ART OF SAFARI MAGAZINE Family Safaris | Page 32

What sets it apart

The timeless quality of Namibia’s ancient landscapes was our first clue as to what would make this luxury family safari such a special experience for our family. Simply all being in the same place, together, for more than five minutes, was a wonderful novelty in itself. I couldn’t remember the last time we were all free at the same time.

Being able to decide our own schedule each day was very refreshing. By booking family villas and suites for our entire itinerary, we were assured of a degree of seclusion and privacy we often found ourselves longing for but never quite achieving at home. Best of all, we could simply be ourselves. I suspect it was a relief for our two teenagers to be able to drop the act of being cool, and to stop caring about the results of their latest test or Instagram post.

The guides and staff at each of the luxury lodges were brilliant at knowing when we were keen to get out and about on activity, and when a game of Scrabble and a pot of tea were all that was needed. This luxury family safari came at a transitional time in the lives of our two daughters: with them both being on the cusp of adulthood, it was a real pleasure to see glimpses of the grown-ups they would become illuminated by flashes of the children they still occasionally were.

And all this set against sinuous sand dunes, rolling green hills and crashing waves.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: KWANDWE PRIVATE GAME RESERVE, ISTOCK, ANIMAL OCEAN/STEVEN BENJAMIN

ABOVE ROTATING:

South Africa is home to cheetah. Take a morning walk along the dunes

at Sossusvlei. You'll

love snorkelling with seals in Cape Town.

Dine poolside at

Melton Manor.