How do you define luxury travel? It means so many different things to so many people. That's why my trip consultation calls with clients are vital. We all travel for different reasons - to get away or to get to, to be pampered or to be pushed. Sometimes you want all these things on your trip, paced out perfectly from day to day. This is how I feel as I write this to you at sunrise with my coffee at Damara Mopane Lodge in Gondwana, Namibia.
I'm in the middle of G Adventure's National Geographic Journeys tour called Wonders of Namibia, and the 13 of us on this small group tour stopped here for the night to rest after a long, bumpy but beautiful ride from fog-shrouded Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast en reoute to Etosha National Park, where I'm going on my first ever safari game drive this afternoon. Already I've seen several wild animals like the oryx (my favorite - an elegant, sort of goth antelope), jackal, a translucent gecko, beetles scuttling over the sand, and a few wildebeest, which I have to admit didn't know were a real thing. After seeing one, I'm still not sure that creature isn't a figment of someone's imagination.
My dream of visiting Namibia began a decade ago, when I first saw photos of its sand dunes and deadvlei. Spending the pandemic in New York City, my desire increased when I learned it's one of the least densely populated countries in the world. Social distancing? No problem! Every day I'm overjoyed to be here at last, and this G Adventures itinerary is hitting all the highlights I've longed for.
G Adventures has a few different styles of travel with itineraries designed for families, people in their 20s-30s, classic tours, and also ones like this that are in partnership with National Geographic Journeys, which offer an elevated way of experiencing a destination by staying in well-appointed accommodations and including unique opportunities to engage with locals. Each hotel and lodge on this tour has been absolutely lovely, and I've never once felt like I'm "roughing it" in Africa. Every night I pour the oldest desert in the world out of my shoes, and I fall asleep in air-conditioned comfort after eating delicious meals and seeing such wondrous sights, often tired from hiking through sand dunes (like Dune 45 pictured above in Sossusvlei) or up rocky paths to ancient art etched onto sandstone at Twyfelfontein.
To me this is all luxury travel because I'm in such good hands with our tour's CEO (G Adventures' Chief Experience Officer) and can simply sit back and relax as Namibia is presented to me - with all our needs anticipated and delivered seamlessly. I'm very impressed with how G Adventures put together this tour, and whether you travel with a small group or we design a private tour just for you, Namibia is a destination where the landscapes never stops changing before your eyes, where the people are warm and welcoming, and where maybe your dreams will come true too.
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WHY USE A TRAVEL ADVISOR?
Nine Muses Travel offers a premium experience with flights, guides, drivers, rental vehicles, and the best accommodations to maximize your time, with expert advice on how to get the most out of any destination. We INCLUDE amenities for you at the world's finest hotels, the BEST OF THE BEST!
Complimentary room upgrades at check-in, subject to availability
Complimentary daily breakfast
Early check-in / late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi
And more!
Nine Muses Travel works with exceptional suppliers who add unparalleled value:
Expert guides: artists, historians, naturalists, unique locals with insider tips & insights
Flexibility with your touring - See and do as much, or as little, as you prefer!
Custom-designed routings
Exclusive experiences
24/7 real-time support
Comprehensive travel protection plans
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Nine Muses Travel designs journeys to inspire artists, arts lovers and the culturally curious.
Danielle Dybiec
Founder & President
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