Namib Desert & Sossusvlei Hotels & Resorts

The Sossusvlei region of Namibia is the perfect place to do balloon safaris. Take a 10-minute drive to the launch pad, where you can enjoy the spectacle of the balloon inflating and taking shape – a very magical event just before sunrise. After a briefing with your pilots, take to the air.

It’s an hour in the sky travelling wherever the wind takes you over oceans of sand and dramatic mountains. You will typically cover an average of 10 kilometres although some days as much as 30 kilometres depending on the strength of the wind. Meanwhile the crew sets up a beautiful champagne breakfast for when you land, including homemade breads, cheeses, smoked fish, salami pancakes, cereals and yogurts.

Scenic flights are the best way to appreciate the immense size and beauty of Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert. Take off in a private plane or helicopter to soar over this UNESCO-listed landscape; you’ll get a birds-eye view of the desert below, an ocean of rippling sand that stretches as far as the eye can see. The colours are incredible, especially in the morning and late afternoon when the sun paints the sand different shades, from pale yellow and warm honey to vibrant turmeric and blood orange. It’s a feast for photographers.

The route will usually take you over ancient Sesriem Canyon, which looks like a deep, snaking gash in the desert’s surface, then west to the dune corridor and Sossusvlei. This former dry riverbed is home to Namib’s most impressive dunes and you’ll get to circle some of the tallest, including Big Daddy, Elim and Dune 45. You’ll also notice Deadvlei, a clay pan where dozens of dead camelthorn trees sit stranded, preserved by the arid atmosphere. The landscape is otherworldly – it feels like you’re in a spaceship passing over an alien planet.

Your pilot will provide commentary, pointing out the landmarks below. Look out for famous fairy circles and herds of game as you fly. Trips can be extended to the Skeleton Coast, where the desert meets the crashing Atlantic – some of the most dramatic landscapes you can imagine. Below, you might spot bird and seal colonies, as well as diamond mining camps and shipwrecks as you circle back to the desert.