Sossusvlei Namibia Safaris

NAMBIA SAFARIS AND THE SOSSUSVLEI:

Sossusvlei is an area that is characterised by massive red sand dunes; these dunes are believed to be the highest and the oldest in the world (over 5 million years old)! These Namibian dunes are found in the Namib Desert in the small town of Sesriem. Sossusvlei derived its name from the Afrikaans word ‘vlei’ which means ‘shallow depression filled with water’ or ‘marsh’. This description is rather apt as Sossusvlei is actually a clay pan; clay is generally not a porous surface thus when it rains the water lies in the Sossusvlei clay pan for quite some time. Even though this area is characterised by golden dry sand dunes, it actually does receive rainfall and even snowfall (though both are limited).

It is thought that these sand dunes date back to over millions of years ago and were once formed by the dumping of sand from the Orange River into the Atlantic Ocean… which in turn dumped it back onto land – creating Sossusvlei.

The Sossusvlei area is fed by a river called the Tsuachab River – the dunes actually prevent the entire pathway of this river. The Tsuachab River only flows right through Sossusvlei every 5 to 10 years, making it a rare sight to see.

The Sossusvlei dunes are about 6 0km from the Sesriem gate which is about an hours drive. These dunes can measure up to a massive 300m making it a popular Namibian attraction and a safari highlight. The older a dune, the brighter the colour of the sand; this comes from the iron oxidation that over times creates the rich red colour seen on the dunes… With the colour of the dunes used as an indication of age; it proves that some of the dunes date back millions of years!

The best times to visit these dunes are either at sunrise or at sunset. Midday at Sossusvlei is extremely hot and with the red sand absorbing the midday heat it becomes too hot to enjoy. If you would like to climb one of these magnificent Namibian sand dunes then we recommend doing it when the weather is cooler.

Visiting Sossusvlei requires a permit. Dune 45 is a popular Namibian attraction and is the famous mound that everyone climbs. It is named ‘dune 45’ because it is approximately 45km from Sesriem. This dune is 170m high (nothing compared to the massive 300m high dunes in Sossusvlei) and can easily be climbed barefoot in the cooler times of the day.

Have a look at our Namibia safaris that pass through Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert. Find other Namibian attractions below that you might want to visit on your Namibia Safari.

• Etosha National Park
• Namib-Naukluft
• Mudumo National Park
• Caprivi Strip
• Fish River Canyon
• Kalahari Namibia
• Skeleton Coast
• Susuwe Triangle
• Waterberg Plateau Park
• Ruacana Falls and Epupa Falls
• Swakopmund
• Damaraland
• Spitzkoppe
• Mahango National Park
• Twyfelfontein
• Windhoek
• Namibia Wildlife Resorts
• Brandberg
• Namibia Animals