Few images characterize Namibia as much as dry acacias, ostriches and countless oryx wandering in huge red dunes. Iconic, wild and unmistakable, Sossusvlei lies in the region known as Hardap. Part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, which protects the Namibian desert, the oldest on the planet. It is believed that the sand from the dunes of Sossusvlei was formed in the Kalahari region, from three to five million years ago. It was carried by the Orange River to the Atlantic and then the Benguela current slowly transported northwards, depositing along the coast in a slow and gradual geological process that lasted for thousands of years.

The region is rich in scenic attractions, such as the Sesriem Canyon, carved by the Tsauchab River, and all the gigantic and peculiar dunes of Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and Hiddenvlei. The most famous ones have names, such as Big Daddy and Dune 45. Watching the sunrise from the top of one of them is an unforgettable experience.