Sossusvlei is a dry salt and clay plateau surrounded by red dunes in the southern part of the Namib Desert in Namib-Naukluft National Park of Namibia.
During a short wet period, usually in February, the plateau is filled with the waters of the Tsauchab River. The main vegetation of Sossusvlei is camel acacia. Sossusvlei is one of the three areas of the Namib-Naukluft Park,Namibia Wildlife Resorts Government Accommodation offers pre-sunrise and post-sunset trips to Sossusvlei, all other visitors are only allowed to enter between sunrise and sunset. Close to the Sossusvlei are the Dodevlei and the Hidden Vlei. These special places can be reached by road via the town of Sesriem. Sossusvlei is the most visited tourist site in Namibia.
Access : Coordinates: -24.733333, 15.366667 / From the park entrance to the Namib-Naukluft National Park near Sesriem, a 65-kilometer asphalt road lined with dunes leads towards Sossusvlei, which branches off the main road C27.
Highlights :
- Sossusvlei has been part of the Namib Sand Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 21, 2013. The surrounding orange-colored dunes are among the highest in the world, with a height difference of up to more than 380 meters compared to the pan. The tallest among them is Big Daddy, also known as Crazy Dune. The orange color of the sand is caused by iron oxide, black areas of the dunes consist of magnetite.
- Dune of Elim : The Dune of Elim is located 5 km from Sesriem, it can be reached by taking a detour that starts from the main road that connects Sesriem to Sossusvlei.
- Dune 45 : Dune 45 was named after it because it is located at the 45th km of the road that leads from Sesriem to Sossusvlei. Informally, the 45 is defined as “the most photographed dune in the world”. Dune 45 is a well-known viewpoint.
- Big Daddy is the highest dune in the Sossusvlei area and in the world ? it is about 390 m high (the exact height, being a sand dune, is variable).it faces another massive dune, called Big Mama. In the Sossusvlei area there are several other dunes higher than 300 m Dune 9, for example, is about 350 m high.
- Deadvlei (or Dead Vlei) is an area famous for its tree skeletons of dead trees. This depression characterized by a white sand soil, similar to Sossusvlei it is located about 2 km by road from Sossusvlei. Deadvlei is another very photographed place.
- Hiddenvlei is the third most famous vlei in the area. It is located 2 km from the 2×4 parking, and is the destination less frequented by tourists.
- The “petrified dunes” or “fossil dunes” are located outside the park, about 60 km before the entrance to Sesriem, on the road between Sesriem and the nearby town of Solitaire.
- From Swakopmund and Walvis Bay it is possible to take scenic flights over Sossusvlei with small touring aircraft, and from Sesriem balloon excursions depart.
- Due to the elegance and variety of its landscapes and its color contrasts, the Sossusvlei area is one of the icons of Namibia and one of the most photographed places in southern Africa.
- Sossusvlei has been filmed for countless commercials and films, often as the setting for fantasy-type sequences.
Go next : Town of Sesriem / Near the park entrance is the Sesriem Canyon / Lüderitz , a town in the Karas Region of southern Namibia known for its colonial architecture.
