Namib-Naukluft National Park

Namib-Naukluft National Park is located in the western and south western part of Namibia including various landscapes i.e orange sand dunes, gravel plains, rocky mountains, deep canyons, ephemeral rivers, coastal desert environments and isolated rock formations. The Park covers an area of approximately 49,768 square kilometres with famous towering dunes of Sossusvlei, the stark landscape of Deadvlei, dramatic Sesriem Canyon and the surrounding Namib Desert. The Park is more than a landscape of sand dunes with plants and animals fond of wandering around their natural habitat.

Namib-Naukluft National Park is situated along Namibia’s Atlantic coast stretching inland across a large portion of the Namib Desert including parts of the Namib Sand Sea, the Naukluft Mountains and extensive desert plains. The park covers approximately 49,768 km² making it Namibia’s largest protected area with landscapes extending from the coastal desert toward the escarpment and mountain regions further inland.

Visitors can move from immense dune fields to rocky mountains, river valleys and gravel plains within the same protected area.

The Namib-Naukluft landscape is therefore best understood as a collection of interconnected desert ecosystems. understood as a collection of interconnected desert ecosystems.

The Namib Desert

The Namib-Naukluft Park protects a major part of the Namib Desert, one of the world's oldest and driest deserts.

The Namib extends along the Atlantic coast of southwestern Africa and is influenced strongly by the cold Benguela Current. The cold ocean contributes to the formation of coastal fog, which is one of the most important sources of moisture for life in the region.

Unlike many deserts, where rainfall is the primary source of water, portions of the Namib receive extremely little precipitation and depend heavily on atmospheric moisture that combines extreme aridity, intense sunlight, strong winds, shifting sand, fog, daytime temperatures, low nighttime temperatures.

The Namib Sand Sea

One of the most important features of the park is the Namib Sand Sea a coastal desert including extensive dune fields influenced by fog. It covers about 3,077,700 hectares with an additional buffer zone of about 899,500 hectares. The Namib Sand Sea is remarkable because its sand did not simply form from the erosion of nearby rocks. The result is a huge dynamic landscape of dunes, gravel plains, rocky hills, inselbergs, coastal flats and temporary drainage systems.

Sossusvlei

The Park includes the Sossusvlei which is the most famous attraction. Sossusvlei is a large clay and salt pan surrounded by enormous sand dunes i.e deep orange and red dunes that beautiful at sunrise and sunset creating strong contrasts between the illuminated sand and darker slopes. The surrounding dunes can reach extraordinary heights making the region one of the world's great desert landscapes.

Deadvlei

Deadvlei is located close to the Sossusvlei and also a white clay pan containing the remains of ancient camel-thorn trees that died centuries ago after environmental conditions changed and water from the Tsauchab River could no longer reach the area sufficiently to sustain them. Due to the fact that the environment is extremely dry, the dead trees have decomposed very slowly. This unique combination makes Deadvlei one of Namibia's most recognizable landscapes.

The Sand Dunes

The dunes around Sossusvlei are among the defining features of Namib-Naukluft. Their colors range from pale orange to deep red. The color is associated with iron-rich minerals in the sand, with older sands generally becoming more intensely oxidized.

Wind is the principal force shaping the dunes. Wind direction, sand supply and the physical characteristics of the landscape determine the form and movement of individual dunes.

The dunes are therefore not static mountains of sand. They are constantly being modified by atmospheric processes. This continuing movement is one reason the Namib Sand Sea has such outstanding geological importance.

Other safari attractions in the Park include; the Sesriem Canyon, Naukluft Mountains, Rivers and Water in the Desert,

Climate of the Park is extremely arid.

Climate of the Park varies i.e rainfall is highly unpredictable and varies across the park. Some areas receive only very small amounts of annual rainfall. During the day, exposed desert surfaces can become extremely hot. At night, temperatures may fall considerably, especially during the cooler months. There is fog too as moist air from the Atlantic Ocean moves inland forming fog when it interacts with the colder coastal environment.

The floral species around the Park are Welwitschia mirabilis, Camel-thorn, Shepherd's tree, Commiphora species, Lichens and various desert grasses and shrubs in the different ecological zones i.e the Namib Desert, Succulent Karoo and Nama Karoo biomes.

Wildlife animals you watch include; Oryx or gemsbok, Springbok, Hartmann's mountain zebra, Giraffe, Brown hyena, Leopard, Baboon, Black rhinoceros, reptiles, many insects and other invertebrates. There are more that 348 bird species i.e lappet-faced vulture, Ludwig's bustard, Rüppell's korhaan, dune lark, Herero chat and African black oystercatcher.

The best time to visit Namib-Naukluft National Park

Namib-Naukluft National Park can be visited any time around the year although the Best time to visit the park is during the months of May to October as there are Clear skies, very little rain, cooler temperatures, excellent conditions for visiting Sossusvlei and Deadvlei.

November–March are Hotter and more unpredictableas summer rains produce dramatic skies and occasional desert greenery, but heavy rain can affect some roads.

September is probably the best month to visit as the terrain is very dry, excellent sunrise/sunset conditions and ideal for exploring the dunes.