You know somewhere special when it’s Angelina Jolie-approved. And this new 9,000-hectare private reserve, 30 minutes’ drive from Windhoek, is just that. In fact, it was the star who tipped off hotelier Arnaud Zannier that the land next to the N/a’ankusê wildlife sanctuary – a cause close to her heart – was for sale. The result is a property worthy of any A-lister; ten thatch-roofed huts, built in traditional Namibian style, in acacia-filled wilderness.
Think mud huts can’t be swanky? Think again. Each is a design-lover’s haven where hand-woven baskets rub up against flower-filled antique pots, and Le Labo toiletries line sunken bathtubs with views of stretching plains where antelope roam. On twice-daily game drives, guides point out giraffes munching on shepherd’s trees, herds of red hartebeest and, if you’re lucky, thirsty rhinos lumbering towards waterholes.
Omaanda NAMIBIA – Map of NAMIBIA Photo Gallery
Back at the lodge, it’s all about cosying up to one another on driftwood loungers by the infinity pool and ordering saffron-infused G&Ts from the shack bar, before huddling together around the boma fire pit as night falls.
THE LUXE TOUCH
The dinky spa hut looks unassuming, but the therapists have been trained by the top spa guru from Zannier’s Cambodian hotel, Phum Baitang, where wellness is an art form.
GO Red Savannah (redsavannah.com) offers four nights at Amanda from £1,984 per person, on a half board basis, including flights and transfers from London Heathrow to Windhoek on South African Airways via Johannesburg.
