I visited this site in the summer (Dec 2015) as part of an organised tour to Etosha Pan (Etosha NP) and Sossusvlei (Namib-Naukluft NP). This was one of the best travel experiences I've had, despite the oppressive summer heat (this was supposed to happen in winter, Jul 2015, with a friend who made this trip possible). While this trip was a decade ago, I hope readers will pick something useful from this review of my 2-night trip to Sossusvlei. 

Day 1 - Flying to Kulala

I flew from Hosea Kutako (Windhoek) Airport to Kulala Desert Lodge, which is located within the boundary of the national park. The late-morning flight gave a great introduction to the arid Martian-like landscape. Upon arrival, we went straight to the lodge to take shelter from the heat. There was a small pool outside of the dining area to cool off, though I spent the early afternoon eating and just enjoying the breezy thatch-roofed accommodation. Our first activity went on late in the afternoon, which involved driving around the desert, walking around rocky hills, and having a wee picnic while watching the sunset. One advantage of travelling during summer was the longer days, so if organised tours have fixed timings for activities throughout the year, you'd get extra hours of sunshine. Anyway, the sunset was pure magic! It was accompanied by the changing colours of the dunes and sky, from bright yellow to orange to pink and then purple until the stars came out. 

Day 2 - Sossusvlei and Deadvlei

We started early in the morning with a drive towards Sossusvlei. A sealed concrete road runs along a dry valley, which seems to cut through the big dunes to conveniently allow tourists to access the salt and clay pans around Sossusvlei. We have to thank the ephemeral Tsauchab River for that, which formed a drainage basin without outflows. Sossusvlei is aptly named, as its root words "sossus" and "vlei" mean dead-end in Nama and marsh in Afrikaans, respectively.

The drive along the road gave a panoramic view of the high red dunes. How the crests of these dunes slithered down the slope was just wonderful. We admired the dunes and took photos as our guide explained some scientific facts and cultural insights about the dunes. We stopped at Dune 45, where people usually stop to take a break or hike up to see the view of the valley. We then went straight to Sossusvlei and parked our jeep to prepare our way to Deadvlei ("dead marsh"), possibly the most famous clay pan in the area that we see in documentaries. We didn't do the easy way of getting to Deadvlei as we were feeling adventurous and we wanted to avoid other tour groups. We hiked over the crest or ridge of the surrounding dunes until we reached Big Daddy, a tall dune that afforded us a breathtaking view of the creamy-white Deadvlei. Going down the slope of Big Daddy to get to Deadvlei was quite terrifying as the slope was steep. We reached Deadvlei and spent half an hour roaming around and taking photos, trying to avoid getting blind because the clay pan was too effective at reflecting the intense sunlight. The dead trees around the area looked like they were already in the process of petrification. We stayed for another 15 minutes and then walked back to our vehicle as we encountered a couple of tourists putting handfuls of sand into big glass bottles, which annoyed the heck out of me. We drove back to the lodge for lunch and were greeted by a band of gemsbok (South African oryx). Pretty cool stuff.

In the afternoon, we had another drive around the area and stopped to check out the UNESCO plaque. We went back to Sossusvlei, intending to see what the dunes and clay pans looked like at dusk. Seeing the dunes late in the afternoon was quite an experience, as their colours looked more saturated than what you could see in the morning. I believe we went back to Deadvlei and stayed for a bit to admire how the shadow crept over the dunes as the sun plunged into the horizon. It was trippy seeing what the dead trees looked like against the backdrop of intensely coloured dunes. It was just extremely beautiful! We drove back to the lodge and I had a nice dinner, though I remember spending the entire night just looking at my photos and remembering the events of the day. 

Day 3 - Outside the edge of Namib-Naukluft

We spent the morning of the 3rd day hiking around Sesriem Canyon, which I believe is outside of the national park. The high and steep rocky sides shelter the narrow "corridor" of the gorge from sunlight, making the air cooler and the walk nicer. We had the entire Canyon to ourselves, which was a definite treat. We then went back to the lodge, had lunch, rested for a bit, and took the light aircraft  to Swakopmund.

One of the best of the arid sites

Surely, the Namib Sand Sea would have been on everyone's list of top missing sites if such a list had existed before its inscription in 2013. I mean, it's inscribed in all of the 4 natural criteria, and it's pretty easy to see why:

• Criterion VII - The undulating dunes whose colour turns from orange to almost amber at dusk and dawn, and the bone-dry salt and clay pans make the landscape appear more Martian. The fog that regularly engulfs the desert shores gives an eerie look to the coast of the national park. These and the wildlife and vegetation that inhabit the arid environment all contribute to the unique aesthetic of the national park.
• Criterion VIII - The dune systems and their interaction with the sea and climate demonstrate the geophysical processes that undergo in Namib Sand Sea. It's cool to think that the desert is a result of the interaction and influences of the hot interior of continental Africa and the cold Benguela current.
• Criterion IX - An arid environment that looks like the Namib Sand Sea does not seem to hold any promise of sustenance for life to flourish. But it does. Many documentaries about deserts (Els has shared one of these) often feature Namib's flora and fauna to show their delicate ecological interactions and adaptation. That's why I am happy that this massive land has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as it ensures the protection and conservation of these highly sensitive ecological and evolutionary processes. 
• Criterion X - While species richness and abundance are quite low, the desert boasts a high level of endemism. For example, the site’s IUCN advisory evaluation mentioned 84% and 52% endemism in arachnids and insects, respectively. So it's great to know that as of 2020, the conservation status of Namib Sand Sea remains good and the threats to its conservation such as mining and transportation infrastructure are reportedly minimal. Conservation agencies in Namibia and South Africa have produced a 2010 report about the direct impacts of climate change on Namibia's biodiversity and protected areas. I recommend reading these reports if you want to know more about the threats to the desert's conservation.