Luxury Honeymoon Namibia

Let’s not pretend there’s not a tiny degree of nervous anticipation as you get your first glimpse at the Cessna 210. This is a small plane, although the exterior disguises a very comfortable and spacious interior. Seeing as there’s only you and the pilot you’ve got a choice of seats. Sit together in the back as you take off across Namibia, or take turns to admire the view from the idyllic copilot seat. You cruise at low altitude, each section of Namibia’s wilderness unveiled in cinematic high definition. The plane ascends for hypnotic impressions of scale, the kaleidoscope of colors flickering and fluttering beneath your eyes. Being on board is the adventure, an ethereal concoction of desert and desolate valleys below. Yet this post-wedding vehicle is also Namibia’s most effective transporter.

Namibia’s dramatic highlights are tucked away, often hundreds of miles from roads or settlements. The inaccessibility is part of the attraction; nobody wants to arrive in the wilderness and see a tour bus. But your pilot catapults you directly into the heart of the country’s iconic beauty, landing on tiny airstrips that sometimes have to be cleared of elephants. After marveling at the Southern Kalahari you soar above Fish River Canyon, a 20 mile wide scar that dramatically carves open the landscape. It’s the world’s second largest canyon, yet it receives just a handful of visitors.

Cruise between the stark canyon walls, gazing down into the abyss and following much of the canyon’s 120 mile length. From the sky you get surreal impressions of scale, yet on the ground there’s many close-ups to admire. Tentatively descend into the canyon and soak up the feelings of insignificance; few places in the world can make you feel so small. Perched on the edge of eternity and continuing the sumptuous vistas, your lodge provides an idyllic sense of the landscape’s scale and intimate beauty.

Namibia’s Atlantic Ocean coastline is consumed by sand, the Namib-Naukluft National Park a great barricade that can’t be crossed on foot. Monumental dunes seem to spill into the ocean, while a million ridges snake around glowing peaks and shadowy troughs. As the sunrise light starts illuminating dunes, you’re back on board the Cessna and admiring the vibrant show. With the sun behind the plane, this is an opportunity for the kind of photos that would grace a National Geographic cover.

Touchdown near Kolmanskop to appreciate nature’s power over man. Wooden houses stand desolate, engulfed in sand dunes and shrouded in morning mist. What you’re looking at is Millionaire’s Row. A bathtub stands on a dune, sand fills floors and piles against walls, and the once wealthy diamond town stands abandoned in the desert. Get lost in this ghost town, perhaps with a cheeky kiss in a deserted wooden relic, and wander together through one of Africa’s most captivating attractions.

Take off and cruise along the coastline, gawping at the sand dunes that weave and swirl. This is the desert you picture when you’re a child; filled with brightly colored sand and containing little but rolling dunes. Juxtaposing the red hued rainbow is the ocean, a thick band of blue that adds contrast to the aerial panoramas. You’re cruising above huge swathes of desert that have never seen human footprints, and even when you’re cuddled up in iconic Sossusvlei there’s no other people to interrupt the romance. After a leisurely afternoon you’ll go by vehicle to iconic Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, two huge clay pans that are engulfed by epic dunes. There’s no need to climb the ridges. You’ve already had the ultimate bird’s eye view. Completing the luxurious wilderness retreat is Sossusvlei Lodge, the sumptuous rooms offering gorgeous views onto the colorful dunes.

Even at airplane speed you’re wondering when Africa’s largest national park is going to end. Namib-Naukluft seems to stretch into oblivion, an immense natural art gallery that can only be fully appreciated from 3,000 feet above. There’s plenty of time for cuddles and kisses in the back as you cruise across Namibia, your fingers following red ridges as they curl and twist from hinterland to ocean. As the pilot swoops lower you take in the world’s highest sand dune, a 1,200 foot monster that rules the landscape near Swakopmund.

Touch down in the heart of the Skeleton Coast; your romantic revelry briefly interrupted by a squawking colony of Cape fur seals. There are thousands of them covering the beach, charming smiles masking their ungainly waddling blubber. This is a honeymoon, so you’ve already found the one. However, the male Cape fur seals are still arguing over the females, sporadically jousting in the sand and grunting pick-up lines. It’s not long before your alone again though, this time amidst the stunning shipwrecks that litter the Skeleton Coast, more evocative remains to get lost in together.

Completing your aerial journey is a visit besides Etosha National Park, the pilot bringing ethereal panoramas of glistening salt pans as you swoop in to land. In just three days you’ve toured almost 2000 miles of Africa’s most spectacular landscapes, and you’ve been shocked every time another person appeared. The Etosha safari experience is just as private and endearing, starting with the regal splendor of your next beautiful camp. Now the salt pans are at eye level. Mirages float above the whiteness, blurring elephant legs that roam in the distance. Most people expect safari to bring drama and excitement. But few foretell the elegance and tranquility of the experience. So relax at your secluded camp and admire the herds that wander past, then retire to bed and let nature sing you a lullaby.

Out in the woodland there’s an eerie silence. Other than distant rustling the trees seem to be empty. Slowly your vehicle moves forward, turning a corner for more of the same. Where are the animals? Weave round a few more corners and Etosha provides a dramatic answer. You’re face to face with an elephant herd; boisterous males are thumping trunks against trees, endearing babies come to inspect the Land Rover, and the whole trail is now covered in immense pachyderms. That’s the beauty of safari through the woodlands; you can’t see them and they can’t see you…and then you turn a corner.

