Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Thursday and Saturday of the first three weeks of each month. The price of N$100 per
person includes accommodation at the
Hikers' Haven
hut on the night before and after
the hike, as well as camping at trailside shelters and the
Ubusis Canyon Hut.
In addition,
you'll have to pay N$80 per person per day and another N$10 per day for each vehicle
you leave parked. Groups must comprise three to 12 people.
Due to the typically hot, dry conditions and lack of reliable natural water sources, you
must carry at least 3L to 4L of water per person per day, as well as food and emergency
supplies.
Getting There & Away
The Naukluft is best reached via the C24 from Rehoboth and the D1206 from Rietoog;
petrol is available at Büllsport and Rietoog. From Sesriem, 103km away, the nearest ac-
cess is via the dip-ridden D854.
SESRIEM & SOSSUSVLEI
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Appropriate for this vast country with its epic landscapes - its number-one tourist attrac-
tion - Sossusvlei still manages to feel isolated. The dunes, appearing other-worldly at
times, especially when the light hits them just so, are part of the 32,000 sq km sand sea
that covers much of the region. The dunes reach as high as 325m, and are part of one of
the oldest and driest ecosystems on earth. However, the landscape here is constantly chan-
ging - wind forever alters the shape of the dunes, while colours shift with the changing
light, reaching the peak of their brilliance just after sunrise.
The gateway to Sossusvlei is Sesriem (Six Thongs), which was the number of joined
leather ox-wagon thongs necessary to draw water from the bottom of the nearby gorge.
Sesriem remains a lonely and far-flung outpost, home to little more than a petrol station
and a handful of tourist hotels and lodges.
Sights & Activities
Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei, a large ephemeral pan, is set amid red sand dunes that tower up to 200m above
the valley floor and more than 300m over the underlying strata. It rarely contains any wa-
ter, but when the Tsauchab River has gathered enough volume and momentum to push
beyond the thirsty plains to the sand sea, it's completely transformed. The normally
NATURAL SITE
