Losing, and finding, yourself in Namibia

Your introduction to the magical desert wonderland will start at the Wilderness Little Kulala, just minutes from the towering dunes of Sossusvlei. Here, surrounded by desert as far as the eye can see, you are freed from your thoughts, your worries, your future “have-tos”. Discover a place truly disconnected from the hustle and bustle of everyday living.

Whether you choose to reset by running wildly down the side of one of the world’s tallest dunes, quad biking across a lunar-like dunescape or spend the night under the stars in your very own star bed, you will experience both thrill and tranquillity.

Catch a glimpse of an oryx, a family of ostriches, or springbok wandering through the desert – and feel lucky to witness these animals, surviving in some of the harshest conditions in the world. At Hoanib, where you will see giraffes ambling across the dunes, the sun setting behind their slender bodies, or perhaps you’ll spot the last family of desert-adapted lions showing hope for the survival of their kind. And amongst it all you might appreciate how much there is to learn about life outside of the city.

And when you arrive at the edge of the Skeleton Coast, a sea of seals massed on the shoreline ahead of you, the wind flicking up white horses over the cold Atlantic Ocean, you begin to contemplate your space in this world.

Above all else, the one experience that will truly leave a mark on you is meeting the indigenous Himba people of Namibia at Wilderness Serra Cafema. These nomadic hunter-gatherer communities have chosen a traditional way of life, completely secluded from outside influences or civilisation. At Serra Cafema, set on the Kunene River that forms the border with Angola, they live scattered in the desert, in tiny villages of modest huts made from hide, sticks and cow dung. 

Spend a couple of hours in their company and you’ll leave changed forever. Gain a new perspective on life as gratitude for what you have fills your very cells. Engage in an authentic encounter, they just as curious about you as you are about them. Humbled, you may even start to think about what you really need to be happy.

Wind down your Namibian adventure with a night at The Weinberg in Namibia’s capital city, Windhoek. Immerse yourself in times gone by as you learn more about the country’s past inside this lovely heritage building. Spend your last few hours exploring the city, or sipping on a famous local brew as you contemplate the mark Namibia has left on your life.