Namib-Naukluft National Park is a vast wilderness of over 31,000 square miles and contains Sossusvlei, Sesriem Canyon, the Welwitschia Trail, Sandwich Harbour, the Naukluft Mountains, and the Kuiseb Canyon. Sossusvlei, with its enormous dunes (some of exceed 1,000 feet in height!) is one of the top destinations in Namibia. Dead Vlei, at the base of one of the largest dunes, is a ghostly expanse of dried white clay, punctuated by skeletons of ancient camel-thorn trees. When there is sufficient rain, the pan collects water and attracts flamingos and other aquatic birds.

Dead Valley Lodge offers drives in the morning and afternoon to Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon. There is a good chance of seeing wildlife, including Hartmann’s mountain zebra, kudu, gemsbok, oryx, klipspringer, duiker, steenbok, baboon, black-backed jackal, and more. The steep cliffs of the mountains provide ideal nesting for various cliff-breeding bird species, especially black eagles.