4 Best Sights in Namibia

If you're not up to trudging up the steep edges of sand dunes, head in the direction of Sossusvlei and take a shorter, gradual walk from the parking lot to the much-photographed Dead Vlei. This stark white dried pan is dotted with dead, black camel thorn trees, thought to be almost 900 years old, and surrounded by red sand dunes. The image of Dead Vlei is almost synonymous with Namibia and is as picturesque as it is remarkable.

If you're not traveling by 4x4 you can park at the 2x4 parking and pay to take the NWR shuttle (it runs all day long and costs N$200 return) that covers the 5 km (3 miles) to Sossusvlei.

Though you may have already visited higher or more visually stunning dunes, the Swakop dune belt is well worth a visit (especially Dune 7) for its easy access from Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, and for the wealth of tours available, including a truly fascinating search for the numerous—and normally invisible—creatures thriving in this surreal ecosystem of the Namib Desert. Activities within the dunes include quad-biking, camel rides, sandboarding, hikes, 4x4 drives, and horseback rides.  Generally, the dunes are visited on a tour and your activities would be organized through the operator.

If you're in good shape, you can hike to the top of Big Daddy, the highest sand dune in Namibia at around 360 meters (1,181 feet). It's tough going: around an hour of very hot trudging and wading through ankle- and sometimes knee-deep sand to climb along the ridge that overlooks the famous Dead Vlei (where ghostly skeletons of ancient camel thorn trees jut up from a flat, sandy, dried-up lake). If you don't feel up to any physical exertion at all, then sit in the shade of camel thorn trees at the bottom of the dunes and watch the birdlife, or focus your binoculars on the distant climbers.

If you're fairly fit, it's well worth climbing the towering Elim Dune, the nearest sand dune to Sesriem, about 5 km (3 miles) away; it will take you more than an hour, but the superb views of the surrounding desert and gravel plains are infinitely rewarding. Be warned: dune climbing is exhausting, so make discretion the better part of valor. This is an excellent place to photograph the early-morning or late-afternoon light as it's a lot closer to the park's entrance gate.