If you have never been on a desert safari, there is nothing quite like it. Usually a safari experience is all about the game and animal spotting. Your holiday is dictated by seeing the Big Five, following lion footprints and tracking the animals to get a glimpse of a baby elephant or another animal on your wishlist. It is exhilarating and there is no holiday quite like it, a desert safari experience offers something individual.

Namibia provides a range of safari experiences, from the beautiful animals that can be found in the private game reserves to the word famous Etosha National Park. There is plenty of wildlife to be found, including (at the moment) desert rhinos and elephants in the Damaraland area. A desert safari does still provide the chance to see some animals, oryx are beautiful and part of the impala family, some ostrich can be spotted and if you are lucky you might see a desert elephant. However when visiting the Sossusvlei and the Namib-Naukluft National Park it is all about the landscape. 

The Namib-Naukluft National Park is a protected area which is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and beautiful landscapes in the world. The Sossusvlei is in the southern part of the Namib Desert, a salt and clay pan surrounded by deep red sand dunes. The Sossusvlei was initially formed at the end of the Tsauchab River, which no longers flows this far and results in the creation of Dead Vlei. Once past the beautiful red star shaped sand dunes a dry desert area appears. Home to trees that are approximately 900 to 1000 years old, they are left untouched, living in a white salt pan area.

The Sossusvlei offers beautiful sand dunes that are a deep red colour. This colour comes from the thin iron coating on the sand and this sand found in the Sossusvlei is approximately five million years old. These sand dunes are known as star dunes, formed in shape by the wind which approaches from all directions. This results in beautiful dunes that hardly move or change over the years. 

The best time of day to visit the Namib-Naukluft National Park is either at sunrise to watch the desert sun rise over these beautiful mountains, or at sunset. The main reason for this is to avoid the queues, which can be long, it also provides a much better light for photography. We chose to get up early and head for sunrise as the air is much cooler in the mornings and at peak time in August the sun is hot and we were hoping to climb one of the sand dunes in the park.

We were in a 4×4 vehicle and on a guided drive with four other guests and our guide. We set off at 5:30am from our lodge, the Desert Homestead Lodge where we had spent the last two nights. Here we enjoyed more desert life with hikes and a sunset horse ride with sundowners in the middle of a desert plain, it was beautiful and calm. 

The landscape in this part of Namibia is impressive and changes drastically within a 20 minute drive. Our guide set off early, heading down a very bumpy road with our supplies in tow, the lodge provided everyone with a little breakfast bag and the guide had a huge freezer box with lunch (to be served at about 10:00am) and plenty of refreshing drinks. 

One thing to mention is that in the desert or whilst on safari everything is early, from getting up at sunrise, to eating lunch before midday, dinner at 6:00pm and bed by 8:00pm, life follows the sun and it is something which I became accustomed to quickly and to my surprise enjoyed. 

Back to our trip, we were heading for the east entrance by Sesriem to get into the park, a commonly used entrance and one of the more direct routes. After a quick pit stop in Sesriem, our guide had our tickets and without wait we were driving through the national park. It is about a 20 minute drive before you start to see the size of the sand dunes up close, they are tall, impressive and beautiful. With our guide pointing out the wildlife, we got out to learn about the history of the dunes and how they formed.

When entering the park you are hit by the beauty of this immense landscape and you can see hot air balloons flying over the sand dunes with elegance. There are ostrich and oryx wandering through the park, how they survive with the lack of food and water is incredible.

Some of the sand dunes are mesmerising, with the ‘Big Daddy’ dune standing at a staggering 325 metres high. The highest many tourists would dare to climb. The climb takes roughly 90 minutes and in the desert heat is not a small task. We chose to tackle Dune 45, at just 170 metres high and around an hour’s climb it was perfect. Still not for the faint hearted or those scared of heights, this slow walk up the sand dune is one that will create memories for life. It is surprisingly hard work climbing on sand but honestly worth it. The views of the national park were spectacular, you could see sand dunes perfectly formed for miles.

After this we drove on further into the park to head towards Dead Vlei, but not before having a quick pit stop. Our guide had brought a wonderful packed lunch of fruit, vegetables, some drinks, bread, meats and cheeses. We enjoyed our picnic and some time in the sun before heading further into the park. 

Dead Vlei is unlike anything I have ever seen or experienced. A beautiful salt plan of white solid sand and clay with several dead trees that have been there for 900 years some of which are over 1000 years old. Set in time due to the lack of moisture in the air, it is incredible to walk around and there is a peacefulness in this area despite the number of tourists.

By now it is past 11:00am and really starting to heat up, so once we are all back in our truck, with no more pictures to take we enjoy the bumpy yet exciting drive towards the edge of the park and to head back to the Desert Homestead Lodge to enjoy a lazy afternoon by the pool relaxing in the desert heat.

The lodge is the ideal setting and location from which to explore this part of Namibia, surrounded by mountain ranges, with plenty of hikes to enjoy it is also a lodge with a traditional ranch-style ambience and cool lounge for those that are not a fan of the desert heat. With its own stables, horses, trainers and teachers it is somewhere you feel relaxed yet have many opportunities to explore the area with a guide via horseback. Each of the cottages are small thatched roof buildings with double or twin beds, cooling floors and en-suites with private verandahs looking out onto the desert. Here we enjoyed al fresco dining in the peace and quiet under the spectacular night sky. In my opinion, you will never see such bright stars, beautiful constellations and vast quantity of stars, lighting the night sky as when you are in the desert.

The three days we spent in the Sossusvlei were incredible, I almost can’t put into words what an excellent experience it is to stay in the desert. It was like no other, surrounded by beautiful landscapes, incredible experiences and high quality and comfortable accommodation. It is somewhere I hope to return to. 

If this blog has inspired you and you are heading to the Sossusvlei here are a few tips:

Sesriem – the area just outside the park with a shop, all important toilet stop and petrol station. 

Important to note if you are on a self-drive safari which is becoming increasingly popular in Namibia, you should remember to stock up on plenty of water, 2-3 litres per person. 

I would also take a lightweight down jacket as it can be chilly before the sun comes up and a sun hat or small bag if you are planning to climb the sand dunes. These can take approximately 1-2 hours following a line of people all searching for the spectacular desert view.