We flew with Wings Over Africa, a family owned and operated business based in Namibia. By this point, Chris and the girls were numb with excitement in anticipation of starting our weeklong adventure.

This was a big change from the 777s that we’re used to. In a much more confined space, we all had an opportunity to take turns sitting in the co-pilot seat. The girls and I decided that Chris would go first.

Namibia from the sky. The strikingly forsaken terrain was unbelievably barren, but, at the same time, diverse and artistically pleasing to the discerning eye.

Chris and the girls standing on the “bush strip” where we landed.

It didn’t take long to hear that Fabien has a reputation for his unique piloting prowess. He is able to engage in maneuvers that many other pilots aren’t capable of, or willing to do, which explained our landing!

In pure Fabein style, he departed with a dip of a wing that quickly turned into a 90 degree turn before disappearing into the morning sky.

Sossusvlei Desert Lodge is discretely tucked away in the NamibRand Nature Reserve, which boasts more than 445,000 acres of pristine wilderness.

A view from our deck. The most amazing thing about this location is its sheer silence. The absolute stillness in the air was shockingly palpable.

A herd of oryx (gemsbok) grazing in the dry grasslands near the lodge. Oryx is an antelope species that is native to Africa. They are unusually attractive creatures with a horse-like body, cow-like face, white socks, and an impressive set of long, lethal horns.

This trusting oryx wandered up to our patio to steal a little late-afternoon shade.

One of our favorite activities in Soussesvlei was going on a sunset quad biking tour in the reserve.

Kylee is a little daredevil on the quads! When the group’s pace got too slow for her, she purposely slowed down and then went all out to catch up.

One of the best things about African safaris is evening sundowners. After an exciting day of game drives, nature hikes, or quad biking, there’s time for refreshing beverages and a light snack while watching the sun hit the horizon. Our tour guide, Vicky, setting up a sundowner on the front of a Range Rover.

With no light pollution, the reserve offers some of the best stargazing on the planet. In a deep, vast pool of utter darkness, an endless display of stars, and the ethereal light of the Milky Way, shine brightly above Namibia’s unforgiving land. (Observing the Milky Way at Namib Nature Reserve. Photo by Matthew Hodgson. http://www.alpha-lyrae.co.uk).

The girls and me cooling off in the lodge’s spring-fed pool.

The dunes of the Namib Desert were created when winds blew sand inland from the coast. The sand is 5 million years old and rich in iron oxide (which creates the red color). The Namib Dunes are some of the highest dunes in the world, standing more than 380 meters above ground.

The best time of the day to visit the dunes is the early morning or the early evening when the colors are strong and the shadows change with the light.

We hiked the rim of “Big Momma.” It’s one of the most popular dunes to hike because it offers spectacular views from the top and it stands above Deadvlei, a clay pan peppered with petrified camel thorn acacia trees.

Our shadows leaving a temporary mark on the sand below. Deadvlei is the white patch in the top left-hand corner of the picture.

One last picture before running down the dunes into the pan.

There’s no way this little girl was going to pass up the opportunity of running and jumping down Big Momma barefoot. Pure joy and contentment!

This is a view of Big Momma from the bottom. If you look closely, you can see a group of people climbing it.

Deadvlei is one of the most photographed sites in Namibia. The petrified camel thorn acacia trees (Chris’s new favorite tree) are approximately 900 years old.

Our plane’s shadow somewhere along the Skeleton Coast. The bushmen of the Namibien interior referred to this area as “The Land God Made in Anger.”

The shipwreck of Eduard Bohlen, a German cargo ship that ran aground in 1909 due to poor visibility from thick fog. It currently sits a quarter-mile from the shoreline because the sea of sand is slowing winning a constant battle with the ocean.

The Shawnee Shipwreck, a fishing troller that was stranded in 1976.

After the shipwrecks, we flew over Cape Cross, a breeding colony for more than 300,000 Cape fur seals.

A stunning view of the Brandberg Mountains towering over Damaraland’s desert plains and ancient valleys.

Damaraland Camp, in grand isolation, is perfectly nestled in a prehistoric setting.

Our first evening in Damaraland was spent at an African boma. Bomas are heavily fortified and enclosed wooden fences used to protect livestock. Farmers continue to use them, but many game lodges, including Damaraland Camp, are using them to provide unique dining experiences for their guests. Under the moon and stars, and around a central fire and dozens of lighted lanterns, a memorable evening is created with food and entertainment.

