Namibia Sossusvlei Dune Trekking

Namib Desert, Namibia · Namibia

Moderate7 daysAfrica~£1,600 est.

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Overview

Sossusvlei is the Namib at its most theatrical: a corridor of apricot dunes — some of the highest on Earth — funnelling the dry Tsauchab river to a dead end among white clay pans. The ritual is fixed and worth obeying: through the Sesriem gate at dawn, up the tar as the light comes good, then Dune 45 or the long crest-line grind up Big Daddy (325 metres) while the sand is cool and firm. From the top, drop straight down the slip-face into Deadvlei — the white pan studded with 900-year-old camel thorn skeletons, black against orange dune walls; the most photographed scene in Africa, and still better in person. By 10am the sand is oven-hot and the light flat; retreat to the shaded pools of Sesriem Canyon and return for the evening show. A week gives slack for a night at the NWR campsite or Sossus Dune Lodge inside the gate — the only way to reach Deadvlei at true first light — plus the drive out through the Naukluft mountains via Solitaire's apple pie. April to September brings crisp air and cold nights; summer hits 45°C. Namibia is a self-drive country: a 2WD does everything except the final five kilometres of sand (shuttle available), and about £1,600 per person covers a week of car hire, park fees and mixed camping and lodges.