Sossusvlei, a salt and clay pan in the southern Namib Desert, has been certified as a Dark Sky Reserve by the International Dark-Sky Association, the go-to authority on light pollution.
Stargazing —
Sossusvlei, a salt and clay pan in the southern Namib Desert, has been certified as a Dark Sky Reserve by the International Dark-Sky Association, the go-to authority on light pollution.
Courtesy of andBeyond.com
With its red sand dunes and white salt pans, Namibia's Namib Desert looks so Martian that it wouldn't come as a shock if the Curiosity Rover rumbled over a dune.
Sossusvlei —
With its red sand dunes and white salt pans, Namibia's Namib Desert looks so Martian that it wouldn't come as a shock if the Curiosity Rover rumbled over a dune.
courtesy Aardvark Safaris
It's so far from any human center that the light pollution is non-existent, meaning the night skies are among the darkest on Earth.
Sossusvlei —
It's so far from any human center that the light pollution is non-existent, meaning the night skies are among the darkest on Earth.
Courtesy of andBeyond.com
There are only two ways of getting to Sossusvlei: either a six-hour drive from Windhoek, mostly along an unpaved road, or with a flight on a six-seater plane that lands on a gravel airstrip.
Getting there —
There are only two ways of getting to Sossusvlei: either a six-hour drive from Windhoek, mostly along an unpaved road, or with a flight on a six-seater plane that lands on a gravel airstrip.
Purilarb Cherngphatthana
There's a wide selection of lodges around Sossusvlei, but for astronomy buffs, the <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.andbeyond.com%2Fsossusvlei-desert-lodge%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge</a> treats the stars as a main attraction.
The andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge —
There's a wide selection of lodges around Sossusvlei, but for astronomy buffs, the andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge treats the stars as a main attraction.
Courtesy of andBeyond.com
The lodge has an on-site observatory, with 12-inch Meade LX200 telescope, and a resident astronomer to guide the stargazing.
Night skies —
The lodge has an on-site observatory, with 12-inch Meade LX200 telescope, and a resident astronomer to guide the stargazing.
Courtesy of andBeyond.com
To get certified as an International Dark Sky Reserve, the lodge had to remove many outside lights. There are skylights in the rooms so guests can fall asleep under the stars.
The pool at andBeyond —
To get certified as an International Dark Sky Reserve, the lodge had to remove many outside lights. There are skylights in the rooms so guests can fall asleep under the stars.
Purilarb Cherngphatthana
Namibia's iconic sand dunes are an hour's drive from the lodge. NamibRand is a private reserve, and the dunes are inside the adjacent Namib-Naukluft National Park.
Dune trail —
Namibia's iconic sand dunes are an hour's drive from the lodge. NamibRand is a private reserve, and the dunes are inside the adjacent Namib-Naukluft National Park.
Purilarb Cherngphatthana
A short distance away, Deadvlai (vlei is a marsh in Afrikaans) is a creepy expanse of salt pans studded with petrified 600-year-old trees, scorched black by the sun.
Deadvlai —
A short distance away, Deadvlai (vlei is a marsh in Afrikaans) is a creepy expanse of salt pans studded with petrified 600-year-old trees, scorched black by the sun.
MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images
The Afrikaans name Soussusvlei roughly translates as "marsh of no return." It's called this because it is an endorheic drainage basin: a drainage basin without outflows.
Marsh of no return —
The Afrikaans name Soussusvlei roughly translates as "marsh of no return." It's called this because it is an endorheic drainage basin: a drainage basin without outflows.
Purilarb Cherngphatthana
A kopje is an Afrikaans word meaning a small, often rocky, hill in an otherwise flat area.
Kopje —
A kopje is an Afrikaans word meaning a small, often rocky, hill in an otherwise flat area.
Purilarb Cherngphatthana
Daytime activities in the area include scenic excursions by foot, motorbike, 4 x 4 safari vehicle, airplane and hot-air balloon.
Activities —
Daytime activities in the area include scenic excursions by foot, motorbike, 4 x 4 safari vehicle, airplane and hot-air balloon.
Purilarb Cherngphatthana