New road to Sossusvlei opened

DUE to heavy usage and floods over the past three years, Namibia's Ministry of Environment & Tourism has decided to construct a tarred road from the entrance gate to the Namib Naukluft Park at Sesriem to Sossusvlei, the popular tourist attraction in the Namib Desert. This road has now been finished and tourists can travel in comfort the distance of 60km up to the 2x4 parking area five km from Sossusvlei. At the 2x4 parking area a 4x4 shuttle service is available to transport passengers who wish to make use of such a service to and from the 4x4 parking area at Sossusvlei. This shuttle service operates every day from 07h30 till 15h00 from the 2x4 parking area, the last shuttle returning at 15h30 from the 4x4 parking area. The cost of such a return transfer is N$50 (R50). Sossusvlei still has water resulting from the floods experienced earlier this year and the water is expected to last up to the end of September, providing a spectacular phenomenon due to the contrast between the water-filled pan surrounded by the huge Namib dunes. (Hennie Fourie)