Immense dunes

The iconic orange dunes of the Namib Desert are the tallest in the world and area extremely impressive. They can easily be scaled if you are reasonably fit.

         Dead Vlei

The real highlight of this area is the incredibly photogenic Dead Vlei, where long deal camelthorn trees stand on a stark white pan, surrounded by dunes.

          Rocky desert

To the east of the dune fields, lie vast expanses of flat rocky desert, punctuated by ranges of granite mountains. Some parts are very scenic.

           Wildlife

 Although not considered a wildlife location, these deserts do host populations of oryx, ostriches, jackals and even cheetahs, as well as a host of smaller desert specialists.

           Ballooning

Sossusvlei is one of the most popular locations in Africa for hot air ballooning. The desert scenery is particularly dramatic when viewed from the air at sunrise.

           Lodge options

This area has an impressive array of accommodation options, from very upmarket lodges to very low cost campgrounds.

            5 to 9 nights

Visits of only 5-9 nights tend to be too short for self-drive trips. It is very possible to combine two or even three remote locations by light aircraft, to make fabulous trips, but these are fundamentally more expensive. Sossusvlei or the nearby Namibrand areas are likely to feature.

           9 to 14 nights

A few high-end flying safaris may stretch to this length, combining four or even five diverse locations. This is the most popular duration for self-drive trips, allowing plenty of time to get around the main locations. Sossusvlei is likely to feature in such trips, since it fits into the natural routing, usually for 2-3 nights.

             15 to 24 nights

The incredibly good value of self-drive trips means that they can often extend to unusually long durations, with more ambitious routes potentially heading all the way up the Caprivi Strip to end at Victoria Falls. Again, Sossusvlei would usually fit into these trips for 2-3 nights.

The cost of safari in Namibia

The cost of safari in Namibia depends very much on your mode of travel.

Self-drive trips tend to fall in the range USD 150 to 500 per person per night, depending mainly on the lodges that you choose.

Flying safaris are fundamentally and unavoidably more expensive, at USD 600 to 2500 per person per night, depending on your group size and lodge selection.

Private-guided overland expeditions fall somewhere in the middle, at USD 400 to 2000 per person per night, depending mainly on your group size.

We are more than happy to work across this range of prices. The only important thing is that we help you find the very best safari to suit your budget.

If you have a higher budget, we will help you determine which lodges do actually deliver elevated levels of service and experience. We will also highlight other subtle ways in which your trip can be raised to another level, including the use of whole camp bookings, private guides and vehicles etc.

If you have a lower budget, then we can help you build superb self-drive safaris, still including great lodges and getting off the beaten track.

Etosha

Although definitely not one of our favourite safari areas, Etosha is the easiest location in Namibia to view high numbers of wildlife, including rhinos and lions.

Twyfelfontein

Another stop of the core self-drive route, Twyfelfontein offers desert elephants, superb geology and some remarkable Bushman rock-art sites.

Skeleton Coast North

For more advanced trips, Skeleton Coast North is a forbidden zone, which is difficult and expensive to access, but is sensationally remote and scenic.

The best lodges in Sossusvlei

The Sossusvlei area has around 20 lodges, the best of which are situated on private conservancies to the east of the reserve.

We are able to include any of these properties in your trip. We ones most like to recommend fall into two categories …

Firstly, there are the truly high-end lodges, which are in the very best locations and offer the highest levels of guiding, hospitality and consistency, suitable for demanding guests.

Secondly, there are the relatively good value camps, which are also in excellent locations and also take their guiding very seriously, but which typically offer lower levels of luxury and have the potential to be slightly less consistent in their delivery, suitable for more easy-going guests.

You can always expect absolute honesty from us when describing the various lodges and camps. Our primary motivation is simply to figure out which ones will suit you the best.

Luxury trips

Our luxury trips to Namibia are mainly flying safari, combining lodges which are in prime locations, where high levels of comfort and service are guaranteed. This does not necessarily mean infinity pools and spa facilities, but it does always mean that you will be hosted and guided by the very best people in the country. That is how to truly guarantee the quality of a safari.

Adventure trips

In our adventure trips to Namibia are mainly self-drive. We use a much wider range of lodges, still in fabulous locations and offering authentic safari experiences, but often at considerably lower cost. More strenuous activities, like walking safari, are likely to feature more prominently. These cool, sometimes edgy lodges tend to be best suited to guests who are a little more outdoorsy and forgiving.

