Highlights of Namibia

This half-day morning adventure takes you into the Namib Naukluft National Park. Learn about the ecosystem, Aeolian geological processes, walk to Deadvlei, perhaps climb a sand dune, and for the fit and adventurous, conquer the towering ‘Big Daddy’.

Set out to the dunes on our reserve, where the story of the deserts ecology is written in the sand. Explore the dunes on foot or by quad bike with a specialist guide who’ll uncover the secrets of the dunes.

Step back in time and bring to life the history of the area and its people. Follow your expert guide into the untamed Namib Desert scattered with San rock art. Explore heritage sites and gain insight into the San people.

Explore the unique landscape on this fascinating geological excursion, in a vehicle and on foot. View the varied topography, exposed due to the upliftment events after the continent of Gondwana split into Africa and South America. Observe young geology ‘in action’ as the dunes shape this awe-inspiring landscape.

Be mesmerised by the magnificence of the desert on morning or late afternoon desert drives that continue after nightfall. Explore four different habitat types and ecosystems. Learn about fairy circles, how deserts are formed and function, and how animals have adapted to this desolate environment.

Enjoy this exclusive experience at &Beyond Sossusvlei Private Desert Reserve, the only private reserve featuring the iconic star dunes of Namibia. Take the time to appreciate your surrounds and tuck into a delicious picnic breakfast.

Sossusvlei neighbours Africa’s first International Dark Sky Reserve, which has also been awarded Gold Tier status, declaring it an environment with little to no impact from artificial light. Get a closer look at the night sky from our sophisticated observatory and state-of-the-art telescope.

Indulge in one of our many relaxing treatments for a truly authentic African spa experience that rejuvenates the mind, body and soul. Our treatments promise to leave you feeling in harmony with the tranquillity of the surrounds.

Available at an additional cost.

Gain a bird’s eye perspective over the spectacular scenery surrounding the lodge, in the company of other guests. The balloons are unable to fly over the Namib sand dunes; however, you will still be treated to awe-inspiring views.

Available at an additional cost.

Traverse the stark beauty and vast expanse on an e-bike. Easy to ride and super fun, these nifty bicycles are fitted with a battery-powered ‘assist’ that gives a boost via a throttle when pedalling. There are two different options, an 11km (6.8mi) or a 19km (11.8mi) route.

Explore the lodge surrounds on foot, take the time to sit in the stillness and be enchanted by the views. There are two defined hiking trails, a 2.2km (1.4mi) or a 3.4km (2.1mi) route waiting to be explored.

andBeyond’s WILDChild programme, designed especially for children visiting our safari lodges and camps in Africa, is filled with fun, interactive activities that offer opportunities to learn and discover new experiences and cultures. Deeply rooted in the love for the African bush, it not only creates a series of unforgettable moments for the whole family but forges strong bonds between our young guests, our planet and its people.

Take off from nearby the lodge and soar over the vast expanse of the desert for an approximately 60 min helicopter flight. Hover over jagged mountain tops that emerge from the iconic Namib dunes, white mineral pans, rocky outcrops and unique fauna and flora. Be captivated as you fly over a landscape that has remained unchanged for millions of years.

Available at an additional cost.

Avid photographers will enjoy this 90 min photographic flight showcasing the best of the Namib Desert. This flight extends to the ocean, where the red dune belt drops 152m (500ft) into the sea. Observe a seal colony at Black Rock and fly with doors off allowing you to capture red dunes, resident desert-adapted wildlife, rocky mountains and sandy plains. This experience includes a stopover in the dunes to enjoy a glass of champagne.

Available at an additional cost.

Experience the desert from above on a 2.5 hour helicopter flight. Fly over the Devil’s Fork dune formation and soar past the gnarled, twisted trees of Deadvlei. Continue until you hit the coast where the dunes fringe the sea, turn north from Meob Bay and follow the shoreline towards the Eduard Bohlen shipwreck. Enjoy a champagne stop and head home with views of Witberg Mountain.

Available at an additional cost.

Take off from near &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge and soar over the vast expanse of the desert for a 45 min helicopter flight. Hover over jagged mountain tops that emerge from the shifting Namib dunes flying over a landscape that has remained unchanged for millions of years.

Available at an additional cost.

With a dedicated guide and a private vehicle, guests have the luxury of tailoring their own desert experience, choosing their own drive times, and spending as much time as they want exploring the desert.

Available at an additional cost.

Nature drives showcase the magnitude of this wondrous lunar-like landscape and offer the best possibilities of seeing unique desert-adapted wildlife. Morning or afternoon drives are available, as well as full-day excursions. Attractions include true desert oases found in the Hoanib floodplains; as well as habitats being home to desert-adapted elephants, gemsbok, giraffe, and springbok.

