A Namibian Wilderness Extravaganza by Air
Tour Introduction
Seeing Namibia from the air is an extraordinarily emotive experience – with the added bonus that it cuts out long car journeys. Flying in light aircraft is by far the best way to travel around Namibia as it allows much more time for you to enjoy the fabulous lodges, vistas and game drives.
This fly-in safari takes you to the towering dunes of the Namib Naukluft National Park, over the vast, harsh and intricately beautiful dune ‘sea’ to the coastline, then north to Damaraland. After some time there seeking out the local desert adapted elephants, you fly to the private Palmwag Concession for a very special experience tracking endangered, rare black rhinos in this beautiful wilderness.
Then a flight over the Skeleton Coast with its stark shipwrecks and strange fairy circles takes you to the remote Kunene region in the far north of Namibia and the incomparable Serra Cafema lodge. Located by the perennially flowing Kunene River, this is a land of striking contrasts, having lush oases, dunes and mountains. It is home to wetland species not found elsewhere in the country and also the nomadic Himba tribe which retain their traditional customs and modes of dress. Finally, you fly to Ongava for superb safaris within their private game reserve and the incomparable Etosha National Park, seeing an extraordinary abundance of game. We confidently predict you will come away stunned by the unimaginable beauty you have witnessed both on the ground and from the air.
Full Itinerary
Arrive Windhoek, and met on arrival. There is the option to go out for a sightseeing tour in the afternoon, or to transfer straight to your comfortable guesthouse and just relax after the journey.
Staying at Olive Grove. Includes Breakfast.
Transfer to the airport and take a charter flight over increasingly beautiful landscapes to the Kulala Reserve in the Namib Desert near Sossusvlei. On arrival visit the Sesriem Canyon or enjoy nature drives in the Kulala Reserve.
Staying at Kulala Desert Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Morning visit to the impressive sand dunes in the Namib Desert, Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. Afternoon at leisure or take another game drive.
Staying at Kulala Desert Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Today enjoy what promises to be the most stunningly beautiful scenic flight of your life, tracking over the Namib Desert sand ‘sea’ to the Atlantic coast, overflying shipwrecks and abandoned diamond mines and seal colonies to Swakopmund. Stop for refuelling, and then continue to fly over the ever-changing geological patterns to Damaraland. Met on arrival and transfer to the lodge. Afternoon to visit the Twyfelfontein rock engravings, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their global historic importance.
Staying at Doro Nawas. Includes All Meals.
A day to enjoy the scenery and wildlife of the Damaraland region. In the morning search for a herd of the uniquely desert adapted elephants in the Aba-Huab River. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided nature walk or spend time relaxing at the lodge and admiring its sensational views.
Staying at Doro Nawas. Includes All Meals.
Take a charter flight to the Palmwag Concession’s Desert Rhino Camp. On arrival enjoy a scenic game drive to the camp in the private Palmwag Concession.
Staying at Desert Rhino Camp. Includes All Meals.
Day of excursions in the Palmwag Concession, searching for wild desert adapted black rhinos. The Palmwag Concession protects the largest population of highly endangered black rhinos left in Africa. Many other iconic desert species could be seen too including elephant, Hartman’s mountain zebra, kudu, springbok, gemsbok and predators including lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena and, if very lucky, the rare and elusive brown hyena.
Staying at Desert Rhino Camp. Includes All Meals.
In the morning take another scenic drive to the airstrip. Catch your charter flight to Serra Cafema, seeing more amazing aerial landscapes. On arrival transfer to the luxury lodge in an open game-viewing vehicle to enjoy the scenery and spot wildlife. There will be an afternoon activity: either a boat ride on the Kunene River or a quad bike excursion into the remote Hartmann Valley.
Staying at Serra Cafema. Includes All Meals.
Day of activities from Serra Cafema lodge which could include exciting game drives into the Hartmann Valley, guided quad bike rides, a boat trip along the Kunene River where huge Nile crocodiles bask on sandbars, or visit a local Himba community for an insight into their ancient way of life, naturally adapted to their harsh desert environment.
Staying at Serra Cafema. Includes All Meals.