When to go on safari in Sossusvlei

The climate in Sossusvlei follows the usual pattern for this part of the world, with a long dry season Apr-Dec and a short green season Jan-Mar.

However, being closer to the coast, the area experiences even less rainfall than further inland, so the seasonality is a lot less pronounced and safari conditions are pretty favourable year round.

When thinking about seasonality it is important to consider the four aspects of weather, wildlife movements, visitor traffic and prices.

Apr-May : Early dry season

The Apr-May period marks a transition from the preceding summer green season and the subsequent winter dry season.

By this time of year any rainfall is likely to be passed and the chances of the ephemeral rivers flowing is vastly reduced.

In wetter years the landscapes can still be covered with relatively rich foliage. Although these more verdant landscapes are very pretty and the animals are a lot happier, the area can lose that magically stark look and appear more like a conventional prairie environment.

In drier years these months take on a similar character to the subsequent dry season.

Temperatures during the day average around 28C/82F at this time of year, dropping at night to around 16C/61F and possibly sinking a little lower into May as the dry winter conditions start to take hold.

Visitor traffic into this area tends to be relatively low at this time of year, although numbers can rise significantly over Easter. However traffic remains a significant issue.

Jun-Oct : Winter dry season

The Jun-Oct period covers the main winter dry season, the most popular time for visiting Sossusvlei.

With the rains and river floods being long past, the landscapes should have dried out sufficiently that the prairie grasses should be died back, exposing the stark scenery for which the area is renowned.

Temperatures during the day average around 24C/75F at this time of year, dropping at night to around 10C/50F, so a warm jacket may be needed, especially Jun-Aug.

About every five years or so we receive images from this area under snow. It doesn't tend to last long, but it does go to show how cold it can get at night.

Visitor numbers into this area tend to be high to very high at this time of year. Room availability and traffic can be major issues.

Nov-Dec : Late dry season

The Nov-Dec period marks a transition from the preceding winter dry season and the subsequent summer green season.

Although the rains usually arrive into northern Namibia during December or January, the effect is much less pronounced this far west. We have often experienced torrential rain and green season conditions over in Etosha, only to come here and find the place still dry as a bone.

So chances are this will still be a very strong time to visit, with the prairie grasses still died back, exposing the stark desert scenery for which the area is renowned.

The compensating factors of witnessing the arrival of the rain are considerable, with the desert coming into bloom and the animals appearing to be much happier. If you are lucky enough to actually witness the arrival of a flash flood down the Tsauchab River, that would be a real treat.

Temperatures during the day average around 30C/86F at this time of year, dropping at night to around 16C/61F. If there is some modest rain around, then humidities can rise and these daytime conditions could start to feel a little bit uncomfortable.

Visitor traffic into this area tends to be relatively low during the first part of this period, but climbs sharply into the Dec-Jan holiday period. Room availability and traffic can be major issues.

Jan-Mar : Summer green season

The Jan-Mar period is the time of year when Sossusvlei usually experiences its rainfall, if it gets any at all.

If there are significant rains, this can have a dramatic effect on the landscapes, with prairie grasses and other vegetation growing to obscure the stark desert scenery for which the area is renowned.

The compensating factors of being here when it rains can be considerable, with the desert coming into bloom and the animals appearing to be much happier. If you are lucky enough to actually witness a flash flood down the Tsauchab River, that would be a real treat.

Temperatures during the day average around 29C/84F at this time of year, dropping at night to around 17C/63F. If there is some modest rain around, then humidities can rise and these daytime conditions could start to feel a little bit uncomfortable.

Visitor traffic into this area tends to be relatively low at this time of year. However traffic can remain a significant issue.

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           Visitor traffic

Sossusvlei is very popular and can consequently feel a little touristy, especially by contrast with the vast emptiness that chararacterises so much of Namibia.

           Morning rush

Everyone want to see the dunes at sunrise, so there is inherently a bunflight to get into Dead Vlei. If this worries you, then we recommended heading in for last light instead.

           Namibrand

If you want to really upgrade your experience in this area, then you can stay in the private Namibrand Reserve, where traffic is not an issue.