Experiences in NamibRand | Timbuktu Travel

What to do in NamibRand

Though it would be hard to call anywhere in Namibia crowded, Sossusvlei draws some of the most visitors by far, and NamibRand provides quieter yet equally beautiful alternatives to the most popular dunes. From your remote lodge or camp, there are terracotta sand dunes, massifs, and sparse grasslands as far as the eye can see. The scenery is the main focus in NamibRand (it’s a favourite among photographers), but desert-adapted wildlife can be spotted on drives or horseback rides that allow you to get as close as possible to zebra, oryx and springbok. There’s also the chance to explore on foot and look for tok tokkie beetles, barking geckos and bat-eared foxes, and the ever-mysterious ‘fairy circles’ that have stumped visitors for decades. The stargazing is breathtaking and should you be offered a sleep-out, say yes! For the best view possible and a lifelong memory, book a small-plane or hot air balloon flight over this surreal scene.

Summit the dunes of NamibRand Nature Reserve

When you hear Sossusvlei, we'd bet there's one word in your mind, dunes! Meet your expert guide in the early morning (when the heat is still bareable) to explore Dune Alley where ridges of rust-coloured dunes rise above the stark landscape. Summit to the peak of millenia-old dunes that rise to over 200 metres. Quest to the top of Dune 45, Sossusvlei's most photographed dune or conquer Big Daddy where you'll be rewarded with views over surreal Deadvlei. Spot the tracks of a tiny toktokkie beetle on your way up and don't worry, any footprints you leave behind will be swept away by noon. After much-deserved refreshments, head back to camp.

Discover the ancient trees of Dead Vlei

Within the great, red desert of Sossusvlei, Dead Vlei has lured photographers and nature lovers for years. Join your desert-adapted guide on an excursion to this lunar clay pan where fossilised camel thorn trees form ghostly silhouettes against the amphitheatre of dunes. Your guide will share the 600-year-old story of how these petrified trees came to be. For any shutterbugs amongst you, sunset or sunrise makes for the best photos of this surreal fluke of nature.