- Namibia
- 4,976,800 hectares (49,768 km²)
- 1907 (Expanded significantly in 1978)
- Erongo, Hardap, Karas
- Desert-adapted species (Oryx, Springbok, Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra).
- No risk.
- ~24°32′S 15°19′E
- Partially fenced; many areas are open to the wider Namib Desert.
- Giant sand dunes, gravel plains, inselbergs, and rugged mountain canyons.
- for cooler climbing temperatures; year-round for photography.
This is the largest game park in Africa and home to the world’s oldest desert. While not a traditional "Big Five" destination, it protects the iconic red dunes of Sossusvlei and the eerie "Dead Vlei," offering some of the most photographed landscapes on the planet.
- Sesriem Gate (for Sossusvlei), Naukluft Gate (for mountains).
- * ~4 hours drive to Sesriem.
- ~5 hours drive.
- Many lodges (e.g., Kulala, Sossusvlei Desert Lodge) have private strips.
- Accessible via C-rated gravel roads; 4x4 is recommended for the corrugated surfaces, though 2WD can reach Sesriem.
- Gravel to Sesriem; the last 5km to Sossusvlei is deep sand (4x4 or shuttle only).
- Towering apricot-colored dunes reaching up to 300 meters.
- A white clay pan punctuated by 900-year-old dead camel thorn trees.
- Rugged dolomite cliffs and crystal-clear mountain pools.
- The national animal of Namibia, perfectly adapted to survive without drinking water.
- Shy populations of Leopard, Cheetah, and Brown Hyena.
- Shovel-nosed lizards and the Fog-basking beetle, which "harvests" water from sea mist.
Mild days, freezing nights
and climbing Big Daddy or Dune 45 without heatstroke.
Beautiful light for photography, but the heat can be punishing during the day.
- The primary "safari" goal here.
- The most iconic way to see the "Dune Sea" at sunrise.
- The Naukluft mountains offer world-class multi-day treks.
Namib-Naukluft is a journey into deep time. It is a destination for the soul and the lens, offering a profound sense of solitude and the most spectacular desert scenery in the world.