Namibian Desert Dunes
Sunset Safari Dinner
Namibian Desert Dunes - Sossusvlei
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NAMIBIA
A country
of contrasts straddled between two
deserts, The Namib Desert along its
coastline and the Kalahari Desert
in the Eastern interior. The country
comprises of 800 000 km2, with a population
of only one and a half million people.
Rich colourful African culture is
blended with German, European and
South African traditions, resulting
in a unique atmosphere. Namibia is
a mature safari destination.
There
are daily flights into the Capitol
city of Windhoek, as well as Walvis
Bay on the coast. From these points,
your safaris in Namibia commences
to Etosha National Park, the dunes
of Sossusvlei, the interior of Damaraland
and the Kaokoveld, and the unique
Skeleton Coast. Private landowners
in Namibia has played a signficant
role in the conservation of wildlife
the largest of these being the NamibaRand
game reserve.
At present, there are one hundred
and eighty two private reserves registered
in Namibia. Here follows some details
of the most popular areas.
Sossusvlei
is the most popular destination in
the Southern region of Namibia, with
it's monumental dunes the highest
which has been measured from it's
base as being 325m. These star shaped
dunes are a south-after topic by artists
and photographers.
The dunes were formed by strong winds
and are at their highest and most
spectacular where the west flowing
Tsauchab River empties itself into
the vlei. The tints of the sand, ranging
from apricot to orange, red and maroon,
contrasts wit the dazzling white surfaces
of the clay pans. If there has been
sufficient rain, the river come down
and fill the main pan, drawing flamingos
and other aquatic birds.
Swakopmund is the gateway to Sossusvlei,
although fly-in safaris also commence
from Windhoek.
The
NamibRand nature reserve located close
to Sossusvlei, extending over nearly
200 000 ha sharing a common border
of nearly 100km with the Naukluft
Park to the west, while the imposing
Nubib mountain range forms a natural
border to the east. The attraction
of the NamibRand is the diversity
of different landscapes representing
virtually all facets of the Namib
Desert. The variety of fauna and flora
is as fascinating as the colour and
nuances of the landscape which change
continuously as the day progresses.
Nambi-Naukluft
Park is a sanctuary originally created
for Hartmanns mountain Zebra and subsequently
amalgamated with the Namib Desert
Park. Facailites in this park are
basic camping. The area is popular
for 4x4 trails, as it presents the
ultimate in off-road driving skills.
The
Skeleton Coast Park in the northern
Namib, extends from the Ugab River
northwards for about five hundred
kilometres to the Kunene River, incorporating
Terrace Bay and Torra Bay. The park
is known for its untouched atmosphere
and diverse landscapes and the presence
of desert adapted elephant, springbok
and gemsbok.
The
Kunene region, consisting of Kaokoland
and the northern section of Damaraland,
lies north of the Ugab River and the
Erongo region. It forms the border
between north western Namibia and
Angola.
Etosha
National Park - in Northern Namibia-
the main tourist attraction of Namibia.
Until 1960, Etosha was the largest
game reserve in the world, but the
size has since been reduced by seventy
seven percent. At present its size
is 22 ,270km2 ,still one of the largest
in Africa. The landscape is unique
, due the vast shallow depression
of approximately 5000 km2 of the Etosha
Pan. A series of waterholes along
the southern edge of the pan guarantee
rewarding and often spectacular game
viewing.
In good rain years the pan fills with
water draining southwards from Angola
via a delta-type system of shallow
rivers and oshanas. Drying out in
the winter, to become a vast expanse
of white cracked mud, shimmering with
mirages and spiralling dust.
For
visitors with not too much time available,
we suggest a fly-in safari as due
to vast distances the best of Namibia
cannot be visited in a short space
of time.
OUR
SAFARI CIRCUITS ARE:
1) ETOSHA
NATIONAL PARK
2) NAMIB
NAUKLUFT PARK Which incorporates
SOSSUSVLEI, SESRIEM, THE WELWITSCHIA
TRAIL, SANDWICH HARBOUR, NAUKLUFT
MAOUNTAINS, KUISEB CANYON,
3) THE
SKELETON COAST NATIONAL PARK –
incorporating DAMARALANDand THE KUNENE
RIVER.
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