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 Namib-Naukluft Park © Judith Duk The Namib Desert is the oldest and most arid desert region in
the world, having been around for more than 80 million
years. In the Nama language, ‘Namib’ means 'vast', a
description perfectly suited to the miles of barren landscape
stretching endlessly along Namibia’s Atlantic coastline.
The northern Namib is called the Skeleton Coast, an intensely
mysterious, inhospitable area of treacherous rocks and sand banks,
dry gravel plains and isolated, flat-topped mountains. The bleak
wilderness is especially eerie when blanketed in the thick coastal
fog that is brought about by the collision of cold sea air with the
searing heat of the harsh interior. Sailors washed ashore from
shipwrecks over the centuries soon became the skeletons that the
coastline was named after, having no chance of survival in the
pitiless wastes of the Namib Desert. Its appeal lies in the
untouched quality, the colours and changing moods of the vast
landscape, and the incredible adaptations to the desert habitat of
its flora and fauna.
The southern Namib forms part of the Namib-Naukluft Park, one of
Africa’s most interesting and diverse nature reserves,
including Sandwich Lagoon, an important wetland area for migratory
birds, as well as canyons, rivers, and the Naukluft mountain
massif, home to many species of animal, particularly the
Hartmann’s mountain zebra. This section of the Namib Desert
is characterised by an endless sea of orange sand dunes, and the
famous Sossusvlei dunes, the highest in the world.
Emerging from the desert stretch, and situated along the
coast, is the charming little seaside resort of Swakopmund
with its distinctly German character and old world charm.
Attractions
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Sossusvlei
One of Namibia's highlights is the clay pans of Sossusvlei, in
the Namib Desert, enclosed by magnificent ochre sand dunes. The
Sossusvlei dunes are among the highest in the world, reaching more
than 960ft (300m), and are a wondrous sight of endless rolling
shapes and sharp wind-sculpted crests. Although they have been
developed over a period of millions of years, their forms are
constantly changing, rising and falling at the mercy of the wind. A
climb to the top of one of these 'hills' is well worth the effort,
especially at sunrise or sunset, when the view of shifting sand,
stretching as far as the eye can see, is an ethereal landscape of
shapes and colours. The most impressive pan is Dead Vlei, a vast
hollow depression of dry cracked mud scattered with ancient
camel-thorn trees. The colours and contrasts here are a
photographer's delight. The pans (vleis) are only ever filled with
water after heavy rainfall, which happens only every couple of
years, but the solid clay layers hold the water for a long time,
providing a habitat for countless water birds and a drinking hole
for animals. The beautiful black and white Oryx (a large,
spiral-horned antelope) is occasionally spotted in the meagre shade
of the thorn trees, lizards leave their tiny trails on the pristine
mounds of sand, and the black 'tok tokkie' beetle is commonly seen
stumbling over the sun-baked jigsaw puzzle pieces of the red clay
surface. The area is also home to ostriches and springbok.
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Opening time: Sunrise to sunset;
Admission: N$ 20.
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Swakopmund
Swakopmund is an enchanting little seaside town in the middle of
the Namib Desert. Often described as 'a slice of Germany on the
edge of the desert', it has many fine German colonial buildings and
a distinctly German character. Along with the region's food
specialities of rock lobster, fish and Swakopmund oysters,
traditional German fare, including sausages and pastries, can be
enjoyed, and among the residents German is widely spoken. The
stretch of coast is particularly known for its angling, and the
surrounding dunes of the desert provide many opportunities for sand
boarding, quad biking and paragliding.
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 Discover the world's highest sand dunes and some of Africa's
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 Experience magnificent Namibia with Africa Travel Centre, the
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