Sesriem is a small settlement in the Namib Desert in Namibia near the southern end of the Naukluft Mountains. The place is especially known as the “Sesriem Gate”, which is the main entry point for visitors to the Namib-Naukluft National Park from nearby tourist-attractive Sossusvlei.
There are many other settlements in Namib, and Sesriem is essentially a supply station for basic services such as a public telephone and a few smaller kiosks where passengers can get general amenities such as food and water. There are several accommodation facilities in the Sesriem area, a few lodges and at least 24 backpack camps.
Sesriem Campsite and Sossus Dune Lodge are 5 km from Sesriem Canyon, and there is a parking lot near the canyon where tourists can leave their vehicles and take a walk along the gorge.
Sesriem Canyon is now one of Namibia’s most popular tourist attractions.
Access : Coordinates: -24.518611, 15.1 / By plane
A couple of kilometers east of Sesriem is an unpaved runway (IATA: GLU). Before Sesriem, regular or charter flights are carried out from Windhoek (Eros Airport), Swakopmund and other country’s GDP. / By car : Sesriem can only be reached via gravel roads.
Highlights :
- Sesriem Canyon is located in the west of Namibia, 4.5 kilometres from the gates of the Namib National Park and 60 kilometres from the famous “kingdom of sand dunes” – the Sossusvlei plateau
- At the Sesriem Gate, hot air balloons rise to fly in the early morning hours, providing a picturesque flight over the dunes of Sossusvlei.
- Sesriem Canyon : Sesriem is also known for its canyon, which is about 4 km away from Sesriem and is the second most important tourist attraction in the area. It is a natural canyon along the Tsauchab River, carved into local sedimentary rocks, about a kilometer long and up to 30 meters deep.
- “Sesriem gate” is the main access point to the Namib-Naukluft National Park
- The Sossusvlei has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage of the Namib Sand Sea since June 21, 2013. In the general understanding, the entire area, including the surrounding dune landscapes and Vleis, is also referred to as Sossusvlei. It is one of the three areas of the Namib-Naukluft Park (next to Naukluft and Namib).
Fees / permits : A fee is payable at the entrance to the national park
Note : The gate opens at sunrise and closes at sunset./ Right behind the gate, within the restricted area, there is a campsite and a little further the state Sossus Dune Lodge. From there it is also possible to drive to the Vlei before sunrise.
Go next : Sossusvlei ,a clay plateau in the central part of the Namib Desert. / Etosha National Park. / Skeleton coast
