Of a stopover you would be churlish to ask for more than a comfortable bed, a hot shower and good meal. Not so at Kalahari Bush Breaks: raise the bar and pull off the highway near the Namibia-Botswana border to enjoy a night in the bush as if you're still on safari.

Surrounded by Kalahari grassland with picturesque acacia trees and well out of earshot from the road, Kalahari Bush Breaks is a welcome oasis after what is for most a rather long and uneventful drive no matter which direction you're going.

Accommodation is in a large thatch and wood construction (Wouter was an architect in his former life) with en suite bathrooms and a view of the waterhole around which the lodge is built. Food is distinctly Namibian, which means big portions of grass-fed beef (you're in cattle country here) and free range, organic venison always with full-bodied South African wines to match.

Though you'll likely be passing through the Kalahari en route to Botswana and Vic Falls in the east or Namibia to the west, if you can save a few hours' energy for an activity it will be well worth it. The lodge, once a cattle farm, is now home to a variety of typically Kalahari wildlife including the graceful oryx, the elegant springbok, ostrich, zebra and smaller antelope; birds are a feature here with many raptors claiming dominion over the open plains.

The lodge has a self-drive game drive trail marked out (4WD only alas) and, with no predators, walking trails, birding and stargazing are wonderful ways to experience the bush and stretch those travel-weary legs. The main lodge overlooks a floodlit waterhole and competent riders can book horses in advance for a magical wilderness ride.