Accounting for around half of Namibia’s surface area, the ancient Namib Desert is probably best known for harbouring the world’s tallest dunefields at Sossusvlei
Namibia’s dominant geographic feature is the Namib Desert, large tracts of which are protected in two immense national parks: Namib-Naukluft in the south and Skeleton Coast in the north.
The best-known feature of the Namib, a genuine must-see, is the Sossusvlei area, where several dry pans are enclosed by the world’s tallest sand dunes, rippled apricot beauties that stand up to 300 metres high. The desert receives a paltry annual average rainfall of 15 millimetres, and some areas go years on end without receiving a drop. Yet it still supports a low volume of wildlife, with the handsome gemsbok being perhaps the most common large mammal, often seen walking nobly across the crests of the dunes.