Day at BuellsPort

Breakfast at seven, and by eight we were setting off on the Quiver Trail — one of Büllsport's signature experiences, paid separately from the lodge package. The morning split into two halves: two hours of guided driving through the surrounding terrain, followed by three hours on foot. During the drive, our guide stopped repeatedly — spotting wildlife at distances that seemed impossible without binoculars, often before any of us had noticed anything at all. Mountain zebras appeared along the way, and we paused at a viewpoint framed by a Quiver Tree. Along the route he taught us a few words in his native language, a small moment that stayed with us.

The hike itself was mostly downhill and more accessible than the days before it. The standout sighting was a rock hyrax — a small, stocky creature that looks something like an oversized guinea pig, entirely unremarkable at first glance, and entirely surprising once you know what it actually is.

Back at the lodge by around one, we had lunch before settling into the afternoon. Mid-afternoon, without any request on our part, a gluten-free snack appeared at the outdoor tables — prepared by the lodge specifically for us (we are coeliac). The farm owners, throughout our stay, would pass by during meals to check how we were doing and whether we needed anything. It was, without question, the warmest hospitality we experienced in Namibia.

The rest of the afternoon was genuinely unhurried: a board game, a swim, some rest. After the intensity of the previous days, a quieter day was exactly what was needed.