Highlights of Namibia Fly-In (High Season) Safari Tour

This morning guests will be transferred from their hotel in Windhoek city and they will be met by their pilot at the Windhoek Eros airport from where they fly north to the edge of the Etosha National Park, landing at the airstrip of Mokuti Lodge. Road transfer to the lodge will be provided, if time permits, a game drive into Etosha is included.

Mushara Outpost is another addition to the Mushara Collection of exquisite accommodation establishments, situated just 10 km from the Von Lindequist Gate of world-famous Etosha National Park. The ambiance is similar to that of a well lived-in house: friendly and extremely comfortable with a light feel to it.

Today you will join the AM and PM game drives into the Etosha National Park, entry fees included. Mushara’s experienced and enthusiastic guides will embellish you with their intricate knowledge of the Etosha pan, the flora and fauna and the diverse animal species you will encounter. The park covers an area of 22,270 km² and is home to dozens of mammal and reptile species, several amphibian species, more than 300 bird species and even one species of fish. The 4,731 km² salt pan, the largest of its kind in Africa, is the centre piece of the park.

Before flying out to Damaraland, enjoy the AM last game drive in Etosha National Park and then fly to Damaraland in the Twyfelfontein area. The Damaraland is characterised by its rocky and rugged landscapes of rough, fascinating beauty. This region is home to the people of the Damara language group, thus the old name “Damaraland”, which today is only used in tourism and as geographical classification.

The breath-taking mountainous region of Damaraland is home to an assortment of desert-adapted wildlife such as elephant, rhino, zebra and lion, which eke out an existence in this near-barren landscape. A not-to-be-missed attraction is the picturesque Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain, which is home to thousands of ancient rock paintings – most notably the White Lady. The rocky outcrops of Twyfelfontein feature exceptional Bushmen engravings, which are considered to be some of the best-preserved etchings on the continent. Visit the Petrified Forest, which dates back millions of years and offers a haunting landscape of gigantic fossilised trees.

An early start to see the highlights of Damaraland – one of the last true wilderness areas in Africa. Enjoy th AM and PM activities include a visit to Namibia’s “open air museum’, the Twyfelfontein petroglyphs and bushman paintings, Burnt Mountain as well as the interesting Organ Pipes rock formations. To add, a river drive to look for the desert adapted elephants is included

After breakfast you will fly south to the Namib Desert and en-route we make a stop over in the charming coastal town of Swakopmund to re-fuel the aircraft. Swakopmund resembles a small, German coastal resort nestled between the desert and the sea. It boasts a charming combination of German colonial architecture blended with modern hotels, shops, restaurants, museums, craft centres, galleries and cafés. Swakopmund had its beginnings as a landing station in 1892 when the German Imperial Navy erected beacons on the site. Settlers followed and made attempts to create a harbor town by constructing a concrete Mole and then an iron jetty – which attempts were ultimately unsuccessful.

The advent of World War one halted developments, and the town sank into decline until half a century later when infrastructure improved and an asphalt road opened between Windhoek and Swakopmund. This made reaching the previously isolated town quicker and easier and it prospered once again to become Namibia’s premier resort town. Although the sea is normally cold for swimming there are pleasant beaches and the cooler climate is refreshing after time spent in the desert.

We proceed with a Scenic flight along the Skeleton Coast and the Namib Dunes to the landing strip close to the Namib Naukluft Park, a road transfer to the lodge will be available for us upon landing. You can just relax and soak in the scenic and tranquil surroundings at the lodge

This morning you will need to rise early for a magical excursion with your guide in the Namib Naukluft National Park by a 4WD vehicle, normally setting off before sunrise to capture the dunes whilst the light is soft and shadows accentuate the towering shapes and curves. This area boasts some of the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world and your guide will give you an insight on the formation of the Namib Desert and its myriad of fascinating creatures and plants that have adapted to survive these harsh environs.

Once you have explored Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and surrounding dune fields to your heart’s content you visit Sesriem Canyon before driving back to the Lodge. Sesriem Canyon has evolved through centuries of erosion by the Tsauchab River which has incised a narrow gorge about 1.5 km long and 30 meters deep into the surrounding conglomerates, exposing the varying layers of sedimentation deposited over millions of years. The shaded cool depths of the canyon allow pools of water to gather during the rainy season and remain for much of the year round. These pools were a vital source of water for early settlers who drew water for their livestock by knotting six (ses) lengths of rawhide thongs (riems) together, hence the canyon and surrounding area became known as Sesriem.

Sossusvlei: This most frequently visited section of the massive 50,000 km² Namib Naukluft National Park has become known as Sossusvlei, famous for its towering apricot coloured sand dunes which can be reached by following the Tsauchab River valley. Sossusvlei itself is actually a clay pan set amidst these star shaped dunes which stand up to 300 meters above the surrounding plains, ranking them among the tallest dunes on earth.

The deathly white clay pan contrasts against the orange sands and forms the endpoint of the ephemeral Tsauchab River, within the interior of the Great Sand Sea. The river course rises south of the Naukluft Mountains in the Great Escarpment. It penetrates the sand sea for some 55 km before it finally peters out at Sossusvlei, about the same distance from the Atlantic Ocean. Until the encroaching dunes blocked its course around 60,000 years ago, the Tsauchab River once reached the sea; as ephemeral rivers still do in the northern half of the Namib. The rest of the afternoon is at your leisure (from experience, this is usually welcomed after an exhilarating morning in the dunes) or A PM after a rest, a late afternoon nature/dune drive is planned.

After a leisurely breakfast you fly back to Windhoek’s Eros Airport, over the Namib Naukluft Mountain range and upon arrival at Eros Airport it’s where this amazing Fly-In trip ends. Pre and post accommodation with airport transfers can be arrange by us upon request.