Namib-Naukluft Park
The Namib-Naukluft Park on the Western coast of Namibia is the
unequivocal highlight of any journey to this diverse country.
No where on earth do you find such a diversity of desert habitats;
from wind swept dunes, to barren, craggy mountains, to endless, featureless pans. The Namib Desert is a lonely place, and with
very little effort you will find yourself wandering alone amongst
mountains, dunes, and canyons. The beauty is staggering and it
is a place that you will not quickly want to leave. The harsh
serenity sooths the soul and the clear desert nights, viewed from
the crest of a dune, make you feel as if you were drifting through
the infinite depths of outer space.
Practical Informaton:
The Namib-Naukluft Park is huge, encompassing over 23,000 square
miles of desert habitat. Because of its immensity, Overland Explorers
has broken the park into the following three sections: The Naukluft
Mountains, the Sossusvlei dune fields, and the Namib Desert Park.
Each section of the park will be discussed in deeper detail in
its own independent area.
Namib Desert Park:
The Namib
Desert Park is the Northern most section of the park. It is
easily accessible from Swakopmund and offers a variety of desert-scapes
and habitats. There are a variety of different camping options, and as each site is relatively small, it is likely that you will
have the site to yourself. In addition to the spectacular scenery, you may be fortunate enough to see small amounts of game, such
as oryx or ostrich, roaming the desert.
Sossusvlei:
Sossusvlei
is simply the most beautiful, dramatic, awe-inspiring part of
the Namib-Naukluft Park. Its huge dunes, some in excess of 300
meters, tower above the valley floor. The blood red sand gives
them an eerie, haunted look, and as the sun rises over the dunes, they ignite in a firey blaze of crimson. It is Sossusvlei that
draws most people to the Namib-Naukluft Park, and few who visit
are left anything short of speechless.
Naukluft Mountains:
The Naukluft
Mountains are considerbly less dramatic than other parts of
the park, however, they are still worth a visit. The craggy peaks
rise above a system of desert streams and pools, the water stimulating
a splash of emerald in the dusty desert environment. The mountains
provide exceptional hiking opportunities, and it is quite likely
that you will stumble across baboons, kudu, klipspringer, or even
zebra.
Overland Explorers Suggest Itinerary:
Each area of the Namib-Naukluft Park is both spectacular and dramatically
different than the other areas of the park. In fact, they bare
absolutely no resemblance to one another. As such, we at Overland
Explorers strongly recommend that you visit each portion of the
park. You will not be disappointed. The best way to visit all
three main areas of the Namib-Naukluft park is via a loop from
Windhoek. The loop will take a minimum of five or six days at
a leisurely pace, assuming you have your own transport. All roads, except for the final four kilometers to Deadvlei, are exceptional
and can easily be navigated with a 2wd vehicle.
Day 1: Leave Windoek in the morning, driving south on the B1
road. At the town of Rehoboth go west on the C24 road to Kobos, Reitoog, and Bullsport. The road should be well posted and the
route easy to follow. The road may jog at Bullsport, but turn
onto the D854 and follow to the turnoff to the Naukluft Mountains
Park. It will be posted. You will have to open a gate to allow
the vehicle to enter. The road will wind its way down a valley
in the park, and after about 10km, you will reach the park office.
The campsite is about a kilometer further down the road, in a
small canyon, under a canopy of beautiful trees. You should arrive
in the late afternoon, which will allow you to set up camp and
go for a short hike before darkness falls.
Day 2: The drive from Naukluft Mountain Park to Sossusvlei should
not take more than a few hours. Spend the morning hiking, and
drive to Sossusvlei around noon. Again, the roads are excellent
and the drive should be relatively short. Continue following the
D854 road and follow the signs to Sesriem. The road to Sesriem
should be a right turn to the north onto route D826. It will be
well marked. Stay at the Park Campground so you will be able to
reach the dunes of Sossusvlei by sunrise.
Day 3: Rise well before sunrise and drive into the Park. We suggest
that you explore the dunes in the eastern part of the park in
the morning. This is an excellent time to climb Dune 45. Retire
back to camp during the heat of the day and drive to Deadvlei
in the late afternoon. Stay for sunset, then return to camp.
Day 4: Drive north to the town of Solitare. You can get petrol
and supplies at this great small outpost. (You can also see an
entire suricate family.) Continue north on the C14 road to Kusieb
Pass and turn west, entering the Namib Desert Park. Drive into
the park and choose a camp to spend the night. There are many
choices in many different environments, so choose the one that
most suits your preference.
Day 5: Explore the Park at your whim. There are many roads to
take, all of which offer breathtaking scenery. Cut across from
the C14 to the C28 road and drive to Swakopmund to spend the night.
Day 6: Either drive back to Windhoek, or if time permits explore
Swakopmund, Cape Cross, or the Skeleton Coast.
If you follow this itinerary you will see the best of the Namib-Naukuft
Park. Yet you will by no means see everything this huge park has
to offer. If time permits, lengthen your visit and explore this
fabulous Park further. Or, if you are spending a longer period
of time in Namibia, consider heading north to visit Cape Cross, the Skeleton Coast, Epopa Falls, and Etosha National Park.