The women of Damaraland Camp entertained us with traditional song and dance before dinner (which included asparagus soup in tin mugs and African fat cakes). The women often spoke in their native tongue, khoekhoe; a language that uses clicking sounds to pronounce consonants.

Our first full day in Damaraland was spent spotting elephants in the Huab River Valley.

On our way through the valley, we stumbled across a herd of ostrich.

A young herd of elephants mingling near a waterhole.

This newborn, Valentine, was following her mom to a thicket of trees.

Valentine received her name from the special day that she was born. If you look at her tail, you’ll notice that it’s crimped; a result of falling on and breaking it during birth.

This elephant was cooling himself by using his trunk to spray dirt on his legs. Chris, our tour guide said it perfectly, “An elephant without his trunk is not an elephant.”

Q: Why do elephants cross their legs?      A: It’s irrelephant!

The girls with Chris, our phenomenal tour guide in Damaraland!

Ally was our private photographer during the trip. She recently used her own money to purchase a digital SLR. During our travels in Namibia, we met some amazing people; many of whom offered their time and knowledge to give Ally some of their best photography tips. Most of the pictures in this post were taken by Ally.

After a long day of elephant spotting, Kylee enjoyed a private moment on the deck, cradling a cup of hot vanilla tea, while gazing into a desert that never ends.

In Etosha, we stayed at a Onguma Fort, which is adjacent to the park and situated in a private reserve comprised of more than 8,000 acres of protected land. The fort overlooks a private waterhole that guests can view from the open dining room, a raised deck, and the swimming pool. This photo (and the photo below) were taken while we were eating lunch in the restaurant.

A close-up of zebra and wildebeest drinking from the fort’s private waterhole. It’s not unusual to see giraffe, oryx, hartebeest, black rhinos, and zebra hanging around the waterhole. Sometimes, lions, cheetahs, or leopards will wander in looking for prey.

We were lucky enough to begin our full-day safari In the park with the sighting of a “number 2”, a black rhino. They are typically difficult to find because they like to hide in the bush.

This giraffe didn’t seem to mind the spotted hyaena that joined him for a drink.

Wildebeests crossing the plains in search of food and water.

A large group of impala playing “follow the leader” with a zebra.

This gentle giant was behind a tree when our guide first spotted him. After a few minutes, he came out of hiding gnawing on a twig.

Dik-Diks are the cutest of all the African animals. The dwarf-sized antelopes are only 12-16 inches tall at the shoulder, but it’s their giant, brown eyes and thick, long eyelashes that grab at the heartstrings. Unfortunately, they’re not domesticated!

A few kudo grazing in a pasture of green grass.

This is one of Ally’s favorite pictures – a “Flying Banana.” It’s appropriately named because of its banana-shaped beak.

We saw a lion and her cub on our first sunset drive night in the preserve, but the pictures didn’t turn out very well, so we were happy to get some great shots of a momma cheetah and her two cubs. When we first spotted them, they were quietly sitting under a shade tree.

It wasn’t too long before the cubs got up and started running, jumping, and playing.

The cubs ran up this tree and jumped back down, giving us a little show.

The momma cheetah wasn’t fond of the jackal getting too close to her cubs, so she chased him off. She wasn’t interested in having him for lunch, she just didn’t want him around.

The skies, day or night, in Namibia are extraordinary and breathtaking!

Our last African sunset and sundowner!

The plane that we flew in during our weeklong adventure in Africa.

Of the two girls, Kylee bravely offered to sit in the co-pilot’s seat first. She flew next to Martin from Damaraland to Etosha National Park. She had the opportunity to flip the switch that lifts the landing gear, and control the yoke for a few minutes.

Ally sat in the co-pilot’s seat during our flight from Etosha National Park back to Windhoek. She had the opportunity to control the yoke for forty to forty-five minutes. Martin taught her how to use the altitude gauge and GPS, so she knew when to turn the yoke to the right or left, and when to pull the yoke up or push it down.

Our family with Martin. We spent a lot of time with him in the air and on the ground, and truly enjoyed his company and affable personality! He was missed from the moment we departed ways at Eros Airport. Even today, out of the blue, one of the girls will say, “I miss Martin!”