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FROM US$4,380-US$5,620

Dune Lark Fly & Drive Safari

A combination fly-in self-drive exploration of Namibia, with quick, easy and scenic flights in and out of Sossusvlei before a classic road trip adventure of the country’s rugged north.

Dune Lark Fly & Drive Safari: Summary

Dune Lark Fly & Drive in a nutshell

This two-week trip offers the best of both worlds – the ease and time saved of a fly-in safari with the freedom, value and adventure of a proper Namibian self-drive.

After a night in Windhoek, take a light aircraft out to the Namib-Naukluft and stay two nights at Hoodia Desert Lodge. The lodge's setting and the flight in are stunning enough but the full day exploring the famous towering dunes surrounding Sossusvlei and Deadvlei are the real highlight.

Flying back to the capital, pick up your rental car for the drive north through the Central Highlands to Ai Aiba Lodge, which is a great base for hiking. Continue into Damaraland to Ozondjou Trails where you can meet the local community and spend a full day with a guide from NGO Elephant-Human Relations Aid (EHRA) in search of desert-adapted elephants and learn about how they’re mitigating human-wildlife conflict in the region.

Stop at the spectacularly situated Grootberg Lodge to track free-roaming black rhinos and take in the views, then it’s onward to Etosha National Park for two nights each at Hobatere Lodge and Halali Camp. Hobatere has its own reserve to be discovered on game drives and walks, while Halali, situated inside the park, is a perfect start point for self-guided drives skirting Etosha’s huge salt pan. The camp’s floodlit waterhole attracts an incredible array of wildlife and is not to be missed at night.

On the way back to Windhoek, enjoy your final two nights in the Okonjima Nature Reserve, home of the AfriCat Foundation, which works to rehabilitate Namibia's threatened carnivores like leopard and cheetah.

At a glance

Starts: Windhoek International Airport
1 night Elegant Guesthouse - Windhoek, Namibia Bed & Breakfast
2 nights Hoodia Desert Lodge - Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia Half Board
2 nights Ai Aiba Lodge - Central Highlands, Namibia Half Board
2 nights Ozondjou Trails - Damaraland, Namibia Full Board & Activities
1 night Grootberg Lodge - Damaraland, Namibia Half Board
2 nights Hobatere Lodge - Etosha National Park, Namibia Half Board
2 nights Halali Camp - Etosha National Park, Namibia Bed & Breakfast
2 nights Okonjima Plains Camp - Okonjima Nature Reserve, Namibia Half Board
Ends: Windhoek International Airport

Elegant Guesthouse

Day 1

The Elegant Guesthouse is a relatively simple but stylish owner-run guesthouse situated in the residential area of Klein Windhoek. It's just a few minutes' drive from the shops, restaurants and other attractions of central Windhoek.

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Hoodia Desert Lodge

Days 2-4

Set at the foot of the Namib-Naukluft Mountains, Hoodia Desert Lodge overlooks the ephemeral Tsauchab River. It was opened in 2008 by owner-managers Thomas and Henreza Becker, an easy 22km drive to Sesriem, the gateway to Sossusvlei. The name comes from the flowering cactus, which dots the surrounding plains that seem to go on forever.

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Ai Aiba Lodge

Days 4-6

Nestled at the foot of a granite kopje, Ai Aiba has enviable views of Namibia's Erongo Mountains. The surrounding area hides a high concentration of Bushman rock art, leading to the camp’s alternative name, The Rock Painting Lodge. Over 200 sites have been recorded here, some thought to be over 2,000 years old and many in excellent condition. The area’s rolling hills and rugged terrain are also well-known for hiking.

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Ozondjou Trails

Days 6-8

Ozondjou Trails is nestled among the hills of southern Damaraland, not far from the mighty Brandberg Mountain. Opened in September 2016, it was the first permanent camp from a team with a strong history of running excellent mobile safaris across Namibia. The camp’s name is derived from a Herero word for “elephant”: apt given its proximity to the NGO, Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA). Staying here not only affords the opportunity to learn about and see the area’s desert-adapted pachyderms, but also benefits them by supporting EHRA projects including education programmes and efforts to mitigate human–wildlife conflict.

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Grootberg Lodge

Day 8

Grootberg Lodge is located on a large private concession in the remote northwest of Namibia, part way between Damaraland and Etosha National Park. Perched on the edge of the Etendeka Plateau, Grootberg has some of the most spectacular views of any lodge in Namibia – and a range of activities from rhino-tracking to walks and interactions with the local communities.

