Exploring luxury safaris in Namibia

A lighthearted report of a luxury Safari in Namibia

With travel, there are the typical holidays: the busy beach resorts, the oversubscribed city tours, and the sort of sightseeing that makes you wonder why you even bothered to get out of bed that morning. And then there's the idea of a special luxury safari in Namibia. To be honest, if you haven't thought about it, you might just be missing the finest travel story you'll ever tell, preferably with a cocktail in hand.

To begin with, Namibia is quite good at making you feel like the end of the world, in the best way possible. At night, the heavens are a cosmic fireworks show that embarrasses your small phone camera; the deserts stretch so far that your mind almost refuses to grasp the size. Imagine all of that combined with the kind of coddling that makes you feel guilty for having too much fun now. That's when a luxury safari enters the picture. Imagine gourmet meals that make you wonder why you ever accepted airline food, luxurious mattresses probably with more layers than your Christmas wardrobe, and private lodges with infinity pools.

Here, though, is the kicker. You experience the excitement of exclusivity while everyone else is stuck trailing the tour bus. Spotting wildlife that other visitors would only view on postcards, a personal guide is aware of every inch of the savanna and finds it. Drinking a cocktail and trying not to seem too pompous, lions, elephants, and giraffes are going about their business as you. Feeling like you're part of a secret club where nature's best show is exclusively for you is quite a delight. This kind of event causes you to consider life, your place in the world, and even why you have been obsessively viewing animal films in the living room for years.

The speed is yet another benefit. Luxurious safari trips let you relax from daybreak to twilight. Thinking about it, there is time to savour the quiet, which is startlingly loud. The sort of quiet that brings you to the awareness that you have been living in a never-ending hum of traffic noise and notifications. Having a time when the only pressing matter is choosing between a morning game drive or a spa session is strangely freeing. Believe me, the most difficult aspect of the day is deciding which is a good problem to have.

Let's not forget the humour in it all. It's strangely gratifying to see your elegant self, generally more at ease with a latte than a jeep, trying to keep binoculars upright on uneven terrain while balancing. Or trying to get the ideal sunset photo without tripping over your own feet. Luxury simply provides a softer landing when you do; it does not cause you to lose your clumsy charm.

Ultimately, special opulent safaris in Namibia are about more than only checking off items on a travel bucket list. Laughing at your own efforts to seem like a seasoned explorer, marvelling at nature, indulging in comfort, and understanding that occasionally the finest treatment comes in the form of a five-star hotel and a herd of elephants passing by are all about them. It makes you feel small, makes you happy, and makes you wonder how you could have ever been satisfied with less.