Of course this is a private game drive, your skilled guide delivering a handcrafted honeymoon itinerary of safari activities. A champagne cork pops open as you stop for lunch beside an isolated waterhole. Kudu and hartebeest accompany the starter, springbok and a spotted hyena arrive for the main course, and as you’re tucking into rich chocolate cake a lion pride decides it’s time to join the picnic. The world is full of places to have a romantic meal, but there’s not many where lions are the only other diners. The pride decides that it’s not fond of your sugary indulgence; it prefers to take a long drink at the waterhole before moving on.

Etosha is one of Africa’s most spectacular safari destinations, bigger than some US states and delivering remarkable offerings of intimacy. You can get close, very close to the action. So hold each other tight as another lion pride licks its lips and heads off along the fringes of the salt pan. As you journey to secluded corners and limited access areas of the park, you spot more loved-up couples. Zebra pairs casually rest heads on each others’ backs; giraffe serenely brush necks while gemsbok painstakingly groom one another in the forest. Return to camp for more of those illusionary views across the salt pans and take up your own private place in Etosha.

Walking hand in hand is customary on any honeymoon. While some couples do it on a deserted beach, you’ll be walking through iconic African bushland, a myriad of mammals watching your footsteps. This isn’t a lonely walk. You’re on the trail of white rhinos, tracking them in their natural habitat and relishing a breathtaking intimacy with their endangered grace. Walk slowly (it’s a honeymoon after all) and the rhinos come into view, adorable hulks of gray chilling beneath trees. Even when they're horizontal, rhinos imbue an astonishing sense of size and power, their horns pointing skyward and armored bellies rising with each heartbeat. Now isn’t really a time for a kiss. As much as you want to, it’s impossible to drag your eyes away from one of nature’s most unique sights.

The rhinos are not the only delights to discover on an Ongava walking safari. The reserve shares an unfenced boundary with Etosha, meaning that most of Etosha’s wonders freely roam into the Ongava environment. And yes, that also means predators and elephants. Skilled Bushmen use profound ancestral knowledge to keep the walk safe, guiding you across the landscape and bringing intimate encounters with antelope species, zebra, and giraffe. You’ll keep a safe distance from the larger and more dangerous wildlife, although that still means a wonderful feeling of immersion in nature, because it's all much, much bigger when you’re both standing at ground level. Perched above Etosha and gazing down onto this wildlife paradise, your camp continues your collection of memorable honeymoon suites.

Picture the scene. You’re curled up in a huge king sized bed as the first flickers of dawn cast a glow on your partner. Birdsong flutters through the room, as does a distant lion roar and the morning trumpets of an elephant herd. Get up and open the curtains. Three giraffe are also early risers, their necks dominating the panorama before a herd of kudu decide to graze beside your balcony. Steaming coffee and a sumptuous breakfast is brought to your private sitting room, the morning meal accompanied by an elegant cast of grazers outside. With the sun poking over the trees you look down on Etosha and indulge in the possibilities. Where will you explore today?

Your camp is one of Africa’s most luxurious and exclusive places. There are only three suites, each generously spaced and occupying an idyllic piece of safari real estate. Not that it looks out of place. The camp effortlessly blends into the landscape, perched on a hill with cinematic vistas over one of Southern Africa’s greatest collections of wild game. Your itinerary is flexible and you can choose a collection of walking safaris and game drives. A local guide offers his specialist knowledge, allowing every experience to be tailored. Interested in lions? Let’s go find them. Adore a mountain zebra? Your guide knows where to spot them.

Supplementing the daytime safari experience is a thrilling night drive, the eerily tranquil plains at their most evocative in the dark. Now the visibility is reduced to near zero. So sit and wait. Wait for the rustling to get louder and the whiffs of wildlife to come closer. Then throw on the spotlight and gasp at how close you are. Perhaps black rhinos, maybe oryx, or eland, or elephants…nighttime game drives afford a new perspective and an unfathomable proximity.

Epitomizing the luxury honeymoon experience is your final destination, the sumptuous Okonjima Game Reserve. Just check out your bush suite. Sat alone in the game reserve, 500 meters from the rest of the camp, this regal home-away-from home offers the ultimate immersion in Namibia’s wilderness. A floodlit waterhole provides the evening entertainment, so kick back and wait for the reserve’s myriad of mammals to come for a drink. Dine beneath the moonlight and say hello to the thirsty arrivals, another champagne cork popping but not disturbing the ungulates. After the vast scale of the other national parks, Okonjima’s compact size makes for a very leisurely last couple of days.

There’s still plenty of action though; you’re still in the midst of Africa’s famed safari landscapes. Check the trees and you don’t see anything. Keep looking. Then your partner grabs your hand and points a finger. Still you can’t see it. What’s all the fuss about? But then the eyes pull you forward, lucid white and blue that betrays the leopard’s camouflage. Now a swishing tail and the whole cat becomes apparent, gently resting on a branch with effortlessly grace. Okonjima is one of Africa’s best places to spot leopards, the elusive and often bashful predator discovered on almost every game drive. Another spotted beauty also fills these two days, cheetahs adding another tick to your impressive list of Africa’s great mammals.

As your unique honeymoon comes to an end it’s difficult to pinpoint a single highlight. Consistent to each of your indelible memories is the feeling of intimacy and authenticity that Namibia excels at providing. Few countries offer inimitability like Namibia, and not many of these experiences can be discovered anywhere else. So scroll through the camera roll and smile…this is a honeymoon experience that will live on forever.