Namibia for Couples: From Savannah to Ocean

You'll have a warm welcome and assistance with formalities. Pick up your rental vehicle and cool box and travel to Eros Park where you'll stay overnight. Overnight stay at the castle. The crenelated building dates back to 1907; Count Hans Bogislav von Schwerin named it after his wife in 1916, and it has kept the name ever since. With its well-manicured garden, stone walls and white tower, it looks stunning. The opalescent blue of the pool gives it a pleasantly quirky feel. Inside, the aristocratic atmosphere is refined, with a contemporary tower in a restrained design. The rooms offer comfort, space and elegance. The dining room is lovely, but when the weather is good, tables are set up on the garden-side terrace. Dining with lovely views of the city, and sampling the fine cuisine exudes an air of romance.

Drive to NamibRand Reserve. Enjoy a two-night stay on the top of a dune. It offers 360 degree views. The camp is pitched on network of wooden decks and walkways, supported by stilts driven into the sand. The canvases divide up the living spaces, and can be rolled up or down to change the privacy or view. Each room is fully equipped with a functional bathroom and private veranda. As for the communal areas, there are two dining rooms, a bar with leather and rattan chairs, and a tea deck. The cook's cuisine can be paired with a glass (or bottle) from the on-site wine cellar. The pool is in the garden so offers excellent surroundings as you swim or relax. Finally, on one of the decks, pots full of lush vegetation transform it into a desert garden.
Already included in the itinerary - Exploring the Namib. Take advantage of the activities offered by the lodge.

Explore stony plains, dunes, hills with sparse and thorny vegetation with 4x4 drives and walking safaris during the day, and enjoy starry night skies. Vehicle excursions can take you to otherwise uncompromising terrain. On foot, it's good to join one of the camp rangers. These guides are the best. They follow the tracks and trails, examine the haze, they spot citron melons (Citrullus caffer), the tapered horns of the oryx, the lyre-shaped horns of the springbok, the darkling beetle who makes its characteristic 'tok-tok' sound during its courtship rituals. The desert is much more alive that an outsider might at first think. And the survival tactics adopted by the wildlife that calls it home are mind-blowing. In the evening, the vast expanse of the sky forms the perfect canopy for a romantic meal.

Drive to Sesriem. Your overnight stay is at the foot of the Naukluft Mountains, between Sesriem and Sossusvlei. The bungalows are spread across a slope, around a large central unit, and look out onto a fascinating endless and dry landscape, with vast expanses stretching as far as the eye can see. The accommodation uses canvas, wood and various recycled materials to give it a rustic feel, but it never compromises on comfort. The rooms are equipped with beautiful bedding and a bathroom. Each unit has an outdoor pool. The beds are slightly raised for optimal outdoor views. The restaurant offers a twist on Namibian cuisine and the bar serves divine cocktails on the semi-circular terrace.

Drive to Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast. Your overnight stay is in the former railway station. This is the eclectic style of Windhoek castle's architect Wilhelm Sander (1860-1930). The station buildings have given the hotels' designers space to work with. They have been developed, furnished and decorated with opulence and in a somewhat classical and cosy style. With chef Jacky Kandukira - from the Herero tribe - behind the stove, the restaurant serves remarkable Namibian cuisine. A gym and outdoor swimming pool are ideal for relaxation.
Swakopmund is a small German town unchanged since the late 19th century, and now a chic seaside resort. The iconic buildings include the Lutheran church dating from 1911, the old barracks built in 1906 - flanking the Hotel Prinzessin Rupprecht, a former Art Nouveau military hospital, built in 1902 - or the Hohenzollernhaus, built between 1904 and 1906, in the Neo-Baroque style.
Already included in the itinerary - Riding. Enjoy an hour riding in the desert, with a guide.

Drive to Twyfelfontein, Huab Valley, Damaraland. The two-night stay is near a huge cluster of orange rocks. The curved and pointed thatched roofs make the bungalows look like a sort of mushroom. Simple walkways connect them. There are deckchairs on the platforms between the boulders. The room opens to the west, via a private terrace. Which means pink, purple and crimson sunsets. The decor makes tasteful use of traditional arts to stunning effect. The overall ambience is one of relaxation. Around a campfire at night, or in the shade of the lounge during the day, it's a special place to be. There's even a swimming pool to swim or relax in. A special dinner awaits.

Take a walk or go for a drive in the dry savannah that surrounds the lodge. The area attracts many animals: elephants, springboks, oryx, jackals, Ruppell's bustard. How they have adapted to these arid conditions is a thing of wonder. The rock art seems to indicate that things weren't always as they are now. The hunter-gatherers of the Stone Age, and then the Khoikhoi herders, adorned the site with petroglyphs and paintings. Images depicting giraffes, lions, antelopes, elephants, rhinos, zebras and bow hunters bring to life another time. Perhaps the area was home to more varied wildlife than today. Either way, specialists generally agree the images are Shamanic in origin. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Drive to Etosha Park for a two-night stay near its eastern entrance. With its watchtower, reddish-brown walls and elaborate frames, the lodge has the slight air of a Moroccan 'ksar'. At the foot of the main building, water circulates in pools. The rooms combine perfect privacy with comfort. In addition to the standard amenities, an outdoor shower is available. From its private veranda, facing the setting sun, it offers broad vistas of the plains and the acacias. The swimming pool is the perfect place to relax, and the dining room is all about enjoyment - this is one of the best wilderness dining venues in the country.

Safaris are a must through these fabulous landscapes full of wildlife. The best time to see animals is at sunrise and sunset. You'll board a specially equipped vehicle with a ranger and go off in search of hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus), impala (Aepyceros melampus), common eland (Taurotragus oryx) and other cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) in the bush. In the clear bright colours of the morning and the fiery glow of the evening sky, these are truly memorable animals encounters Hiking in the bush, with a tracker, adds a palpable thrill to these encounters. Listen, feel, look around and interpret the signs. The 'book of nature' isn't just a throwaway phrase here, it's a daily reality: the bush is an open book, where knowledge can mean life. To live in this part of the world, the ability to read the landscape and pick up signs is vital.

Drive to Otjiwarongo. Overnight stay in a private reserve, about 12 miles to the south. The main horseshoe-shaped lodge building surrounds an outdoor fireplace. Beyond, a watering hole. The chalet is totally discreet and private and is extended by a 'sala', semi-open relaxation and observation area, furnished with comfortable daybeds. The comfort continues to the communal areas: lounge, bar, dining room, plus an outdoor pool. The chef is a master of his craft and tonight he will ensure that the memories of Namibian cuisine live on forever.
The Reserve's conservation and research programmes include big cats, looking after lions, leopards and cheetahs. One of the most amazing sights to see in Africa is a cheetah trotting along, then running at full speed. The vast expanses of the highlands suit him perfectly.