NAMIBIA - Fly-In Safaris

7 Days / 6 Nights - Flying Namibia

ITINERARY:

Day1
Monday
Fish River Canyon
This morning you will be collected from your accommodation by a company representative and transferred to Eros Airport where you will be briefed on your tour.
Departing Eros Airport, your journey heads south across the magnificent Mountain range towards the far south of Namibia. From a birds-eye view enjoy the Hardap Dam, the extinct Brukarros Volcano and the vast intriguing plains of the south.
With the construction of the Hardap Dam in 1962, irrigation farming on a considerable scale was introduced to the Mariental area causing an upswing for the town. Nowadays, mainly melons, lucerne, wine and maize are being cultivated below the dam. The Hardap Dam is the biggest of its kind in Namibia with a water surface area of about 25 sqkms and an 862 metre long dam wall. It dams up the waters of the Fish River, the only river in the country's interior that flows just about all year round, although carrying very low quantities of water during the dry season.
Your destination is the magnificent Fish River Canyon which took millions of years to evolve and lies at the lower reaches of Namibia’s longest river, the Fish River.
Accommodation: Canon Lodge

Day2
Tuesday
Sossusvlei
After breakfast depart the lodge on an excursion to the second largest canyon in the world, the Fish River. Situated along the lower reaches of the Fish River, is one of the most impressive natural beauties in the southern part of Namibia. It developed predominantly during the pluvial times - a rainy climatic epoch - many millions of years ago. With a depth of up to 550 metres, the enormous gorge meanders along a distance of approx. 160 kilometres through the fissured Koubis massif all the way down to Ai-Ais. The canyon starts near Seeheim, is 161 kilometres long and ends at Ai-Ais. The Fish River Canyon probably formed about 500 million years ago. However, the gorge was not only created by water erosion, but also through the collapse of the valley bottom due to movements in the earth's crust.
Returning to the aircraft a scenic flight takes you over the steep and winding gorges of the Canyon before flying over the fascinating landscapes of the pro-Namib. Sossusvlei is the top destination in the Southern Region with its monumental dunes, the highest of which has been measure from its base as being 300m.
Accommodation: Le Mirage Desert Lodge & Spa

Day 3
Wednesday
Swakopmund
An early start from the Lodge to enter the Namib-Naukluft Park at sunrise, while the temperature is still mild and when the dune contrasts are at their best. You will travel in one of our all-terrain URI Game-viewer vehicles, custom-built in Namibia for the Lodge, with your own specially trained guide who will share all his knowledge of the area, the animals, the plant life and much more with you. Regular stops are made on the ±60 kilometre drive down to the Vlei to gain information or take in the vistas. At Dune 45, the more energetic have the opportunity to climb to the upper ridge of the world's most photographed dune. Further along, a gradual 2,6 kilometre round-trip walk up to Dead Vlei is a must for the healthy visitors.
Sossusvlei and Sesriem present one of the most spectacular images of Namibia. Sesriem means 'six thongs' and refers to the Sesriem canyon, the water at the bottom of which could be reached by lowering a bucket on a length of six leather Oxon thongs. Sesriem Canyon is located close to the Sossusvlei National Park campsite and is a relatively small but very interesting area to visit.
Sossusvlei literally means 'saucer pan' and is a shallow, dry pan located 60km from the campsite and surrounded by high, red coloured dunes shaped into spectacular forms. In occasional years of high rainfall, the pan is flooded with a shallow layer of fresh water, causing the desert to bloom and photographers to flock to the area. Here the sand is at its reddest and the dunes are higher than anywhere else in the Namib, some climbing up to 300m high. Sunset and sunrise are spectacular and it is well worth exploring the area at this time of day to experience the fantastic colours and light which floods the desert landscape. Guided walking trails can be arranged in this area as well as the nearby extensive and beautiful Namib Rand Nature Reserve.
Spend time in Sossusvlei before returning to the airstrip for your onward flight to Namibia’s premier holiday resort of Swakopmund. Once airborne your flight takes us over the sand dunes to the Atlantic Ocean and on to Swakopmund Airport, a short transfer takes you to your hotel.
In 1884, South West Africa – the future Namibia – was declared a German Protectorate. By 1907 Swakopmund had the largest European population of any German colony in Africa, the town pulsated with life – a quaint town had emerged out of the desert! Today this curious desert town, nestled between the dunes and the ocean is perfectly situated to spend a few days relaxing in the cool climate, browsing through the galleries, bookshops, craft markets and jewellers. Take part in adrenaline sports; view the dunes from balloon, aircraft or parachute; get close up to our marine life – on foot, by boat or kayak. Explore the desert with expert guides; wander through the town to admire the beautiful architecture or relax and soak up the ambience of the quaint desert town.
Accommodation: Hansa Hotel

