A natural rhythm with Habitas Namibia
Culture, location, and music come together in a Namibian destination that’s inspired by connection of all kind
In recent years, travel has evolved far beyond mere sightseeing and bucket-list box ticking. More and more, travellers are looking for transformative experiences — those that alter or expand their world view — and placing greater emphasis on conscious travel. With the shared view that travel should, above all, be about connection and immersion, Oliver Ripley, Kfir Levy, and Eduardo Castillo co-founded Habitas in 2014 around the idea that “luxury is more about experience than anything else”. What began as temporary pop-up retreats developed into a more lasting travel proposition and, in 2017, they opened Habitas Tulum in Mexico. Habitas’ first retreat outside of the Americas, Habitas Namibia followed earlier this year, with escapes in Costa Rica, Bhutan, and Saudi Arabia planned for the near future.
“We quickly realised that what people wanted and needed was the ability to connect with like-minded people and live a life with purpose. We created something for ourselves, something that we wanted to experience and hoped our friends would too,” says Ripley, Habitas’ CEO. In Namibia, this concept is manifest in a lodge that embraces the landscape in spectacular fashion. Set on 50 000ha, its hilltop perch gives all 12 tent-inspired suites and the main hub panoramic views.
From some vantage points you can enjoy the sunrise, others the sunset, but each benefits from the mind-blowing sense of space that you’ll find in very few places on the planet aside from Namibia. This setting — the vastness, the stillness, the ancient story — has informed the design. Combined with Habitas’ overarching concepts of community and connection, it has inspired an immersive experience that weaves in local customs, traditions, and rituals.