Namib Desert — Local services in Hardap

The Namib Desert is a vast place that broadly represents the desert coastline of southern Africa stretching from the northern part of South Africa past the Angola border.

It is an area that includes the UNESCO World Heritage Sand Sea, numerous sand dunes, endless kilometres of gravel plains, mountain outcrops, canyons and other areas which have been shaped by a million years of arid conditions and limited rain.

Visitors to Namibia can experience the Namib Desert in a handful of locations. Almost everyone includes stops at the immensely popular Sossusvlei to see the famous dunes and the ancient acacia trees at Deadvlei while many other manage to see coastal towns like Walvis Bay and Swakopmund and designated National Parks which stretch from the northern to southern borders of the country.

Others manage to spend places in more remote locations like the desolate Skeleton Coast, which is lined with historic shipwrecks or the the ghost towns, abandoned diamond mines and other geographical wonders like Fish River Canyon, which is the 2nd largest in the world after the Grand Canyon in the USA.

Road conditions in commonly visited areas are fine for self-drive experiences and small group tours. However, local transportation is more or less non-existent. Visitors can travel to hard to reach locations in the Namib desert by way of long 4 by 4 drives or charter flights.

A quicker way to explore parts of the Namib are by way scenic flights from places like Swakopmund. We recently enjoyed a circular flight (2 hours and 10 minutes) that included the Kuiseb Canyon, Sossusvlei and sights along the Skeleton Coast. Seeing parts of the desert from the sky is equally if not more impressive then viewing at ground level.

Like most deserts, there is a surprising amount of life that thrives in the harsh conditions of the Namib desert. Plenty of oryx, springbok and jackals can be spotted amongst the hills and roadsides. Mountain zebra and even wild horses make claim to area in the Namib, while geckos and other lizards, interesting insects and plenty of birdlife make the desert their homes in many of the places you can visit. There are even flourishing flamingo and seal colonies along the coastline.

In the end, the Namib desert is extraordinary place with dramatic landscapes that make for remarkable photographs and experiences for those who are able to travel to spend time in this harsh but beautiful area...

😊Oldest desert on Earth. The Namib is a coastal desert in southern Africa. The name Namib is of Nama origin and means "vast place". According to the broadest definition, the Namib stretches for more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa, extending southward from the Carunjamba River in Angola, through Namibia and to the Olifants River in Western Cape, South Africa. The Namib's northernmost portion, which extends 450 kilometres (280 mi) from the Angola-Namibia border, is known as Moçâmedes Desert, while its southern portion approaches the neighboring Kalahari Desert. From the Atlantic coast eastward, the Namib gradually ascends in elevation, reaching up to 200 kilometres (120 mi) inland to the foot of the Great Escarpment.  Annual precipitation ranges from 2 millimetres (0.079 in) in the most arid regions to 200 millimetres (7.9 in) at the escarpment, making the Namib the only true desert in southern Africa. Having endured arid or semi-arid conditions for roughly 55–80 million years, the Namib may be the oldest desert in the world and contains some of the world's driest regions, with only western South America's Atacama Desert to challenge it for age and aridity benchmarks. (Where there are places where it has...

The Namib is a coastal desert in southern Africa. The name Namib is of Nama origin and means "vast place". According to the broadest definition, the Namib stretches for more than 2,000 kilometres or 1,200 mi along the Atlantic coasts of Angola. Namib is well known for the world's oldest desert and has been in existence for some 43 million years, remaining unchanged in its present form for the last 2 million years. The most widespread and dominant type of desert sand dune are linear dunes, with crescent shaped dunes common along the coast and clusters of star dunes, such as the towering horseshoe of dunes at Sossusvlei, found in the eastern reaches of the sand sea. Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert is the one attraction that should not be missed while you are in Namibia; the dunes are amazing and even though this is a popular tourist destination it is still easy to gain a sense of solitude while climbing one of the dunes or walking to Dead or Hidden Vlei. The Namib Desert section of the Namib-Naukluft Park also includes the Swakop and Kuiseb...