NAMIBIA - Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert

The seemingly never ending sand dunes of Sossusvlei are a truly remarkable sight. The dunes are shaped by the wind and are constantly shifting.  They are reputed to be the highest in the world. The climb to the top of one of the dunes can be gruelling under the heat of the sun and with the ever shifting sand under the feet but is worth it for the magnificent views. The dunes cover widely dispersed patches of land from the Orange River at the South African border all the way up the coast of Namibia and into Angola.  They are broken intermittently by the few rivers that flow to the Atlantic Coast. The Namib Desert itself (of which the dunes are a part), measures over 2000km in length and is about 200km wide.Despite the apparent hostility of the landscape, there is plenty of wildlife and even a number of larger mammals. The Oryx can survive on the even the sparsest of desert vegetation and are the hardiest of the world’s desert antelopes.  They are found all over Namibia - even at the dunes of Sossusvlei.

Although even the Oryx like to get as much shade as possible from the few trees.  The Namib Desert receives little or no rain. However, it gets vital life-supporting moisture from the fog which drifts quite far inland from the Atlantic coastline. The Sesriem Canyon was carved by the Tsauchab River several million years ago during a wetter phase in the Namib history. Today, this forms a popular landscape to view from a hot air balloon.  On our recent trip, we journeyed north from Sossusvlei through the Namib Naukluft Park to Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast. Driving in Namibia is a joy.  No other traffic, no corners, no traffic lights.  Just remember to take a spare petrol tank because there’s no petrol stations either !

Along this route there is mile after mile of spectacular and apparently barren landscapes - and yet it is not barren - there is a multitude of all sorts of plant and animal life throughout this land. The quiver tree (below centre) is one of Namibia’s most characteristic plants.  It usually grows in solitude and can live for many hundreds of years.  The San tribe use the forked branches of the plant as quivers for their arrows. Birdlife is also remarkably abundant with the social weaver birds building their communal nests in trees all over the region.

Driving : Most of the roads in Namibia are gravel and there are very few signs. However, they are smooth and driving is easy. It is also difficult to get lost as there are not that many roads on the map ! Press the tripometer at known points on the map so you can tell when you should have reached your next destination. Take a spare petrol can - there really are few petrol stations. Avoid driving at night - there are no road markings and it’s hard to tell the road from the desert.

Visiting Sossusvlei : The dunes are best seen at daybreak when the light splashes across the sand and the shadows enhance the views.  It’s also cooler walking at that time of day. So stay the night before your visit as near as possible to the park entrance as you’ll be getting up early - and it is still almost an hours drive from the gate to the car park.  You must walk the last 5 kilometres to Sossusvlei itself and the sand makes for slow progress. Always carry bottles of water as it’s thirsty work.