There’s an awful lot of sand in Namibia thanks to the Kalahari Desert in the country’s east and the Namib Desert covering the entire length of the west of the country. The landscape is far from monotonous, however, with the changing colours and contours of dunes creating a mesmerising view. One of the most beautiful desert landscapes can be found at Sossusvlei in the south of the country, with its giant red dunes, 1,000-year-old trees of Deadvlei, and the Sesriem Canyon providing a stunning area to explore for a few days.
I did just that on a recent trip to Namibia. Although I have visited the country a number of times before, this was my first trip to Sossusvlei, which is 350km south of the capital Windhoek and just over 400km from the seaside town of Swakopmund where we were staying. The five-hour drive from Swakopmund was an adventure in itself, primarily on gravel roads and enveloped in stunning desert and mountain scenery.
When I say mountains, Namibian mountains are very different to mountains in other parts of the world such as Europe, with the landscape resembling a lunar scene rather than one from The Sound of Music. The journey takes you through canyons and passes, including the Kuiseb Canyon, Kuiseb Pass and Gaub Pass, across desert plains and over the Tropic of Capricorn where everyone stops to take a photo (including me). The scenery is varied, stunning and utterly unspoilt.
Between Walvis Bay and Sossusvlei, Solitaire is the only place to refuel your car. Yo.