Sossusvlei

Located in the southern part of the Namib Desert and part of Namibia’s Namib-Naukluft National Park is Sossusvlei, a salt and clay pan surrounded by world-famous red sand dunes.  Traditionally, the name Sossusvlei only referred to the pan itself, however, nowadays it is used to describe the area of the great plain of the Tsauchab River and the red dunes that are north and south of the plain.

Sossusvlei is characterized by the high sand dunes that are among some of the highest in the world. Geologists consider the Namib Desert to be one of the oldest in the world, and many of the dunes found there have developed over a period of many millions of years. They receive their distinct red colouring from iron oxides in the sand coupled with particles of garnet. The shades vary depending on the age of the dunes with the oldest being the brightest. The largest dune has been nicknamed “Big Daddy” standing over 300 m tall.