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Introduction About the Area Hiking the Dune Sea Flying over the Desert Accommodation

About the Area

Introduction

Sossusvlei is actually the huge flat pan in the middle of the dunes, which are some of the oldest and highest in the world.

The sand dunes at Sossusvlei The dunes are often referred to as the 'dune sea', because they are constantly moving as the wind sculpts the sand into different shapes.

The sand is thought to have originated in the Kalahari between 3 and 5 million years ago, and the entire dune sea covers over 32,000 km² of western Namibia.

The Namib-Naukluft National Park

The dunes are in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, and the entrance to the dunes is at Sesriem.

The Park gates are open from sunrise to sunset. There is a small shop at the Park gates where you can buy water, some basic food provisions such as chocolate bars and crisps, and camera film.

4WD driving experience The drive from the gates to the dunes is about 70 km along a tarred road (in places very badly pot-holed), passing through flat plains which are home to gemsbok, ostrich and springbok.

Given that the drive to the dunes from the gate takes over an hour, the only way of seeing the dunes as the sun rises or sets is to stay at either the camp site at Sesriem (campers are allowed in 1 hour earlier) or one of the outstanding lodges that boasts its own entrance to Sossusvlei.

See the Hiking the Dune Sea section for more information on visiting the dunes.

Sesreim Canyon

Near to the entrance to the Park is Sesriem Canyon, whose name is derived from the 6 thongs or 'sesriem' which were needed to be tied together to draw the water up from the gorge.

The narrow gorge is only 1 km long and is a pleasant place for a short walk in the late afternoon.

Wildlife on the Dunes

Despite the desperately hot and dry conditions, the dunes are home to a diverse wildlife community.

In the early morning, the sand is covered in minute tracks from lizards, insects and snakes, who are mostly active during the cooler night temperature.

The most commonly seen creatures during the heat of the day are the dune-dwelling beetles, who scurry quickly over the hot sand in search of food and shade, their feet barely making any imprints at all.

If alarmed, they quickly bury into the sand for protection.