Namibia Flying Safari
Gaze down at Namibia’s mesmerzing scenery – it’s only from the air that you can appreciate the mind-boggling vastness of the landscape. Why You’ll Love It: Wake up at dawn and climb the blood-red sand dunes at Sossusvlei, before sleeping under the desert stars in the ‘stargazer’ rooms at Kwessi Dunes. Search for desert-adapted giraffe and walking through the maze of dry riverbeds and sandy plains in the Hoanib Valley. Get your heart rate going with the activities on offer from Shipwreck Lodge: with quad-biking, dune boarding, 4×4 drives and dune sundowners, there’s never a dull moment. Make your wildlife dreams come true and add on a couple of nights in Etosha, home to the highest concentration of animals in Namibia. This itinerary is fully customizable.
Overview
Namibia is awe-inspiringly impressive from all angles, but if we had to choose one way to marvel at the magnificent landscapes, it would be from a small plane, high up in the skies. And that’s exactly why we’ve come up with this ultimate Namibia flying safari. For six nights, you’ll swap four wheels (almost) for two wings, and travel across Namibia on a series of short flights. All that’s left to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery sweeping below you.
Your first two nights on the flying safari will be at Kwessi Dunes, before you swoop over the vast Namib Desert and the towering dunes of Sossusvlei from above. You’ll touch down briefly for a beach lunch in Swakopmund, and then back to the sky for an incredible flight over the Atlantic Coastline and inland to the Hoanib Valley for two nights. Leave the plane behind for the spectacular drive to the Skeleton Coast where you’ll stay at award-winning Shipwreck Lodge for a further two nights, before you hop back in the plane for a final flight across the interior of the country to Windhoek.
Itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVE IN WINDHOEK AND FLY TO KWESSI DUNES, NAMIBRAND NATURE RESERVE
You’ll be met by your guide at the airport and flown to Kwessi Dunes in the NamibRand Nature Reserve, just south of Sossusvlei. G&Ts at the ready! The lodges in Namibia are quirky, stylish and full of character. We think you’ll love them as much as we do, from the thatched, air-conditioned rooms at Kwessi Dunes, to the elegant tents at Hoanib Valley and the award-winning design of Shipwreck Lodge. All the lodges have ensuite bathrooms, plenty of hot water and airy main living areas, whilst both Kwessi and Hoanib have swimming pools – the perfect way to escape the desert heat. At Kwessi and Hoanib, you’ll eat dinner under the stars and retire to the campfire for post-dinner safari tales and digestifs, whilst at Shipwreck Lodge, you’ll dine in the ship-style dining room, surrounded by candelabras and old silverware.
DAY 2: KWESSI DUNES, NAMIBRAND NATURE RESERVE
Today, you’ll spend time exploring the magical NamibRand and Sossuvlei area. Whether you want to embark on all the activities, or just soak up the magic of the area, this is a day to remember. In Namibia, the landscape is just as much of an attraction as the wildlife – and it’s even more mesmerizing from the skies – but don’t forget your binos either, as there’s an astonishing variety of wildlife hidden in these desert plains. In the Sossusvlei and NamibRand area, keep a lookout for springbok and oryx, as well as some of the rarer creatures like aardwolf. If you’ve got a penchant for birdlife, ask your guide to find the endemic dune lark, which is found nowhere but Namibia.
DAY 3: FLY TO HOANIB VALLEY CAMP, HOANIB VALLEY
Hop back on the plane for a scenic flight over the famous Eduard Bohlen shipwreck, Conception Bay and Sandwich Harbour, before touching down in Swakopmund for lunch. Then, it’s onward to Hoanib Valley Camp, over the dramatic Skeleton Coast and then inland to the beautiful interior of the country.
DAY 4: HOANIB VALLEY CAMP, HOANIB VALLEY
Spend today looking for desert-adapted giraffes, game driving through the sandy terrain or visiting the local Himba communities. Wildlife Valley are fascinating to watch, and you may also be lucky enough to spot desert lion and rhino. One certainty, however, is the desert-adapted giraffe. The icons of the area, they are also the focus of our conservation partners, Giraffe Conservation Foundation.
DAY 5: TRANSFER TO SHIPWRECK LODGE, SKELETON COAST
Get ready to enjoy the best transfer drive on the continent! You’ll pass incredible rock formations and desert-elephant digging for water, before arriving at the crashing waves and rolling dunes of the Skeleton Coast. Wow.
DAY 6: SHIPWRECK LODGE, SKELETON COAST
Enjoy your time at the award-winning Shipwreck Lodge. Activities on offer include quad biking, visits to the Clay Castle and seal colony and game drives – or you may like to just put your feet up and admire the views. At Shipwreck Lodge, expect giraffe, lion, baboons, elephant and elusive brown hyena in the dunes, whilst at the coast you’ll find hundreds of Cape fur seals at the Mowe Bay Seal Colony, and plenty of birds flitting through the chilly ocean spray.
DAY 7: DEPARTURE
This morning you’ll meet the plane and fly back down the stunning Atlantic Coastline, before arriving back in Windhoek, or, if you’ve chosen to extend your trip to Etosha, you’ll make your way north for the safari of a lifetime.
PRICE FROM: $7295
DURATION: 6 or 8 Nights
DEPARTURE: Every Sunday
GROUP SIZE: 2 / 12
