FlyNamibia April 2022

Page 12

Discovering

Sossusvlei with

Safari

Proclaimed in 1979, the Namib-Naukluft Park is an amalgamation of several areas into one nature reserve. It is the largest conservation area in the country and home to one of Namibia’s top tourist attractions, the legendary Sossusvlei, a spectacular white pan surrounded by some of the highest sand dunes in the world. SOSSUSVLEI

Many visitors to Namibia say that no part of the desert is visually more dramatic than Sossusvlei with its monumentally high dunes. These gigantic star-shaped mountains of sand – one of the largest was measured from the base as 325 metres high – are a sought-after topic for artists and photographers. The warm tints of the sand contrast vividly with the dazzling white surfaces of the large deflationary clay pans at their bases. One of these, referred to as Dead Pan, is a large ghostly expanse of dried white clay, punctuated by skeletons of ancient camel-thorn trees, carbon-dated as being between 500 and 600 years old. Sossusvlei’s mountainous dunes lie at the end of an erosional trough formed by the Tsauchab River. They are shaped by strong multi-directional winds, primarily the southwester, and have three to five sinuous crests, which meet at the highest point to give them their characteristic star shapes. Visitors are allowed access to Sossusvlei only between sunrise and sunset. The first 60 km of the road from Sesriem to

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Sossusvlei has a permanent surface and is suitable for sedan cars, whereas the last five-kilometre stretch of sandy track is negotiable by 4x4 vehicles only. A shuttle service is available for people who do not want to hike the last 5 km.

SESRIEM CANYON

The permit office complex for entry to Sossusvlei and other destinations in this section of the park is at Sesriem. Four kilometres south from here is Sesriem Canyon, where the erosion of many centuries has incised a narrow gorge about 1 km in length. At the foot of the gorge, which plunges down 30–40 metres, are pools that become replenished after good rains. Sesriem derives its name from the time when early pioneers tied six lengths of rawhide thongs together to draw water from these pools. To early inhabitants, the gorge was an important water source in an otherwise waterless area. Even during very dry times there is water in the upper reaches of the canyon, where the deep clefts reduce evaporation. The Tsauchab River flows through the Sesriem Canyon and continues down to Sossusvlei.


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Articles inside

Bellhaus Atelier & Galerie

5min
pages 62-63

Flame-licked lashes

4min
page 59

Medical assistance from above

3min
page 57

ROYAL HUSTLERS

4min
page 55

Breaking the cycle of striving for perfection

4min
page 53

The good business sense of sound environmental and social practices

6min
pages 50-51

Global Monetary Policy Normalisation

5min
pages 46-47

15 min sweat set with Ena

2min
page 45

Discovering the Etosha National Park with Fly Namibia

4min
pages 42-43

GOOD VIBES ONLY

4min
page 41

Go slow on the banks of four rivers

8min
pages 38-39

10 minutes with local taste makers

4min
page 37

Discovering the Coast with Fly Namibia

5min
pages 34-35

THE TRIBE

3min
page 33

SHOP LOCAL-ish

4min
pages 30-31

NAMIBIA: AN ANCIENT LAND Fragile and vulnerable

3min
pages 26-27

Godenfang Urban Farm and Kitchen

2min
page 25

art-ist

4min
pages 22-23

SPICY LEG OF LAMB

2min
page 21

Living the dream in Cape Town

5min
pages 16-19

IRDNC and the desert giants of the northwest

4min
page 15

Discovering Sossusvlei with Fly Namibia

4min
pages 12-13
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