This southwestern sector of Namibia contains some the most beautiful and accessible desert scenery in the country.
Most famous are the huge red dunes of
Sossusvlei, some of the largest in the world and extremely impressive. Also a base for ballooning, quadbiking, horseriding and with some excellent lodges, this is the area which features in a higher proportion of Namibia trips than any other.
The
Namibrand nature reserve immediately to the south is an equally stunning if slightly more subtle area of desert, renowned for its exclusive lodges and excellent guided walking trails. A fantastic extension to the relatively more hectic
Sossusvlei.
Of generally less interest are the harsh open landscapes of the
North Namib, whose lodges tend to be used more as transit stops rather than destinations in their own right.