Discover 4 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Namib-Naukluft National Park (Namibia). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Dune 45, Naukluft Mountains, and Tropic of Capricorn. Also, be sure to include Zoo Park in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Namib-Naukluft National Park (Hardap).
Table of Contents
Dune 45
Dune 45 is a star dune in the Sossusvlei area of the Namib Desert in Namibia. Its name comes from the fact that it is at the 45th kilometre of the road that connects the Sesriem gate and Sossusvlei. Standing over 170 m, it is composed of 5-million-year-old sand that is detritus accumulated by the Orange River from the Kalahari Desert and then blown here..
Because it is near the road the dune is often photographed, particularly early and late in the day when one side of the dune is in shadow. It is often climbed by visitors to Sossusvlei.[1]
Naukluft Mountains
Mountain range in Namibia. The Naukluft Mountains are a mountain range in central Namibia. The southern part of the mountain range forms the easternmost part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The northern mountains are occupied by privately held farms. They are known for their wildlife, including mountain zebras and leopards. The mountains have many small streams and waterfalls.
Naukluft is the Namibian German rendering of the Afrikaans Noukloof, meaning "narrow ravine", from nou ('narrow', cf Dutch nauw) and kloof ('ravine', cf German Kluft).[2]
Tropic of Capricorn
The Tropic of Capricorn is the circle of latitude that contains the subsolar point at the December solstice. It is thus the southernmost latitude where the Sun can be seen directly overhead. It also reaches 90 degrees below the horizon at solar midnight on the June Solstice. Its northern equivalent is the Tropic of Cancer.
The Tropic of Capricorn is one of the five major circles of latitude marked on maps of Earth. Its latitude is currently 23°26′11.0″ south of the Equator, but it is very gradually moving northward, currently at the rate of 0.47 arcseconds, or 15 metres, per year.
Less than 3% of the world's population lives south of it; this is equivalent to about 30% of the population of the Southern Hemisphere.[3]
Zoo Park
Park in Windhoek, Namibia. Zoo Park is a public park on Independence Avenue in downtown Windhoek, Namibia. It is also a focal point of social life in the city The current park is landscaped and features a pond, children's playground and open-air theatre.[4]