The Namib Desert is one of the oldest deserts in the world — it has been dry for at least 55 million years. The dunes at Sossusvlei are shaped by the wind, which blows sand from the Atlantic Ocean coast inland and slowly piles it up into giant ridges. Because the wind always comes from the same direction, the dunes have a steep sharp side and a gentle sloping side.
The colours change throughout the day, which makes Sossusvlei magical to visit. At sunrise the dunes glow deep red and pink. By midday they turn a bright orange. As the sun sets, they shift to purple and violet. Photographers and painters come from all over the world just to capture these colours.
In the middle of Sossusvlei there is a flat, pale clay pan called Deadvlei. Long ago it had a small lake and trees grew there. The lake dried up but the old dead trees are still standing, their dark twisted shapes making a striking contrast against the white pan and the orange dunes all around them.
Surprisingly, animals do live here. Beetles collect tiny drops of morning fog on their backs and tilt their bodies to roll the water into their mouths. Sidewinder snakes move in a special looping pattern to keep as little body as possible touching the burning sand. Life in the desert is full of clever tricks.