Take a charter flight to the Ongava Private Game Reserve. After lunch enjoy a game drive. The private reserve covers an area of 30,000 hectares and is home to a diversity of antelope species such as the attractive gemsbok, kudu, springbok, eland and red hartebeest, as well as mountain and common zebra, giraffe, lion and a population of both black and white rhino – it is very rare to see both together.
Staying at Ongava Tented Camp. Includes All Meals.
Day on safari in Ongava Private Game Reserve and Etosha National Park. The Etosha pan is a large saltpan formed by wind action fringed by trees and bush which supports a great diversity of fauna. The park is known for its large concentrations of game, particularly around waterholes, and the attractive endemic race of black-faced impala and populations of black and white rhino. In the early mornings and towards dusk, sightings of cats, hyenas, jackals, and sometimes even honey badgers are quite regular. There is an extensive list of bird species found in the area, including 10 endemics.
Staying at Ongava Tented Camp. Includes All Meals.
Another day on safari in Ongava Private Game Reserve and Etosha National Park. Time to relax and watch wildlife come to the lodge's waterhole, which could include a pride of lions or an elusive black rhino.
Staying at Ongava Tented Camp. Includes All Meals.
Charter flight to Windhoek airport with assistance provided on arrival to connect with your onward international flight. Depart Namibia.
Includes Breakfast.
Tour Accommodation
Kulala Desert Lodge
Overview
This beautiful lodge has a swimming pool, bar and dining area overlooking the stark desert landscape of the Namib. Each room at Kulala has a rooftop sleeping platform offering guests the unique opportunity to sleep under the stars.
The main building has a restaurant with outside dining options and serves tasty regional and international cuisine. There is also a well-stocked bar, lounge and swimming pool. The accommodation is in private bungalows with private verandas and seating enabling far-reaching views across the desert landscape. The bungalows have thatched roofs, and traditional African cloth décor inside with chairs and a small table.
The lodge sits within the 37,000-hectare private Kulala Wilderness Reserve and offers nature drives in the reserve as well as guided excursions to the dunes of Sossusvlei through Kulala’s exclusive private entrance, allowing you to reach the dunes earlier than other visitors.
If you require a more exclusive ambience, opt for Little Kulala.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, bar, lounge, swimming pool and rooftop platform.
Local Wildlife
The wildlife of this region includes ostrich, springbok, gemsbok ground squirrels and small numbers of bat-eared foxes, black-backed jackals, aardwolf and brown hyenas. Smaller desert adapted wildlife including scorpions, barking geckos, rock hyrax, fascinating insects and unusual plants can be seen, and the area is home to the endemic dune lark.
Optional Activities
An excursion to visit the Sesriem Canyon, impressive sand dunes at Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei and nature drives and walks in the Kulala Wilderness Reserve.
Doro Nawas
Overview
The peaceful Doro Nawas camp is located in the Doro Nawas conservancy in central Damaraland. The camp has been designed to be unobtrusive within its natural rocky environment.
There are 16 private, spacious chalets built of local stone with traditional thatched roofs and outside decks. The comfortable beds can be wheeled onto the patio area to enable guests to sleep under the stars if they wish. All the chalets have private bathrooms with outdoor showers and seating areas. There is no air-conditioning but ceiling fans help to keep the rooms cool and extra duvets are supplied in the cool winter months.
The main building sits atop a rocky outcrop and commands far- reaching views to distant mountains. There is a spacious open dining and lounge area, small library and a staircase to the roof terrace for uninterrupted views of the vast landscape, ideal for sundowners and stargazing.
Activities include visits to the Twyfelfontein UNESCO World Heritage Site to see the largest collection of petroglyphs (prehistoric rock art) in Africa. Other nearby fascinating geological sites include the Petrified Forest, Burnt Mountain and Organ Pipes. Cultural activities include visits to local Damara villages, and the Damara Living Museum showcases the tribe’s traditional culture.
