Travel into another realm where sienna sand dunes tower above you like giants from a desert kingdom. Visit Sossusvlei, surrounded by star dunes, and Dead Vlei where ancient Acacias reach heavenwards from the chalky pan. Take a trip to Sandwich Harbour - a paradise for waterbirds, pay homage to the giant welwitschias outside Swakopmund, hike in the Naukluft Mountains and watch in wonder as the wild horses of the Namib gallop to the waterhole with the energy and spirit of the wild and free.
Welcome to the 49 768km² Namib-Naukluft Park, the largest conservation area in Namibia. The vast expanse of desert wilderness stretches along the Atlantic Ocean from Lüderitz to Walvis Bay and inland to the Naukluft Mountains.
Striking rock formations, inselbergs, gigantic mountains, semi-desert, gravel plains and a dune sea; you can find them all here.
© Gondwana Collection
The word ‘Sossusvlei’ is used to describe the series of pans or vleis in the area - Sossusvlei, Nara Vlei, Dead Vlei and Hidden Vlei, separated from one another by small sand dunes. Sossusvlei is the salt and clay pan at the end of the Tsauchab River’s long journey from the Naukluft and Tsaris mountains to the desert. Once having continued all the way to the sea, the river’s journey now ends amongst the burnished dunes.
© Gondwana Collection
Sandwich Harbour, a reed-fringed lagoon fed by an underground aquifer, is a Ramsar site, home to a plethora of waterbirds. Attractive for its fresh water, it was once a busy commercial and trading port, supporting various industries over the years. Nothing remains today, except for some bones and glass beads scattered in the sand (see also Festus and the mysterious hermit of Sandwich Harbour).
© Markus Frank-Schulz
The vast Namib Sand Sea, stretching from the Kuiseb River, south of Walvis Bay, to the Tsau Khaeb National Park (Sperrgebiet), north of Lüderitz, was awarded World Heritage status in 2013, joining Twyfelfontein as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Take a drive to the welwitschias on the outskirts of Swakopmund. These remarkable plants are considered the ‘living fossils’ of the plant kingdom. Although they can live to a thousand years, they only ever produce two long broad leaves, which are frayed and shredded into strips by the wind and sun.
Naukluft is a popular hiking destination, with the 8-day Namib-Naukluft hiking trail providing a tough challenge for the experienced hiker.
The Namib-Naukluft is the traditional home of the Topnaar people who live in the Kuiseb River valley. They are believed to be descendants of the Strandlopers, one of the first peoples of Namibia.
© Gondwana Collection
The fossilised dunes of Namib Desert Lodge have a character and history all of their own, and could tell many a tale, could they talk. They are the petrified dunes of an ancient desert formed when humankind was just a dream, or a dream of a dream. The ancient desert sand compacted into sandstone in the more humid climate of the Earth’s evolution that existed between twenty and ten million years ago. They create a striking backdrop to the lodge, which is an ideal base when exploring Sossusvlei and surrounds.
The Naukluft section of the Park was originally established as a sanctuary for Hartmann’s mountain zebra.
A vlei is a seasonal lake that fills up with water after abundant rainfall.
The red colour of the sand is due to the presence of iron oxide in the particles.
Sandwich Harbour is considered to be one of the most geomorphologically active areas along the entire Namib coast, changing and evolving continually.
Permits for the Namib-Naukluft Park are available from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) offices.
Permits for Sossusvlei are available at the office at the entrance to Sesriem.
Operators offer trips to Sandwich Harbour from Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.
Climb a dune at Sossuvlei to best appreciate the desert scenery.
Avoid the midday heat, wear sun-protection, a hat and closed shoes, and carry sufficient water.
For those who do not have 4x4 experience or are in sedan vehicles, hop on the Sossusvlei shuttle that runs from the parking area to the vleis.
Make a stop at the Sesriem Canyon which marks the Tsauchab River’s tumultuous journey into the desert.
Climb Dune 45 for unsurpassed views.
Be dazzled by this extraordinary landscape.
Ron Swilling
Do you feel like exploring Namib-Naukluft National Park?
Contact the Gondwana Travel Centre to plan your trip.