Chameleon Holidays & Travel for Safaris & Vacations in Africa | Southern Africa | Namibia | Namib Naukluft National Park

Namibia’s most versatile conservation area and one of the country’s major tourist destinations is the Namib-Naukluft Park. An amalgamation of the Namib Desert Park (proclaimed in 1907), the Naukluft Mountain Zebra Park (created in 1966), unoccupied public land and a section of Diamond Area 2, the Namib-Naukluft Park was proclaimed in 1979 as one integrated reserve. Following the addition in 1990 of another portion of Diamond Area 2, it now has a surface area of 49 768 km2.

This vast wilderness contains key features such as Sossusvlei, Sesriem, the Welwitschia Trail, Sandwich Harbour, the Naukluft Mountains and the Kuiseb Canyon. The park is managed as a wilderness area, and accordingly has no large resorts, only serviced camping sites at Sesriem and Naukluft and a number of rudimentary camping sites in the Namib section. There are, however, a large number of private accommodation establishments just outside the park, especially in the vicinity of Sesriem

NAMIB SECTION

Representing the central and southern Namib, ostrich, springbok and gemsbok are especially conspicuous on the desert plains in this section of the park, while Hartmann’s mountain zebra, klipspringer and baboon frequent the canyons of the Swakop and Kuiseb rivers, and leopard and African wild cat the Kuiseb Canyon. Larger predators found here are spotted and brown hyaena, while smaller predators include black-backed jackal and bat-eared fox.

An intriguing host of small creatures have adapted to survive in the Namib dunes. The fog-basking beetle, Onymacris unguicularis, drinks water by positioning itself on the crest of a dune, dropping its head and extending its hind legs. Its back serves as a condensation surface for fog, which then forms droplets and slides downwards towards the mouth. An intriguing ‘thermal dance’ is performed by the shovel-snouted lizard, Aporosaura anchietae, to cope with the extreme heat radiating from dune surfaces.

The Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN) on the banks of the Kuiseb River at Gobabeb has an international reputation for research into the Namib ecology, and plays an active role in environmental education, the latest development being the official inauguration of the Gobabeb Training and Research Centre in May 2005. On open weekends – the dates are announced in the local media – nature lovers are hosted at Gobabeb and introduced to the wonders of the Namib. There are several camping sites in this section of the park where fireplaces and toilets are provided. However, visitors need to be self-sufficient in respect of water, firewood, fuel and food supplies. The campsites are at Kuiseb Bridge (along the C14), Homeb (Kuiseb River), Swakop River (en route to the Welwitschia Plains), Mirabib (between Gobabeb and the C14), Bloedkoppie (spectacular surroundings), Groot Tinkas (four-wheel drive only), Ganab (wide-open spaces), Vogelfeder-berg and Kriess-se-Rus.

SANDWICH HARBOUR

The reed-fringed lagoon at Sandwich Harbour, situated 48 km south of Walvis Bay at the foot of towering ivory-coloured dunes, is a spectacular and photoworthy destination. The lagoon referred to in old texts as Sandfisch Haven, was once an open bay, which became silted up over the years. Today it is sought after by anglers, ornithologists and nature lovers.

The Sandwich area has a strange mystique, enhanced by the legend that buried somewhere in the dunes above the high-water mark is a ship with a rich cargo of ivory, gold and precious stones. This treasure has been searched for by many fortune hunters, but to date has eluded all. The lagoon is fed by fresh water seeping from an inland aquifer, and is a sanctuary for large numbers of coastal and freshwater birds. It is also an important breeding ground for a variety of fish species.

Permits to visit Sandwich are obtainable from the MET office in Swakopmund and at certain service stations in Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. Please note that Sandwich is accessible by 4x4 vehicles only, that in certain areas angling and vehicles are prohibited, that angling is not allowed from 25 January to 15 April, and that overnight camping is not allowed here.

WELWITSCHIA TRAIL

A popular feature of the Namib-Naukluft Park is the Welwitschia Trail, east of Swakopmund. The route is marked with stone beacons designating various attractions and offers a close look at the Welwitschia mirabilis, a botanical curiosity endemic to the Namib Desert. Regarded as one of the most intriguing plants on earth, it sprawls untidily on the desert plains, and is believed to have a lifespan of up to 2 000 years. The plant produces only two leaves throughout its lifetime. The desert winds tear at the two fibrous, evergreen blades, shredding them into strips that curl into snake-like thongs, leaving the tips withered and dry. A large concentration of these plants is found along the Welwitschia Trail.