Game drives and walks, night drives and stargazing (there’s a large telescope) are also available. The area is very good for sightings of a unique population of desert adapted elephants that normally roam the area.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Dining room, lounge, bar, swimming pool, rooftop terrace
Local Wildlife
The area is home to desert adapted elephants, giraffes, Hartmann’s mountain zebras, kudu, steenbok, springbok and gemsbok. Bat-eared foxes and black-backed jackals can often be tracked, while black rhino, lion, cheetah and brown hyena are more rarely seen. Bird life includes flocks of rosy-face lovebirds, olive bee-eaters and the range restricted white tailed shrike. Ancient welwitschia plants – Namibia’s national plant, which is actually a tree although it only grows around a foot tall – that can live to be 2000 years old, can also be seen in the area.
Optional Activities
Visits to Twyfelfontein petroglyphs, Burnt Mountain, Organ Pipes, Petrified Forest and cultural activities. Game drives and walks, night drives and stargazing are also available.
Desert Rhino Camp
Overview
One of our top Namibia favourites, Desert Rhino Camp is a wonderfully remote camp committed to conserving highly endangered, desert adapted black rhinos. The camp is remotely located in the private, 450,000-hectare, arid and rocky Palmwag Concession. There are eight raised Meru-style canvas tents with private verandahs looking across the valley to the Etendeka Mountains. Each walk-in tent has a private bathroom, comfortable bed with mosquito net and simple furnishings.
The main tented dining and lounge area is elevated with visibility at the sides providing panoramic views. There is a small swimming pool, outside sun deck and fire pit where evening meals are taken.
Set in a remote part of Damaraland, the camp is ideally situated for exploration on game drives and nature walks, with the tracking of desert adapted black rhino on foot the highlight of any stay. The flora is also of interest, especially the abundance of welwitschia mirabilis, officially a tree but having no trunk, which grows directly out of the ground and is the national plant of Namibia.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Dining room, lounge, bar, swimming pool,
Local Wildlife
Desert adapted black rhino tracking is the most exciting wildlife activity. The rhino can be reliably tracked due to the knowledge of the local guides. Guests usually walk from the vehicle and watch the rhino on foot, adding extra frisson to the occasion. Other wildlife in the area includes giraffe, gemsbok, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, steenbok, elephant, lion, cheetah and bat-eared fox. The bird life is surprisingly good with Ruppell’s bustard, ostrich and various birds of prey being common sightings.
Optional Activities
Game drives, walks and rhino tracking.
Serra Cafema
Overview
Serra Cafema is a remote, luxurious safari camp on the banks of the flowing Kunene River in the remote Hartmann Valley of the northwest. The river marks the border with Angola, so you can’t go much further north in Namibia. The accommodation is in eight elegant thatched, canvas-sided villas offering plenty of space with living area, private bathroom, ceiling fan and mosquito net. The villas have smart traditional décor inspired by the local Himba people and an outside raised decking area, ideal for relaxing after a day of desert exploration.
The main building has both indoor and outdoor dining tables, a comfortable lounge and small library and local craft shop. There is a communal decking area with a small swimming pool with far reaching views down the river valley. Families can be catered for and there is also a special honeymoon suite with outstanding river views.
The lodge is one of the remotest in Namibia – indeed, in southern Africa – and enables deep exploration of the wilderness of the Namib Desert. Many excursions are offered as part of a stay at the lodge including visits to the local Himba settlements, birding walks, four-wheel drive and quad biking safaris across the vast sand dunes, and boat trips along the Kunene River in search of birds, baboons and large Nile crocodiles (you might even embark briefly on the Angolan side for snacks, but no need for your passport).
A speciality of the lodge is its al fresco breakfast atop rocky outcrops with unforgettable views across the desert landscape. Guided walks in the Marienfluss Mountains in search of the fascinating Namaqua chameleon are also available.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Dining room, lounge, ceiling fans, library, swimming pool, mosquito net and sun deck
Local Wildlife
The Kunene River is the only source of permanent water in the region and therefore much of the wildlife is concentrated in and around it. Springbok, gemsbok, Nile crocodile, water monitor lizard and a good diversity of birds including the goliath heron, Burchell's courser and Benguela long-billed lark. In the surrounding desert are found cape fox and specialist reptiles such as agama and desert plated lizards, horned adders and the Namaqua chameleon.
