Your enthralling two-hour scenic flight begins in the coastal town of Swakopmund, heading northwards into the Namib Desert. Cut across the town of Arandis, home to the Rössing Mine, a uranium quarry noted as the longest-running and one of the largest open pit uranium mines in the world. Head onwards along the desert to The Spitzkoppe, a complex of bald granite crests or inselbergs situated between Swakopmund and Usakos. The highest peaks sit around 1 784 metres (5 853 feet) above sea level, with dedicated research in the sandy area revealing the outcrops to be over 120 million years old. Soar along Namibia’s highest massif, Brandberg Mountain, covering 650 kilometres (405 miles) of desert land as you edge further west. The King’s Stone peak lies at 2 573 metres (8 442 feet) above sea level, clearly visible from a great distance within the desert. The apt German name literally translates to Fire Mountain, christened due to the appearance of the peaks when they are set ablaze with the glare of the setting sun.
The Ugab is an ephemeral river, stretching over 500 kilometres (310 miles) and providing a key water resource for local wildlife. Fly low along its banks and witness myriad wildlife drinking deeply from its waters. Pass over the massive form of the rare and majestic desert elephant as it gracefully crosses the desert plains, living side by side with the world’s largest population of free-roaming black rhino. Marvel at the pink granite blush of the inselbergs peppered along the river, sporting spooky hollow edifices known to locals as the Petrified Ghosts.
Next, fly along the ancient lava flows of Damaraland, which dominate the scenery with their massive flat tops and distinctively earthy sangria hues. Head across the coast from the small headland of Cape Cross, advancing further north to the Skeleton Coast, awash with corroded whale bones that eerily protrude from the sandy beaches alongside dozens of withered shipwrecks. On the last leg of the trip, fly over the famed Salt Pans, stark with silvery dry riverbeds teeming with minerals and bordered by dense mopane forests, before heading back south to Swakopmund. The breathtaking flight covers diverse landscapes and vast areas of pristine, golden desert, beautifully illuminated by the fiery rays of the Namibian sun, which cast their light over ever-changing sandy patterns.
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