While this is their most southern distribution, welwitschias occur as far northwards as the south-western corner of Angola. A magnificent specimen, known as the Great Welwitschia and estimated to be about 1 500 years old, can be seen along the Welwitschia Trail.

A scenic desert drive along a proclaimed road through the Namib-Naukluft Park stops at a lookout point over the valley known as the Moon Landscape. Soft overlaying levels of earth, deposited some 450 million years ago, were eroded over millennia to create this eerie landscape. An unexpected cluster of eucalyptus and palm trees on the banks of the Swakop River at the farm Goanikontes surrounds a historic farmhouse dating back to the mid-1850s. In earlier times the farm had a thriving vegetable garden which supplied fresh produce to Swakopmund. Goanikontes is now a popular picnic site.

SOSSUSVLEI

Many visitors to Namibia say that no part of the desert is visually more stunning than Sossusvlei with its monumentally high dunes. These gigantic star-shaped mountains of sand – one of the largest was measured from the base to be 325 m high – are a sought-after topic for artists and photographers. The warm tints of the sand, ranging from pale apricot to brick orange and deep red, contrast vividly with the dazzling white surfaces of the large deflationary clay pans at their bases. One of these, referred to as Dead Pan, is a large ghostly expanse of dried white clay, punctuated by skeletons of ancient camel-thorn trees, carbon-dated as being between 500 and 600 years old. Sossusvlei’s mountainous dunes lie at the end of an erosional trough formed by the Tsauchab River. They are shaped by strong multi-directional winds, primarily the southwester, and have three to five sinuous crests, which meet at the highest point to give them their star shape. These intriguing dune formations are best seen from the air. When it has rained sufficiently in the interior for the Tsauchab River to come down in flood and fill the main pan, flamingos and other aquatic birds are attracted to the water.

There is no accommodation at Sossus-vlei. Visitors are allowed access to the area only between sunrise and sunset. The first 60 km of the road from Sesriem to Sossusvlei has been provided with a permanent surface and is suitable for sedan cars, whereas the last 5-km stretch is negotiable by 4x4 vehicles only. A shuttle service is available for people who do not want to hike the last 5 km.

SESRIEM CANYON

The permit office complex for entry to Sossusvlei and other destinations in this part of the park is at Sesriem. Four kilometres south from here is Sesriem Canyon, where the erosion of many centuries has incised a narrow gorge about 1 km in length. At the foot of the gorge, which plunges down 30–40 metres, are pools that become replenished after good rains. Sesriem derives its name from the time when early pioneers tied six lengths of rawhide thongs together to draw water from these pools.

NAUKLUFT SECTION

The Naukluft section of the park was created to serve as a sanctuary for Hartmann’s mountain zebra, which were competing with livestock for grazing on farms. The farms were purchased by the state and the Naukluft Mountain Zebra Park was proclaimed in 1966. Mountain zebra are endemic to Namibia and the remote south-western section of Angola.

With its massive and varied rock formations, Naukluft is a geologist’s paradise. The intermittent layers of horizontally folded igneous rock, quartzite, dolomite and shale are impressive with their giant symmetrical patterns. Five different vegetation communities within the park ensure a wealth of tree and shrub species, and a variety of aloes.

Naukluft has an interesting history. The Witbooi clan from Gibeon regarded the mountains as their personal hinterland. It was here that they fought many bloody battles with the Germans, the scattered evidence of which can still be seen in the form of graves, trenches, piles of empty cartridge cases and cannon sites. The route along which the Germans transported their cannons up to the plateau is still clearly visible.

Animals found at Naukluft in addition to Hartmann’s mountain zebra are kudu, gemsbok, klipspringer, duiker, steenbok, leopard, baboon, black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox, African wild cat, caracal and aardwolf. Naukluft’s steep cliffs are nesting grounds for various cliff-breeding bird species, including black eagles.

Day visitors are not allowed into Naukluft. For overnight visitors, even short walks in the vicinity of the campsite are rewarding, as there are mountain pools close by.