After obsessing over the internet about which operator would be best to take my teenage son and I on safari, I came across Wild at Heart. I loved the honesty of their personal descriptions on the website, that fact they were Namibian born and bred, their company a local one and, to top it off, were former game park rangers.

My brief was simply for wild life and wilderness, and a little luxury in with the rough. Wild at Heart then assembled, all within 48 hours, what was to become that trip of a lifetime.

I couldn't have dreamt of such a stunning holiday and for that I truly thank our guide Andre of Wild at Heart. He shared his amazing knowledge of Namibia with generous abandon, took us to places that felt as though no person had been before, where mountain zebra trotted about and giraffe and desert elephants roamed free. We treasured this extraordinary bloke with the driest of humour, compassion, and love of life. He transformed a holiday into a rare and wonderful travelling experience.

My advice to you, potential traveller, is save yourself loads of hassle. Look no further; dig a bit deeper into your pocket, give the guys your travel dates and a couple of hints, and let them to it. Trust me. It doesn't get any better than this. Enjoy.

Linda Aitken, London

linda-a [at] btconnect [dot] com