Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei is a common tourist destination in the southern part of the Namib Desert, Namibia. The word "vlei" is an Afrikaans word that means "valley" and Sossusvlei is a small valley between the dunes which sometimes gets snow! The name of the 'town' (i.e. petrol station) is Sesriem, also the name of a nearby canyon.
Understand
Deserts, though they are very harsh, are a delicate ecosystem with a surprising amount of life living around and underneath the dunes. Keep this in mind when roaming around and driving in the area.
The Namib Desert is the oldest desert in the world and stretches over 1,500km from the Orange River in the south into Angola in the north. There is a wide range of landscapes in the Namib, from gravel, to rocky mountains to huge dunes in varying colours of sand. The dunes of the Namib plunge straight into the Atlantic Ocean, and though Sossusvlei isn't near the coast, this is quite a remarkable sight.
Get in
Sossusvlei is the better part of a day's drive from Windhoek. There are some rather difficult mountain passes on some secondary roads, so you'll have to choose your route wisely if you don't bring a high-clearance vehicle (there are several routes from Windhoek. The best route without nasty mountain passes would be from the south-central town of Mariental. On the other hand, the passes provide excellent viewpoints.
The road from the accommodations in Sesriem to Sossusvlei itself is not tarred all the way, so you will either need an all-wheel-drive, or take one of the local shuttles which run regularly.
Several tour companies operate tours from Windhoek and Swakopmund to Sossuvlei, so then you don't have to worry about the driving at all.
See
- Sesriem Canyon A small canyon just south of the petrol station. It's a nice place to watch the sunset, and you can easily climb down into the canyon and walk along the dry riverbed.
- The Namib Desert All around, dunes ranging from 100m-450m, including some petrified dunes.
- Sossusveli and Dead Vlei two valleys side-by-side in the Namib. One has living trees, and on rare occasions gets snow or rain. The other is completely cut off from all water sources and the trees are just dead stumps.
Do
- Watch the sunrise This sounds like a see activity, but is actually very much a do thing. Climb dune 45 (or any other) in the dark and then watch the sunrise in the world's oldest desert.
- Hike in the Namib Hike from the end of the tarred road in to Sossusvlei. Get some nice close contact with dried mud flats, dunes, and the odd animal. Don't get lost.
Eat
The only place to get food, other than at fancy resort restaurants, is from the small general store at the Sesriem petrol station.
Drink
There is a bar at the Sesriem campground where most people hang out after a hard day of hiking in the desert.
Sleep
There are a number of luxury resorts in the surrounding area, as well as a government-run campground with good facilities which is very close to Sossusvlei.
Stay safe
Don't get lost while wandering in the desert. And remember to drink plenty of water (as you should be doing throughout your time in Namibia, as it is a very dry country).