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SOSSUSVLEI WILDERNESS
CAMP
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Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp, situated just outside the Namib Naukluft Park,
is built close to the top of a mountain providing a spectacular view over
the desert valley and surrounding mountains. |
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Sossusvlei itself means 'the gathering place of water' in
the local Nama language, and, odd as it may seem, in good years seasonal
rains in the foothills of the Naukluft and Tsaris Mountains succeed in
reaching the vleis, creating temporary lakes that mirror the sand dunes
surrounding them.
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There are nine superbly
appointed chalets, each with a plunge pool
on a raised wooden deck. The bedrooms and
en-suite bathrooms all have panoramic views
of the surrounding plains and dunes in the
distance. The main area is under thatch with
an outdoor deck where guests enjoy
sundowners or dinner under the stars, while
breakfasts are sometimes served under camel
thorn trees amongst the dunes. The clear
African night skies are viewed through a
powerful telescope from the stargazing
platform.
Sossusvlei is situated within the Namib
Desert which itself is part of the Namib
Naukluft National Park that stretches 400km
south of Walvis Bay and is sandwiched
between the west coast and the escarpment
that runs parallel more than 100km inland.
The camp is named after
the nearby world-famous Sossusvlei, an
enormous clay pan, flanked by the famous red
sand dunes that stand out starkly against
the blue sky. These dunes - the most
well-known being Big Daddy or Dune 45 - have
developed over millions of years, the wind
continuously remodelling the contours of
this red sand sea. The 'vlei' itself only
fills after rare heavy rainfall when, in a
complete turn-around, it becomes a
spectacular turquoise lake.
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