Namibia offers a wide range of cultural and natural experiences, and is one of the largest countries in Africa. It is known for its wildlife, its peoples and its remote safari camps, but what really sets it apart is its landscape. Adventurous travellers can take it in from the air on a helicopter tour, for a different view of the country’s terrain.
Namibia is the driest country in Africa, much of it desert. Its scenery ranges from ancient granite mountains to towering dunes, along with rocky moonscapes, wide savannahs and salt pans.
Such conditions have given Namibia some unusual plants and animals, and its vegetation is unlike that of most other places.
The country divides into five geographical areas, each with its own character: the Central Plateau, the Namib Desert, the Great Escarpment, the Bushveld and the Kalahari. Along the coast lies the Namib, the oldest desert in the world, and with it the Fish River Canyon and the Namib escarpment.
You can explore Namibia by desert drive, hot-air balloon, e-bike or road trip. But to really take in the desert, why not try one of the country’s helicopter tours?
Helicopter tours in Namibia
Namibia’s helicopter tours offer a rare view of the landscape from above, and are ideal for anyone who wants to see its vast desert regions.
From the air you can take in some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, and see these sandy regions from a whole new angle.
Why take a helicopter tour?
Plenty of people go on game drives and road trips, but few choose a helicopter tour, which makes it an underrated and special way to see the country.
It can make for a lasting memory, and if you enjoy doing something out of the ordinary, it is a fine choice.
These tours tend to offer privacy and comfort, built around your preferences, so you can shape the trip to what you want to see.
If you were to pick anywhere in Africa to see from the air, Namibia would be hard to beat, its harsh but striking terrain spread right across the country.
The best regions for helicopter tours
Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park in the south, is known for its red sand. Here you can see some of the tallest dunes in the world, up to around 380 metres.
The morning and evening light makes the red sand glow, ideal for aerial photography. Flying over Sossusvlei at sunset shows the landscape at its best.
Skeleton Coast
The Skeleton Coast looks more like a mirage than a real place, with pale sand and open ocean. It takes its name from the skeletons of nearly 500 shipwrecks scattered along the coast, some hundreds of years old.
The wrecks often lie behind the dunes, well back from the sea. Those in 4WDs have to search hard for them, but from the air they are easy to spot. Haunting as that sounds, the coast is a striking sight from above. One of the least-visited parts of Africa, the Skeleton Coast is unlike anywhere else.
Deadvlei
Close to Sossusvlei is Deadvlei, a clay pan marked by dead camel-thorn trees, thought to be around 900 years old and preserved by the dry climate. They stand dark against the pale pan floor.
What was a marsh thousands of years ago is now ringed by red dunes, with only this frozen forest left behind. Deadvlei is a good place to catch sunrise or sunset over the dunes, under very clear skies.
Sandwich Harbour
Some of Namibia’s most dramatic scenery is at Sandwich Harbour, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park south of Walvis Bay. From the air you can watch giant dunes running straight into the sea.
Its lagoons, salt pans and bird life make it one of the most important stretches of coast in southern Africa.
Types of helicopter tour
There are three main kinds of helicopter tour over the Namibian desert.
- Scenic flights: you fly over the finest landscapes of Namibia.
- Charters: you build your own itinerary and go where you want to see.
- Photo safaris: keen photographers can shoot the desert from the air, and the doors can be removed for an even better view.
A helicopter tour is worth doing at least once. On a trip to Namibia, it lets you see some of the most unusual landscapes anywhere, all from the air.
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