Namibia is with less than 3 million inhabitants, the second most sparsely populated country in the world after Mongolia. The Namib desert is the oldest desert in the world existing for 43 million years now… but of course you already knew these facts 😉 In the middle of this desert you can find the famous Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, a great reason for many tourists to travel to this beautiful country.
‘Sossus’ stands for blind river, referring to the Tsauchab river flowing into the Atlantic Ocean 60.000 years ago but seeps away nowadays. ‘Vlei’ stands for pan, now surrounded by dunes. Because of the wind, many dunes and ‘vleis’ were formed in this 50 km distance to the Ocean, of which Sossusvlei is one of the most famous ones.
Another impressive one nearby is the Deadvlei, which is seperated from the Tsauchab River by a huge dune. Many dead camelthorn trees are a consequence of this. The extreme dry climate does not allow to these trees to rot or break down completely, which results in an amazing scenery!
The nearest small town to the Sossusvlei and Deadvlei is Sesriem. For tourists a must visit place since you need a permit to pass the gates here. Just about a 5 to 10 minutes drive away from here, a visit to Sesriem Canyon and at a same distance in another direction a sunset at Elim dune is completely worth to do.
If you make it all the way to Sesriem and you are not able to wake up early to pass the gate at 5.30 a.m. and drive 45 km’s to see one of the most incredible sunrises at Dune 45, it’ll be one of the biggest errors in life! Luckily we managed to go and witness this mesmerizing moment. About 15 kilometers further you arrive at a parking from where 4 x 4 shuttles take you around to visit these UNESCO heritages.
Without a doubt,the following images are graved in to our memories. A visit to this area was perhaps not easy and requires a little fitness, but it definitely contributed to beautiful Namibia being unforgettable for us!
We hope you’ll enjoy our pictures and you might be triggered to consider a trip to this must-visit place as well:
Sesriem Canyon
Wildlife on the way to climb the Elim Dune
Sunset at Elim Dune
Sunrise at dune 45
Deadvlei
Sossusvlei
