Travel Guide

Place to Visit: Sossusvlei

Massive Sand Dunes

Central Namibia, Namibia

The monumental sand dunes of Sossusvlei are the main attraction for this region, the dunes are ranked as some of the most outstanding and well preserved in the world. The highest dune measures 325m, the dunes are formed by strong multi-directional winds.

Great Reasons To Visit

  • To appreciate the full size of the dunes try to climb to the top of one!
  • Take a hot air balloon ride to enjoy a bird’s eye view
  • Join a walking tour through the dunes to discover more about the plant and wildlife

Background

Amongst the high dunes of the enormous sand sea there is a clay pan, which was clearly formed by water. The pan only fills up when there has been sufficient rain in the catchment area of the Tsauchab which happens extremely rarely (most recently in 2000), when the pan fills the area becomes a haven for birdlife until the waters rapidly soak away into the ground. Usually Sossusvlei is totally dry.

Relaxing

There are several restcamps in the area

Sossusvlei

The entrance gate to the most famous part of the Dune Namib – and no doubt one of Namibia’s most notable sights – is located at Sesriem. From there it is still another good hour’s driving to Sossusvlei. Gates are open from before sunrise until after sunset to enable you to see the dunes at their best. The famous star dunes of Sossusvlei tower around the depression, offering thousands of themes to photographers – the most beautiful ones early in the morning and late in the afternoon when light and shadow create a more three-dimensional appearance of the landscape.

Sesriem Canyon

Sesriem Canyon

Central Namibia, Namibia

In the vicinity of the park entrance to Sossusvlei the Tsauchab River has dug a cleft - about two kilometres long and up to 30 metres deep - into the deposits of sand and pebbles which are roughly 15 ...

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