Fly-In Classic Namibia

Explore the iconic Sossusvlei clay pan, located within the Namib Desert, during your stay at Hoodia Desert Lodge. Before sunrise, your naturalist guide will pick you up from the lodge in a 4×4 vehicle. Enter the Namib-Naukluft National Park through the Sesriem Gate. Then, traverse the silty Tsauchab River bed while keeping an eye out for wildlife such as springbok, oryx and ostriches. As you journey through desert tracks, your guide will offer insights into the region’s fauna, geology and fragile ecology. Continue with a hike into the Deadvlei, a white clay pan famous for its skeletal camel thorn trees and framed by some of the world’s highest sand dunes. After exploring the neighboring Sossusvlei pan, take a break for tea. Next, drive toward Elim Dune. Here, enjoy a picnic lunch paired with cold beverages and panoramic views. Finally, stop to explore the Sesriem Canyon before returning to the lodge. In the evening, embark on an intimate sunset experience. Your driver will pick you up from the lodge and drive you to a secluded vantage point at the top one of the hills. Soak in spectacular views across the desert landscape. Sit at a well-laid-out table for snacks and sundowners as the sun dips below the horizon and the dunes turn a fiery crimson. Savor the silence of dusk before returning to the lodge. (Duration: full day; Time: 0630 hrs; Shared activity & transfers; Group size: max 9 ppl; Travel time to activity: 1.5 hrs; Entry fees included; Meals included: picnic lunch, snacks & beverages; Please inform us of any food allergies in advance; Fitness level: easy; Please wear hiking boots and carry sunscreen, sunglasses, hat & binoculars; Please note that activities are subject to weather conditions; The sundowner experience is in the evening)

Discover the Namibian desert landscape in the waning light of the sun, on this enjoyable nature drive. Settle into a comfortable open 4WD as you drive to the heart of the Namib Desert. Keep an eye out for endemic species of flora and fauna as your knowledgeable guide shares anecdotes about the region. Take in gorgeous views of the sunset, while you sip on a refreshing drink. After you enjoy this unforgettable sight to your heart’s content and capture splendid images, head back to the lodge. (Duration: half day; Shared activity; Group size: max 6 guests; Meals included: sundowner)

Explore the red sand dunes and clay pan of the Sossusvlei region within Namib-Naukluft National Park. Early in the morning, set off from the lodge in a 4WD and drive across the dramatic landscape dominated by lofty sand dunes. At landmark Dune 45, get out of the vehicle and walk to the top to take in splendid views as day breaks. After, continue driving across the salt and clay pan and keep an eye out for small wildlife species such as oryxes, geckos and snakes that inhabit the area. Stop at Big Daddy, considered the tallest dune in the region, and make your way up to the ridge to take in the view. Next on your itinerary is Deadvlei, where the white clay pan and petrified acacia trees make for a striking contrast against the ochre dunes. Take a break from exploring to relish a picnic lunch in the shade with the shifting sands stretching around you. After, return to the lodge with cherished memories. (Duration: 6hrs; Time: 0630 hrs; Shared activity & transfers; Group size: max 9 ppl; Meals included: picnic lunch; Please inform us of any food allergies in advance; Fitness level: moderate, please note that people with physical limitations can participate as long as they have someone to provide assistance; Entry fees included; Please wear comfortable hiking boots and carry sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, binoculars and a camera)

Explore the untamed and the wild with elephant drives across Damaraland, one of the most iconic regions of Namibia. The region surrounding the camp is home to nearly 600 desert-dwelling elephants that have adapted their lifestyles to survive the harshness of the sun-blistered landscape. Set out on open vehicles to find these magnificent beasts in one of their last remaining habitats. The drives last for four to six hours in the morning. Other excursions include driving to the wonderful rocky outcrop of the Twyfelfontein in the afternoon. Pass by some of the other well-known and unique features of this region, such as the Organ Pipes, Burnt Mountain, and the Bushman’s engravings.

Set out on self-driven vehicles to do your own exploring, or join guided activities for that added comfort. Guided nature drives over the rugged terrain of Damaraland last for four to six hours, primarily in pursuit of desert-adapted wild elephants. Feast your eyes on the last remaining giant beasts in their natural environment. You may get lucky and encounter a rare black rhino during the guided morning drives. Visit the famous and outstanding rock engravings at Twyfelfontein in the afternoon on an excursion that also encompasses the Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes – fantastic geological formations of eons ago.

Picture yourself in a 4×4 following the tracks of an endangered white rhino. All of a sudden, this majestic animal appears before you in the early morning light, ears twitching and tail flicking. That’s the kind of wildlife experience that awaits you on game drives in Etosha Height Private Game Reserve, one of the largest private reserves in Namibia. Sharing a border with Etosha National Park, it offers 230 square miles of savannah peppered with mopane woodlands, riverine forest and waterholes that are magnets for animals. Antelope such as kudu and springbok are common. Keep your camera ready in case you spot elephants strolling through the trees. The herds of antelope mean predators can’t be far behind, so keep your eyes peeled for lions and leopards. As the sun sets, you might get the chance to watch rhinos drinking at a waterhole. Bush meals and picnics can be arranged with advance notice. (Duration: 4 hrs; Game drives are conducted in the mornings and late afternoons; shared activity with other guests; Fitness Level: Moderate; Meal: Bush meals or Picnic lunch on request; Please bring good walking shoes, light colored clothing, warm clothes for morning drives; Please inform us of any food allergies in advance)

Grab your camera and stay alert for wildlife sighting on morning and afternoon game drives in Etosha Heights Private Game Reserve. Covering 60,000 hectares bordering the Etosha National Park, the reserve encompasses a vast, dusty savannah interspersed with thickets of mopane woodland, riverine forest, and salt pans. Spend your morning tracking white and black rhino, potentially culminating in a face-to-horn meeting that you won’t soon forget. The reserve is also home to numerous species of antelope such as kudu and sable, which naturally attract predators such as lions, cheetahs and leopards. In the winter, or dry season, animals congregate near a few waterholes, making for fantastic and relatively easy sightings. If you are lucky, you may spot the elusive aardvark. Summer brings rain, and even though rainfall is sparse in this region, the land explodes in shades of green. This make game-viewing a little harder but provides a more spectacular natural backdrop. Access to the reserve is carefully restricted, guaranteeing an exclusive safari experience. (Duration: 4 hrs; Game drives are conducted in the mornings and late afternoons; shared activity with other guests; Fitness Level: Moderate; Please bring good walking shoes, light colored clothing, warm clothes for morning drives; Meal: Bush Meals or Picnic lunch on Request; Please inform us of any food allergies in advance)