredible scenery. Staying at Little Ongava gave us access to the private game reserve and the immense Etosha Pan – which offers, perhaps, Namibia’s most intense game-viewing experience. If anything, our accommodation here was even more impressive, but with so much wildlife to see, we were keen to head out on our first game drive. That first afternoon, we indulged in a little light waterhole hopping, with our guide taking us from oasis to oasis in search of zebra, oryx and unique black-faced impala. We returned after dark, under a glittering canopy of brilliant stars, and saw our first ever aardvark for good measure. Our guide suggested a different approach the next morning, and as ever, his advice was spot on. We drove to Andersson’s Camp and settled in to see who would come down to drink at the wildlife hide. It was partly underground, so our perspective was level with the water. I’d always wondered how people took those images of elephant toenails and eyelashes, and now I know – I have some excellent ones myself. The image of the day was taken when a small herd of startled zebra scattered into the shallow water, shattering their own reflections in a cloud of spray. We leapt at the chance to track white rhino on foot in Ongava. The stony ground looked as though it wouldn’t give up its secrets easily, but our San tracker was undeterred. Ultimately, we got to watch as a white rhino bull made more obvious marks – spraying urine backwards onto a small bush, and gouging the ground with his hind legs. A sudden breath of wind carried the pungent scent to us. That night, as we enjoyed dinner overlooking the floodlit lodge waterhole, we were certain it was the same rhino which came to drink, as though to bid us farewell.

The light aircraft flight to Ongava Game Reserve was very much in keeping with the rest of our luxury safari: filled with incredible scenery.

Staying at Little Ongava gave us access to the private game reserve and the immense Etosha Pan – which offers, perhaps, Namibia’s most intense game-viewing experience. If anything, our accommodation here was even more impressive, but with so much wildlife to see, we were keen to head out on our first game drive. That first afternoon, we indulged in a little light waterhole hopping, with our guide taking us from oasis to oasis in search of zebra, oryx and unique black-faced impala. We returned after dark, under a glittering canopy of brilliant stars, and saw our first ever aardvark for good measure.

Our guide suggested a different approach the next morning, and as ever, his advice was spot on. We drove to Andersson’s Camp and settled in to see who would come down to drink at the wildlife hide. It was partly underground, so our perspective was level with the water. I’d always wondered how people took those images of elephant toenails and eyelashes, and now I know – I have some excellent ones myself. The image of the day was taken when a small herd of startled zebra scattered into the shallow water, shattering their own reflections in a cloud of spray.

We leapt at the chance to track white rhino on foot in Ongava. The stony ground looked as though it wouldn’t give up its secrets easily, but our San tracker was undeterred. Ultimately, we got to watch as a white rhino bull made more obvious marks – spraying urine backwards onto a small bush, and gouging the ground with his hind legs. A sudden breath of wind carried the pungent scent to us. That night, as we enjoyed dinner overlooking the floodlit lodge waterhole, we were certain it was the same rhino which came to drink, as though to bid us farewell.

What sets it apart

Namibia might be the last bastion of non-globalisation left. There is absolutely nothing generic or homogenous about it. Everything in Namibia, is, well, so very Namibian, which is why we’ve been back several times since our first luxury safari there. For this safari, we resisted the temptation to go back to some of the luxury lodges we had previously stayed in (even though we’d loved every moment of them), and instead chose Boulders Safari Camp and Little Ongava. Our latest luxury Namibia safari further deepened our love for this astonishing country, and its warm, welcoming people. What set this trip apart was the fact that we had the opportunity to be drawn into two very different landscapes, and were rewarded for our curiosity with many remarkable experiences. The rolling dunes of the Namib Desert took our breath away in every sense: quite literally, when we scrambled up them, and again when we stopped to gaze on the view from the top. It’s superficially a barren landscape, but the fascinating tree skeletons are not tombstones but totem poles, celebrating the triumph of life over this exquisite yet arid land. The shimmering haze over the Etosha Pan added an almost mystical experience to the game-viewing experience there. It was not so much ‘blink-and-you’ll-miss-it’ as ‘blink and you may not be sure you really saw it’. We managed to thoroughly scratch the photography itch during our luxury safari, and sorting and editing the images gave us many hours of pleasure after we returned home.

For this safari, we resisted the temptation to go back to some of the luxury lodges we had previously stayed in (even though we’d loved every moment of them), and instead chose Boulders Safari Camp and Little Ongava.

Our latest luxury Namibia safari further deepened our love for this astonishing country, and its warm, welcoming people. What set this trip apart was the fact that we had the opportunity to be drawn into two very different landscapes, and were rewarded for our curiosity with many remarkable experiences.

The rolling dunes of the Namib Desert took our breath away in every sense: quite literally, when we scrambled up them, and again when we stopped to gaze on the view from the top. It’s superficially a barren landscape, but the fascinating tree skeletons are not tombstones but totem poles, celebrating the triumph of life over this exquisite yet arid land.

The shimmering haze over the Etosha Pan added an almost mystical experience to the game-viewing experience there. It was not so much ‘blink-and-you’ll-miss-it’ as ‘blink and you may not be sure you really saw it’.

We managed to thoroughly scratch the photography itch during our luxury safari, and sorting and editing the images gave us many hours of pleasure after we returned home.