Day 4
Thursday
Skeleton Coast / Damaraland
A short road transfer takes you to Walvis Bay where you embark on a Marine Cruise which provides us with a glimpse of Namibia's only deep-sea harbour, encounters with aquatic birds and Cape fur seals, and the opportunity of sighting bottlenose and heavy-side dolphins, the latter a species endemic to the coast of south-western Africa. Namibian oysters, counted amongst the best in the world, canapés and chilled sparkling wine from South Africa as well as soft drinks are served on board during this leisurely cruise.
Hereafter your charter flight takes us north along the Skeleton Coast, fly over the seal colony at Cape Cross, shipwrecks, the Messum Crater and the riverbeds of Namibia's ephemeral watercourses to Damaraland.
The 'Skeleton Coast' has a reputation for being remote, inhospitable and steeped in an eerie history. Many ships have run aground on this coast over time, and these ships 'skeletons' can still be seen lying forlorn and rusting along the beaches. Unfortunately the desolate nature of the coastline meant that any sailor lucky enough to survive the shipwreck had a very slim chance of survival once on land. The lack of food, water and shelter would have provided scant comfort for any budding Robinson Crusoe. The relatively inaccessible Skeleton Coast National Park runs along the northern coastal area of Namibia, from Swakopmund all the way to the Angolan border.
Accommodation: Twyfelfontein Country Lodge

Day 5
Friday & Saturday
Etosha National Park
This morning you venture off on an excursion to a site regarded as one of the richest collections of rock engravings in Africa, Twyfelfontein.
The name means 'doubtful fountain' and is so called due to the unreliable water supply. It is yet another example of Namibia's stunning scenery and also contains what is said to be the largest collection of rock art in Southern Africa. The majority of art consists of rock etchings made by using stone chisels to cut through the hard outer crust of the local sandstone. Most of the work dates back around 6000 years and was probably undertaken by San hunters. Many of the huge boulders used as a surface for these ancient pieces of art have subsequently moved from their original resting places and it is quite possible that many more etchings lie beneath rocks overturned by thousands of years of natural disturbance.
After a transfer back to the airstrip a short flight brings you to your overnight accommodation at a private lodge bordering the Etosha National Park. At the Lodge & Spa you can spend time relaxing in the lounge overlooking the waterhole or be rejuvenated by stress-relieving therapies in the Spa (optional). Various activities can be undertaken on the Reserve including guided walks and horse riding (optional).
Accommodation: Eagle Tented Lodge & Spa

Day 6
Sunday
Etosha National Park
After breakfast you depart the lodge by safari vehicle and enter Etosha National Park at the southern, Andersson Gate, for a full day game drive through the park.
One of the world's pre-eminent wildlife areas, at the turn of the century the governor of then German South West Africa proclaimed an area of nearly 100000 square kilometres as a game reserve - until modern times, the largest reserve on earth. Present day Etosha National Park was pared down due to political considerations in the 1960's and is now a modest but still very impressive 23175 square kilometres in extent.
A vast area on Namibia's central plateau, a haven for 93 mammal species and 340 bird species, the park's focal point is the Etosha Pan - a flat saline desert, 130 km long by 50km at its widest in the eastern sector of the park.
The Pan itself is believed to have originated over 12 million years ago as a shallow lake fed by the Kunene River. Subsequent climatic and tectonic changes have since lowered the water level so that the pan only holds water for a brief period each year - it teems with flamingos and pelicans in the summer. The saline and mineral residues together with moisture from perennial springs attract an immense number and variety of game and birds from mid March into November just before the new wet season starts.
Etosha is known for its endemic species of impala, the black faced variety and is said to have the tallest elephants in Africa, measuring up to 4m at the shoulder. The park is also well recognised as being one of the last wild sanctuaries of the endangered black rhino.
Accommodation: Eagle Tented Lodge & Spa

Day 7
Return to Windhoek
After a leisurely breakfast you board the aircraft for the final flight back to Windhoek. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel from the Eros Airport.
END OF SERVICES

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