Kubu Island

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Set off on an extraordinary journey on quad bikes across Ntwetwe Pan for Kubu Island. A convoy, driving Indian–fashion ensures low–impact trespass and that guests leave as little behind as possible as they barrel across the vast lunar expanses of scorched white earth. As the day heats up, mirages swim and eddy. Elephant tracks walk in a circle and then enigmatically disappear, past the skulls of zebra, the bleached remainders of a previous migration.

The granite extrusion island studded with baobabs is rich with intriguing detail, such as walling, trade and Bushmen beads brought here to barter in pursuit of the salt that ices the surrounding pans. The place has been the holiest secret of the Kalahari Bushmen for longer than anyone knows. Kubu is close to what is probably the biggest flamingo breeding site in the world. Attentive staff set up camp and a cauldron of water bubbles for the shower suspended from a tree. Enjoy a star–spangled silver service dinner and fall into the bedrolls, replete with hot water bottles and ticking comforters that have been arranged on the high places in a five gazillion star bedroom.