Me ? I am as content as anyone who has succeeded in breaking those shackles that the big cities have us bound by. My very soul is filled to the brim with exhilaration and high anxiety - my thoughts continue in their flow.

We've been going 12 hours already and making good time. We've got across the Namibian border and were into the hilly country of the southwest bushveld.

"Hentie, do you think we will get those damn dust storms again?"  I ask. He's in deep thought, probably wondering if there will be a decent oes (crop) this year. Ten minutes later, "Ag, I don think so Piet, it's not that time of year really…but who knows, anything is possible out here," he answers. It's a unique communication cycle, paced by each lumbering kilometre.

I glance in the rear view mirror. Behind me, strung out like a military expedition, are our trucks. Eight big, hearty damsels, that pack a serious 4x4 punch. Loaded with over 20 tons of equipment - everything the heart could desire from a safari camp that would make Hemingway proud.

Years of experience and countless safaris have taught this crew how to get the job done. We know exactly what it will take to build the perfect Tented Safari Camp. Every aspect, right down to the last nut and bolt, has been thought out and planned in minute detail.

After 22 hours driving non-stop through the day and night, we finally turn off the road leading to Swakopmund, that lazy seaside, German colonial village, and head directly into the desert, catching our first glimpse of the awesome territory stretching before us. It's impossible to describe the beauty inherent within such desolation. It is as though we've landed on the moon's very surface! Thousands of undulating bare mountains and foothills - purple, ochre and pink tipped, reaching up and impacting on a majestic blue sky. We stop the convoy and take in the aura. Suddenly the silence and majesty of it all envelopes us. No one says a word, there really is nothing to say that could add anything of value to this great artistic canvass painted by God Himself.

But, its hot and the midday desert sun stirs us out of our welcome trance and with a roar of heavy engines we move off, down deep into the desert valley to the chosen campsite.

Finally we arrive at our carefully selected camp (usually specifically found by one of our guides or myself) and we set about attempting to get our heavily loaded vehicle close enough to unpack - its going to be a long day…. as one by one they dig into the loose desert sand. Well, with a tight crew of 8 persons, there no alternative but to unpack by hand and move the 20 tons of equipment piece by piece onto the camp site floor.

What is it, then, that makes the Secluded Africa's Mobile Safari Lodge so unique? Well to answer that, one must begin with the question of "who's mad enough to take up to 150 persons into a desolate desert or bush environment, wine them, dine them, shower and powder them for up to 10 days at a time?"

Nothing is ever impossible - from 5 course candlelit dinners, to full, sumptuous English breakfasts, sometimes as far as 60 kilometres from the main camp or often even on the run - following the group to the top of an endless sand dune to lay a table and present tea! 

The audacity of it all has to be epitomised when one enters the shower, to find piping hot water, electric hairdryers, mirrors and a staff member to hold ones towel ! Then topping all this, one finds that the white-gloved, bow-tied waiter from last night is in fact your highly qualified professional guide, fully qualified mechanic and first aid specialists!

It takes us a full two days to set up this camp, magnificently positioned between the crevasses in a desolate moonscape that can only be described as breathtaking. Its a massive cavern, 500 metres across and 800 metres long, snugly set into the side of a mountain with the dry river bed of the Kahn flowing by. Absolutely perfect! Over 100 tents, luxuriously equipped, with the centre dining hall and satellite phone set-up, complete the picture.

It's close to 4 pm - day two, in the distance we hear the 4x4's of the clients getting closer. The welcoming fire is ignited, the cold "on tap Windhoek Lager" is checked, as are the tots of welcoming Jaegermeisters, that potent cough mixture the Germans call a drink.

Our chefs have spent the day preparing our famous Kalahari Cooking - roasts, potjie's of venison and delicious sea food on the charcoal - fresh from the coast a few kilometres away !

The clients haven't got a clue that this camp exists and they are still under the impression that after their desert raid they will be heading back to Swakop for the comfort of a 5 star local hotel. Typical "Camel Men." They couldn't be further from the truth! The astonishment on their faces as they arrive for their "sundowner" and are greeted by this "Out of Africa" safari camp spectacle and our staff in their crisp white safari shirts and broad smiles suddenly makes the effort all worthwhile!

But, if you've ever had dinner in a desert, you will know that at approximately 6 pm, when the sun finally gives up its merciless quest and slinks off to pester the earth's backside, that with it goes the wind, and this means that candle lit dinners become standard operating procedure!

Of course if you're a style-less camper this would mean it's time to open your can of bully beef - but when we dine in the desert it is in the company of silver cutlery, crystal and fine bone china - just to ensure a good night is enjoyed by all, you understand. With flaming desert torches on the perimeter of each table and the cavern walls alight with hundreds of candles, you will never forget your Secluded Africa experience.