Almost every visitor to Namibia wants to see Etosha National Park, Sossusvlei and the Fish River Canyon. There are many other fascinating places, too, but due to the vast distances and a general lack of time, most travellers do not get to see them. Flying is the answer: you get to your destinations faster with more time for excursions, and you experience everything from two perspectives – on the ground and from above.

In the south of the country the Fish River has dug wide serpentine lines of up to 500 metres depth into the ground. The visitor will stand at the edge of the Fish River Canyon, utterly awe-struck, and look down into the enormous clefts with shuddering delight. However, the maze of gorges can only properly be experienced from a plane, with this vast canyon extending past the hot springs of Ai Ais right down to the Orange River mouth. The entire area and a large tract of land south of the Orange River, the natural border to South Africa, are under protection of the Ai Ais / Richtersveld Transfrontier Park.

A mere stone's throw away - east of Ai Ais - the Kgadagadi Transfrontier Park is beckoning. Combining conservation areas of Botswana and South Africa, you can watch big lion in this unique dune landscape of the Kalahari. In the opposite direction, flying less than two hours west, you arrive at Lüderitz with its magnificent “Jugendstil” buildings and the mysterious and eerie, deserted old diamond settlement of Kolmanskop, which has long since been reclaimed by desert sand.

A lake in the middle of a sand sea: this world-famous wonder of nature in the Dune-Namib is known as the Sossusvlei. The dry river Tsauchab passes through the deep, narrow Sesriem Canyon and a 60 km valley before being stopped by huge mountains of sand and ending in a loamy pan. This view from the air is something to behold. Sossusvlei is situated about 60 km from the coast, half-way between Lüderitz and Walvis Bay. From Windhoek it can be reached in one flying hour.

Sandwich Harbour lagoon is a bird paradise and the home to thousands of Flamingos. To overfly this scene is well worth the trip, but of course, every effort is made not to disturb the birds by flying too low. When visiting Walvis Bay, you cannot afford to miss out on a boat trip to watch seals and dolphins and, if you are very lucky, sometimes even whales. In Swakopmund, only 30 km to the north, buildings from colonial times make for a snug atmosphere. Holidaymakers looking for adventure (quadbiking, sandboarding) will not be disappointed, nor those shopping for handicraft (Karakul carpets, wood carvings, jewellery). A short distance into the desert, one finds the Moon Landscape and the ancient Welwitschia mirabilis to admire.

East of Swakopmund, the Spitzkoppe, dubbed Namibia's Matterhorn, rises from the desert plains. Not far from it the impressive Erongo Mountains can be seen – the crater of an enormous, extinct volcano with a diameter of 40 km. Continuing north you reach the Brandberg, a so-called Inselberg. At sunset the granite formation truly lives up to its name (Fire Mountain). The neighbouring Messum Crater is also a spectacular sight from the air.

Still further north you have to stop and look at some of the many well preserved rock engravings near Twyfelfontein. Close-by are also the Organ Pipes, a vertical formation of basalt rock, and the Burnt Mountain, which stands out in dark purple from its yellow-brownish surroundings.

Leaving the plateau mountains of Damaraland and the dark basalt faces of Etendeka behind, you arrive at Epupa Falls where the Kunene River, Namibia's north-western border, plunges over a rock-ledge in numerous cascades. This area is home to the Ovahimba, a pastoral tribe, which migrates with their cattle between informal summer and winter settlements.

Etosha Pan, the remains of a huge, evaporated lake and the heart of the famous Etosha National Park, is just a few hours flight south-east of Epupa. On a game-drive you can encounter Giraffe, Springbuck, Oryx, Impala, Rhino and Elephant; if you are lucky, you might even see Lion, Leopard or Cheetah. Rhino, Roan antelope and Cape Griffon vultures (the last colony in Namibia) are some of the species which lure visitors to Waterberg Plateau Park, south-east of Etosha. The top of the extensive mountain, also a nature reserve, is laced with springs, which explains the origin of its name.

Heading north-east you enter the fascinating waterworld of the Caprivi. The eastern-most part of this 400 km long strip of land is regularly flooded by the Zambezi River, the natural border to Zambia. By aircraft, the Victoria Falls are within easy reach, as well as the rich wildlife of the Okavango Delta in Botswana.