Southern Africa Flying Safari

This extraordinary expedition by private plane with veteran Trip Leader Adam Hedges harks back to the days of the trans-Africa pioneers! Adam is not only one of Wilderness Travel’s best safari guides but also a passionate aviator who has spent years piloting the length of Africa in his Cessna. As we fly from location to location across the incomparable scenic and wildlife wonders of South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana, our days are filled with Bushman rock art sites in the Western Cape, game walks in the Kalahari, hikes on the edge of Namibia’s Fish River Canyon, tracking black rhinos on foot in Damaraland, dune-climbing in the Namib Desert, and gameviewing in the great Okavango Delta. Our lodges are equally extraordinary: Bushmans Kloof and Tswalu in the Kalahari, Vogelstrausskluft on the edge of the Fish River Canyon, Dunes Lodge in heart of the Namib Desert, Desert Rhino Camp in Damaraland, Xugana Lodge in the Okavango Delta, and romantic Forum Homini in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. Our lodges provide a very comfortable backdrop to the real purpose of discovery and exploration that is at the heart of this unique safari. Join us for the African journey of a lifetime!

Itinerary at a Glance

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Days 1-3
Stellenbosch / Bushman’s Kloof / Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

We rendezvous with our pilot and Trip Leader extraoardinare Adam Hedges in Stellenbosch and fly to remote Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve, for a walking tour of incredible San (Bushman) rock art sites and an evening wildlife excursion with sundowners overlooking a spectacular landscape. The next day, we fly to magical Tswalu in the southern Kalahari Desert, where we search for black-maned Kalahari lions, rare desert antelopes, and endangered black rhinos. The Tswalu lodge is a member of the Relais & Chateaux Group.

Days 4-6
Fish River Canyon, Namibia / Sossusvlei / Namib-Rand Nature Reserve

In southern Namibia, we take in the vast wonder of the Fish River Canyon, second largest canyon in the world (after the Grand Canyon), with our Cessna offering out-of-this-world perspectives. Nature walks introduce us through this extraordinary landscape, with an overnight at a rim-perched lodge. The next day we fly across the towering Sossusvlei Dunes of Namib-Naukluft Park and land near our elegant lodge, set on the very edge of dune in the private Namib-Rand Nature Reserve. Our days are filled with 4WD excursions, dune climbing, and sunrises over the desert.

Days 7-9
Damaraland / Palmwag Conservancy

Our Cessna flies us across the rugged mountains of Damaraland to Desert Rhino Camp, operated in conjunction with the highly successful Save the Rhino Trust. This area boasts the largest free-ranging population of black rhino in Africa. In between nature drives, expert guides help us track black rhinos on foot—a thrilling experience.

Days 10-11
Okavango Delta, Botswana

The 800-mile-long Okavango is “the river which never finds the sea,” and Xugana Lodge in the remote western corner of the Okavango Delta is the perfect base for our explorations by motorboat and mokoro (a dugout canoe navigated by a skilled poler). We should see bushbuck, lechwe (a semi-aquatic antelope), and perhaps even buffalo, elephant, and the shy sitatunga, another antelope adapted to this watery realm. The birdlife is fascinating and prolific.

Days 12-14
Cradle of Humankind / Johannesburg

The Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site, is one of the world’s richest hominid fossil sites. In the limestone caves of this 181-square-mile site, the 2.3-million year-old Australopithecus africanus was found in 1947 and in 2008 the intriguing Australopithecus sediba. Overnights are at Forum Homini, whose restaurant, Roots, is one of Johannesburg’s top fine-dining establishments. Depart on Day 14.

For a more complete description, Download Full Detailed Itinerary

What the Trip is Like

This extraordinary expedition by private plane with veteran Trip Leader Adam Hedges harks back to the days of the trans-Africa pioneers! Adam is not only one of Wilderness Travel’s best safari guides but also a passionate aviator who has spent years piloting the length of Africa in his Cessna. As we fly from location to location across the incomparable scenic and wildlife wonders of South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana, our days are filled with Bushman rock art sites in the Western Cape, game walks in the Kalahari, hikes on the edge of Namibia’s Fish River Canyon, tracking black rhinos on foot in Damaraland, dune-climbing in the Namib Desert, and gameviewing in the great Okavango Deleta. Our lodges are equally extraordinary: Bushmans Kloof and Tswalu in the Kalahari, Vogelstrausskluft on the edge of the Fish River Canyon, Dunes Lodge in heart of the Namib Desert, Desert Rhino Camp in Damaraland, Xugana Lodge in the Okavango Delta, and romantic Forum Homini in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. Our lodges provide a very comfortable backdrop to the real purpose of discovery and exploration that is at the heart of this unique safari. Join us for the African journey of a lifetime!

Explanation of Trip Levels