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Hobatere Lodge

Days 9-11

Situated between Damaraland and Namibia’s Etosha National Park, but somewhat off the obvious route, Hobatere Lodge was re-opened under community ownership in April 2015, having been closed for some years. The lodge is set on its own 88km² concession, and is approximately 18km from the Galton Gate into the west of the park.

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Halali Camp

Days 11-13

Strategically located alongside the middle of Etosha Pan, Halali Resort has its own floodlit waterhole. One of five erstwhile government restcamps and lodges inside Etosha National Park, it stands beside one of the park's very few hills in Etosha. It's also the smallest and quietest of the original restcamps – although it's still much larger than most camps in Namibia.

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Okonjima Plains Camp

Days 13-15

Okonjima Plains Camp is the most affordable place to stay within the 220km² private Okonjima Nature Reserve. Designed to reflect its cattle-farming origins, it opened in 2014, replacing the first lodge on the farm, Okonjima Main Camp, which had been converted from the original Hanssen family farmhouse. Predators, most notably leopard, roam across 220km² of plains and rolling hills, their presence underpinned by the work of the AfriCat Foundation, which was set up to conserve and protect Namibia's wildlife, focusing primarily on carnivores.

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Elegant Guesthouse

Elegant Guesthouse

Windhoek, Namibia

Hoodia Desert Lodge

Hoodia Desert Lodge

Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Ai Aiba Lodge

Ai Aiba Lodge

Central Highlands, Namibia

Ozondjou Trails

Ozondjou Trails

Damaraland, Namibia

Grootberg Lodge

Grootberg Lodge

Damaraland, Namibia

Hobatere Lodge

Hobatere Lodge

Etosha National Park, Namibia

Halali Camp

Halali Camp

Etosha National Park, Namibia

Okonjima Plains Camp

Okonjima Plains Camp

Okonjima Nature Reserve, Namibia

About image

Highlights

Our thoughts on five of the top experiences of this Dune Lark Fly & Drive Safari.

  • A spectacular scenic flight to Sossusvlei
  • Track desert elephants with a specialist guide
  • Track free-roaming black rhino from Grootberg Lodge
  • Spot wildlife at Halali's waterhole
  • Enjoy hikes, drives & safaris in diverse landscapes

Activities

Some activities which can be included in the Dune Lark Fly & Drive Safari: talk to us about those which interest you.

  • 4WD Safari

  • Birdwatching

  • Cultural excursion

  • Guided walking safari

  • Helicopter

  • Hot air ballooning

  • Mountain biking

  • Night drive

  • Quad-biking

  • Self-guided walking

About image

Key species to see on the Dune Lark Fly & Drive Safari

Based on our travellers' observations, we’ve estimated the likelihood of seeing these species during the Dune Lark Fly & Drive Safari. Click on the animals and our wildlife surveys page for more info.


Elephant

100% chance

Giraffe

100% chance

Oryx

100% chance

Wildebeest

100% chance

Zebra

100% chance

Leopard

99% chance

Lion

94% chance

Black Rhino

93% chance

Eland

92% chance

Cheetah

86% chance

Spotted Hyena

79% chance

Brown Hyena

71% chance

Sable antelope

65% chance

White Rhino

64% chance

Wild dog

18% chance

Aardvark

13% chance

Pangolin

11% chance

Roan antelope

10% chance

Meerkat

6% chance

Side-trips whilst on this trip

We may be able to build in some of these optional excursions from the Dune Lark Fly & Drive Safari. Talk to us: they’re usually best arranged when you book.


Ballooning in the Namib Desert

Ballooning in the Namib Desert

Half day, including breakfast

Ballooning over the world’s oldest desert is an experience you shouldn’t miss. Enjoy spectacular views as the sun rises over the dune-covered plains and rocky mountains of the Namib Desert. You may even spot the occasional oryx or black-backed jackal punctuating the landscape below.

More about Ballooning
94% (70 reviews)
Scenic flights in Namibia

Scenic flights in Namibia

Variable, depending on the flight

Namibia is famed for its stark beauty and boundless desert vistas and there is no better way to soak these in than from the air. A scenic flight gives you a unique perspective on this stunning and varied country, and may even provide a bird’s-eye view of areas that are out of reach to those restricted to terra firma.

More about Scenic flights
94% (7 reviews)

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