Guided nature walks from camp take in the magnificent surrounds, as well as offer a glimpse at vestiges of the Strandloper (Beachcomber) lifestyle from hundreds of years ago. A thought-provoking opportunity to study the smaller creatures that survive in this seemingly barren landscape, and be astonished at the fascinating plant life of the concession.

* Weather permitting and subject to the availability of a qualified walking guide.

On a stay of three nights (or more) full-day excursions to the Skeleton Coast are offered. This fascinating 4x4 trip to the coast takes you via the wilderness and wildlife of the Hoanib River and floodplain, which include Klein Oases Spring and driving through a dune field – while the Skeleton Coast itself reveals a rocky coastline with its huge Cape fur seal colonies and shipwreck remains. Following a picnic lunch, the return flight back to camp offers a magnificent perspective of your journey from the air.

* Typically, harsh desert conditions prevail in this area with regards to heat, fog rolling in from the sea, high winds and flooding rivers. On occasion, these conditions may affect the duration and routing of the excursion, with guests being driven both ways or – as is the case when it rains and the floodplains fill with water – flown both ways.

Operating within our concession area and on offer to all guests, these trips leave camp early in the morning, include a picnic lunch, and return to camp in the mid to late afternoon. It includes Mudorib Springs, exploring remote areas in the south of our allocated exclusive concession area, with the red basalt landscapes of the Damaraland. Amongst other general game species, guests have the chance of seeing Hartmann's mountain zebra and the desert-adapted rhino. In the northern and eastern area of the Hoanib, the valleys offer spectacular scenery.

* Subject to private vehicle availability, to guarantee this excursion a private vehicle needs to be booked and paid for.

At the Hoanib Research Centre, presentations by, and interactions with, wildlife researchers are possible when they are in camp. These valuable insights cover all current research being supported at Hoanib, in particular the vital work conducted by Dr Philip Stander and his team studying the unique desert-adapted lion. Learn about the tragic Vanishing Kings lion coalition, as well as the ancient stories and legends of the Skeleton Coast.

* Subject to the availability of researchers when in camp, and conducted in the research centre.

Birding enthusiasts are sure to enjoy the diverse avifauna of the northern Palmwag Concession, from soaring raptors to charming Namaqua sandgrouse; as well as other regular endemics including Rüppell's korhaan, Benguela long-billed lark and Verreauxs' eagle.

Informative nature drives in open game vehicles allow guests to experience the true Namib in its unbridled glory. A broad spectrum of wildlife, from desert-adapted oryx, springbok, and Hartmann’s mountain zebra are familiar sightings. While walking provides unique opportunities to see the smaller denizens of the desert, from the famous fairy circles to the desert chameleon.

For a truly remote experience, the vast expanse of the Marienfluss Valley offers a much-needed sense of space and enables new interpretation of the concept of beauty. A safari at Wilderness Serra Cafema will leave you in awe of the natural beauty of Namibia and its wildlife..

One of our highlights, guided quad bike excursions through the fragile environs, is conducted with the utmost care along specifically allocated pathways, so as to tread lightly on the dunes and preserve the unique and delicate habitat of this landscape.

In this isolated area, the Himba people continue their traditional semi-nomadic way of life and, when they are in the area, guests have an opportunity to learn about their lifestyle and customs.

Boating on the wondrous Kunene River provides our guests with the opportunity to venture through the lush riverside oases. Nile crocodiles and water birds seem out of place in this surreal, lunar-like landscape.

* Seasonal and water levels permitting.

Wilderness Serra Cafema’s prime location means that it has a unique combination of water and desert birds.

Guided afternoon/evening game drives take place on the private Ongava Game Reserve. The reserve has a diverse range of wildlife and is famed for its population of rhino and lion, as well as other game such as the endemic black-faced impala. Private vehicles can be booked at an extra cost (subject to availability).

A full- or half-day guided morning game drive in the Etosha National Park, Namibia’s prime savannah wilderness area (with a packed lunch on full day), allows you to see the massive salt-pan and perennial springs that provide the water required by the Park’s high-density big game population. Private vehicles can be booked at an extra cost (subject to availability).

Offered seasonally and subject to an available walking guide, the guided nature walks through the reserve will proudly showcase the abundant array of life, from the unusual plants to the arid-adapted animals with a chance of potentially approaching white rhino.

A hide is a fantastic place to while the hours away up close and personal with wildlife slaking its thirst at a waterhole. This arid environment where little water occurs makes this a popular drinking spot for game.

Guests can interface with science and research across the Ongava Game Reserve and part of this experience is an immersion into the world of natural history and science at the new Ongava Visitor Centre. With dozens of in-depth displays that feature information on the geology, animals, plants and ecological functioning of this fascinating region, guests are encouraged to meander through the self-guided exhibition area.