Clamber the rolling red sands of the highest dunes in the world in Sossusvlei
In the Namib-Naukluft National Park your Sossusvlei tours offers you the chance to visit a striking salt and clay pan surrounded by some of the highest sand dunes on Earth. Reaching up to 300 metres into the sapphire sky, some of the Namib Desert’s dunes are a whopping 100 metres higher than their nearest rivals in Arabia.
Literally meaning ‘dead-end marsh’, your tour of Sossusvlei tour promises an arid but beautiful pause in Namibia’s seemingly endless sand dunes. Despite infrequent rains and scorching sun, vegetation still springs to life here. The camelthorn tree, for example, is watered by the rare floods of the Tsauchab River, which slowly soak into Sossusvlei’s underlying clay.
Nearby, Dune 45 offers some world-class views. Rising 170 metres, we highly recommend a climb to the top if you’re feeling fit. The best views undoubtedly come at sunrise, when the deep umber of the desert sands make for some exquisite photo opportunities.
As the morning light rises, your guide will take you on a 4X4 safari, or out on foot if you’re feeling adventurous. You’ll see flora and fauna that is perfectly adapted to the extreme temperatures. The mercury here plummets from 40 degrees Celsius during the day to below freezing at night. In particular, keep your eyes peeled for the Welwitschia plant. Described as living fossils, some individuals are over 1,000 years old.