Optional Activities
Game drives, quad biking and walks across the Namib Desert and boat trips along the Kunene River. Visits to the local Himba tribes and romantic meals with magnificent desert views are also available.
Ongava Tented Camp
Overview
Ongava Tented Camp is an elegant, intimate lodge set amidst a wildlife-rich patch of mopane woodland in the Ongava Private Game Reserve adjoining Etosha National Park.
Accommodation is in 8 large and neutral coloured Meru-style tents with comfortable beds and private bathrooms including an outdoor shower. There is a private outdoor decking area for each tent with seating for relaxing and watching wildlife coming and going from the nearby waterhole.
The main building is an attractive stone, canvas and thatch construction with well-stocked bar, sitting and dining area. There is a communal decking area with sun loungers and small swimming pool overlooking the waterhole, where a selection of herbivores including kudu, zebra, giraffe, waterbuck, springbok and even white rhino come to quench their thirst. Lions also appear from time to time.
The camp can accommodate 16 people and there is a separate tent for families that sleeps an additional four. Activities at the camp include game drives and walks in Ongava Game Reserve and within the nearby Etosha National Park. Tracking of white rhino on foot with guides is one of the more exhilarating experiences. There is a motion sensitive camera set up at the waterhole to allow visitors to see what wildlife has visited during the night.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, outdoor showers, ceiling fans, swimming pool.
Local Wildlife
The Ongava Private Game Reserve is one of the few places in Africa where guests can reliably see both black and white rhinos. The Ongava Reserve and nearby Etosha National Park are home to 114 species of mammal including lion, leopard, African wildcat, spotted hyena, bat-eared fox, aardwolf, honey badger, elephant, springbok, kudu, Damara dik dik and the elegant black faced impala. All of 340 bird species occur in the area including 14 Namibian endemics, and there are reptiles such as Etosha agamas and the rare Anchieta's dwarf python.
Optional Activities
Game drives and walks, rhino tracking and evening sundowner drives, during which snacks and drinks are served.
Olive Grove Guesthouse
Overview
Olive Grove is a lovely welcoming guesthouse situated close to Windhoek’s city centre in the quiet, peaceful suburb of Eros. The alfresco dining terrace, Jacuzzi, plunge pool and broad verandas invite you to unwind and relax under Namibia’s open skies. Facilities also include a comfortable lounge with guest internet, and the emphasis is one of simplicity and elegance.
The guesthouse was refurbished not long ago to provide an upmarket but homely atmosphere with stylish and colourful rooms. There are five standard and five luxury rooms and one suite, all with private bathrooms, satellite TV, mini bar, and a room safe.
The only difference between the standard and luxury rooms is that the former are closer to the reception area and thus a little less quiet and private.
Good buffet breakfasts are served, and lunch and dinner options are available. An award-winning chef prepares the meals, which feature traditional Namibian cuisine made with fresh, local produce.
The guesthouse provides massage services and there is a small swimming pool with sun terrace and bar service. Other facilities include laundry, free Wi-Fi, lounge and bar.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, swimming pool, massage service, lounge and bar, free Wi-Fi, laundry service, TV, room safe and mini bar.
Optional Activities
Massage; city tours of Windhoek.
Route Map
Departure Dates
Travel Information
Are International Flights Included?
No. Please contact us for a quote if required.
Best Visited:
January to January
Are you ATOL Registered?
Yes. This means we are legally able to book your international flights in conjunction with your ground arrangements so you can book with us with complete confidence. Read more about our ATOL license here.
Alan Godwin
Area Specialist
Make sure you have your camera to hand on each and every flight to capture the surreal range of landscapes.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
Beautiful country with a wide range of opportunities on offer – wildlife viewing, varied scenery, culture and memorable sunsets. The colours, shapes and shadows of Deadvlei at dawn will stay with me forever. Very helpful and informative discussions with Alan Godwin before booking. Everyone in country did their bit at the right time in the right place. I felt very well looked after. The care and attention to detail was outstanding and this helped me to relax and enjoy the experience and enabled me to begin to make new but different memories.
