At 19,215 mi² (49,768 km²), Namib-Naukluft is one of the largest parks in the entire world. It is named after the Namib Desert, the world’s oldest desert,
but also contains savannah grasslands, gypsum and quartz plains, granite mountains, an estuarine lagoon and wetlands, a canyon, and of course, enormous
sand dunes. The most famous sand dunes are located at Sossusvlei, including “Big Daddy” at an incredible 1,100 ft (325 ). Though requiring a strenuous
60 to 90-minute trek, reaching the top affords a photogenic, eerie view of the “Dead Vlei” – a white pan containing scattered skeletons of acacias
that perished over 800 years ago. Make sure to arrive early: the sunrise paints the dunes with beautiful hues of red and orange.
Though very arid and seemingly inhospitable, the park is actually a viable biome of desert-adapted flora and fauna, thanks to the condensation from Atlantic
Ocean sea mists. Such unique creatures include the Plamato gecko, shovel-nosed lizard, Namib golden mole, gemsbok (oryx), springbok, mountain zebra,
and ostrich. Arguably the best way to experience this incredible landscape of endless dunes is on a hot-air balloon flight, followed by a delightful
breakfast set up in the middle of the Namib Desert.
