Firstly, what is a fly-in safari? Well, a fly-in safari makes use of light aircraft to transfer you between locations within a safari destination, saving you time when you move between attractions so that you can see and do more on your vacation. The other great thing about flying between locations is that you gain an aerial overview of the landscapes you will explore on the ground. Expect spectacular panoramas and a better understanding of the wilderness you journey through. As your guide highlights the majestic mountains encircling the region or the expansive plains stretching endlessly, your aerial perspective grants you a complete and comprehensive view.

A fly-in safari usually makes use of light aircraft, including single prop planes, and dirt landing strips – so it can be pretty exciting! Some planes, like ones in the Masai Mara, may have up to 38 seats, but most will be small 4-16 seaters, with your pilot sitting with you. It can feel more like a minibus than a plane. But for most safari travellers, a fly-in safari has an added layer of thrill to the obvious advantages of seeing and doing more in less time.

What is a Namibian fly-in safari like?

Namibia is an achingly beautiful country with a haunting, otherworldly landscape. One of the ultimate advantages of a fly-in safari, is the opportunity to access remote and inaccessible areas, that are not easily reachable by road and Scintilla’s Luxury Namibia Fly-in and Privately Guided Safari (include link) grants you the best of both worlds! Bird’s eye views of the great sand sea of Sossusvlei and the desolate Skeleton Coast, including flying over shipwrecks, deserted mining camps and seal colonies, before going on to have your own professional and experienced naturalist safari guide, accompany you through the northern reaches of Namibia. This combination offers a wide variety of experiences in some of the most iconic locations in the country while ensuring it’s a stress-free journey of discovery.

Your seven-day safari starts by exploring the famous red sand dunes of Sossusvlei, the highest in the world, and the Namib Desert’s main attraction. The first flight of your trip will take you from Windhoek over the central highlands of Namibia before descending over The Namib Desert to land at the Sossusvlei Desert Lodge airstrip. You’ll have two days to enjoy many of the activities offered by the lodge.

Day three will see you take a light aircraft flight north up to Onduli Ridge for a two-night stay in Damaraland. This flight includes flying over the Namib Sand Sea, the only coastal desert in the world that includes extensive dune fields influenced by fog, seal colonies along the Atlantic Ocean, abandoned diamond camps and Walvis Bay lagoon and salt works. A highlight is a flight over the Eduard Bohlen, a German cargo ship that ran aground in 1909 while it was on its way to Table Bay from Swakopmund. Years after the ship ran aground the desert began to encroach on the ocean and the ship that was once stranded in the ocean slowly became stranded in the desert. The wreck currently sits about 500 metres from the ocean, ensuring that it’s the best-preserved shipwreck along Namibia’s Skeleton Coast.

Your two days in Damaraland will be a time of relaxation mixed with exploration. Damaraland is typified by displays of colour, magnificent table-topped mountains, rock formations and bizarre-looking vegetation. The present-day landscape has been formed by the erosion of wind, water and geological forces which have formed rolling hills, dunes, gravel plains and ancient river terraces. It is the variety and loneliness of the area that forms a striking impression on all visitors.

Day five will see you venture deeper north, into the heart of Damaraland and towards Etosha National Park, one of Africa’s iconic reserves, and one of the easiest, safest and most rewarding big game destinations in Southern Africa.

Etosha National Park, translated as the ‘Place of Mirages’, is made up of saline depressions or ‘pans’. The largest of these pans, the Etosha Pan, can be classified as a saline desert in its own right. The Etosha Pan lies in the Owambo Basin, on the north-western edge of the Namibian Kalahari Desert. It’s home to fascinating wildlife behaviour and the scenes around the pans are amongst the best in Africa. It’s a fantastic national park and the perfect way to wrap up your dream Namibian safari.

For an authentic and awe-inspiring African wilderness experience, Botswana is an absolute must-visit If you’d like to find out more about what a fly-in safari has to offer, or what a Namibian fly-in safari entails, then please get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have.