Namibia Parks
Lizzie is a reputed guidebook writer and author of the Footprint guides to South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
One of the world’s oldest and most scenic deserts, famous for its majestic giant dunes
I am always blown-away by the beauty of Sossusvlei; the Namib Desert’s towering rust-red sand dunes blown into razor-sharp ridges by the wind is easily one of the most spectacular and powerful landscapes in Africa. The best time to visit is at sunrise, when the constantly changing play of light gives the desert remarkable tints and textures. Climbing one of the dunes is a must, and it doesn’t matter how many other people are scrambling up the sandy walls; for me, the essence of timelessness and the sense of solitude is an unforgettable experience. If you’ve got the cash to splash, other alternatives are a scenic flight from Swakopmund or a hot air balloon from Sesriem for an aerial perspective of the endless rippling sea of dunes. On the rare occasions when it rains, the desert responds amazingly quickly, producing a miracle of sprouting grasses.
