Namib Desert

• The world’s oldest desert
• Contains the world’s highest sand dunes at Sossusvlei
• Falls within the Namib Naukluft Park

The Namib Desert is estimated to be around 130-million-years old and is one of the most impressive scenic landscapes in Africa. It forms part of the Namib Naukluft Park, the largest conservation area in Namibia at 50,000 km². 

The vast desert has many different habitats, from rocky plains with rugged mountains to a sea of rippling sand dunes  – an unforgettable sight. A vast array of interesting creatures and plants has evolved to fit into this seemingly inhospitable landscape; like the desert-adapted rhino and elephant.

Within the Namib are fascinating attractions like Kuiseb Canyon and Sandwich Harbour, where the dunes meet the sea. 

Special features include:

• Sossusvlei
  This is the most accessible place in the Namib Desert for visitors to climb dunes of up to 300m high and to gain a sense of what it is like to be surrounded by only dunes in hues of golden and orange. Sossusvlei is actually a pan, which very periodically, after heavy rains, fills with water. When the pan has water, the contrast with the dunes is spectacular
  
• Sesriem
  This canyon is situated west of the Naukluft Mountains, where the Tsauchab River plunges into a steep gorge and extends along deep, dark pools that provide nourishment for animals and birds in the region
  
• Welwitschias
  One of the most remarkable aspects of the Namib Desert, is the Welwitschia Mirabilis,
  Endemic to the Namib and one of the most rare plants in the world is the Welwitschia, a dwarf tree which lives for 2000 years or longer and in its lifetime produces a single pair of leaves.