The Namibian desert probably isn't the first place that comes to mind when people think of a vacation.

Which is exactly why you need to go the Namibian desert.

Since you really wouldn’t mind having a modern marvel of a lodge just to yourself and the person-most-likely-to-be-taken-to-Southern-Africa-by-you.

Not to mention easy access to all the dune-top dining, hot air safaris and 4x4s in your future.

At &BeyondSossusvlei Desert Lodge, a gleaming gem of a retreat in the heart of the world’s oldest living desert, now reopen after a major-league upgrade.

Now there's an angular oasis of glass and steel with an infinite horizon of ageless mountains, rocks and sand dunes surrounding your beautiful suite. Which is effectively all you’ll see during morning yoga at the state-of-the-art gym and in your outdoor shower before sitting down to your dinner date. Then, after dessert... it's hardcore star-gazing for as long as you last.

The desert is ripe for adventure, too. For example, you can arrange a picnic on top of the dunes. Or just go tearing over them on a 4x4 quad-bike. It's your call.

And there's always the option to check out the rock paintings of the indigenous San people, too. Or embark on a safari drive to glimpse the oryx, zebra, giraffes and leopards that hang out on the NamibRand Nature Reserve.

Unless you’d rather do that during a sunrise flight in a hot air balloon instead.

Everybody does oryxes differently.