In October, we travelled to Namibia. Just a two-hour flight from South Africa, and a completely different world. Lots of dry land, desert, long roads and empty landscapes. We drove about 2,000 kilometres, staying in a different place almost every day. The car and two rooftop tents were our home. Nothing about it was luxurious, and at times it was intense. The distances, but mostly the highlights, which are at their most beautiful at sunset or sunrise. So sometimes we were packing up our rooftop tents again at 5 or 6 in the morning, getting the kids out of bed in the dark and into the car. Ready for the next highlight. And yet it was one of the most special trips we’ve ever taken. Why? We didn’t feel like figuring everything out ourselves, so we booked an organised trip. That meant we got the car, the rooftop tents and all the camping gear. And everything had been thought through in advance. And it turns out: even when a trip is intense, having someone take care of things for you is also what peace of mind can feel like.
The most beautiful place we slept had no walls, only a view. We spent ten days surrounded by nothing but nature, living very simply. Every evening we lit a small fire and had our little cooking ritual. As I said, not a luxury holiday. But somehow our heads were empty, and we often didn’t know what we were going to do the next day. And sometimes that was good too.
We had access to an app with a Google Maps route for every day, full of tips along the way. One tap on the link and the route started. When we arrived, the campsite was already booked, and after a really smooth check-in we could set up our gear again for the night.
As a holiday home owner, it made me realise: whatever you offer, it doesn’t matter so much what it looks like. What matters most is that the essentials are there for the place you’re offering. The things your guests actually need. And above all: take the worries off their hands. Whatever kind of holiday they’re on, your guests want to feel looked after. Make their stay effortless. A check-in without questions after a long journey, as many tips as you can share, quick and clear communication whenever it’s needed. And equip your place with everything they need for the kind of stay you offer.
What guests want most
is ease. A holiday is for relaxing, and I notice that many travellers don’t always feel like figuring everything out themselves. I speak for myself ;-) The stays they remember are the ones where they didn’t have to.
Our last night in the rooftop tent. We made a one-pot meal and got treated with the best sunset we could wish for.