From Sossusvlei, the 300km drive back to Windhoek takes four and a half hours.

BBC: A do-it-yourself Namibian safari

Proud of their heritage, many of them work in tourism, especially at Sossusvlei, where massive red dunes are found.

BBC: The ghostly shore of Namibia��s Skeleton Coast

Reaching Sossusvlei in time for sunrise can be tricky with park opening times.

BBC: A long road trip along Namibia��s coast

The eastern mountains don't face the entire expanse of dunes, so the wind cuts the Sossusvlei valley into a "U" shape.

CNN: Romancing the dune in Namibia

The road terminates at a car park, from where you can either walk the remaining four kilometres or take a shuttle to Sossusvlei.

BBC: A do-it-yourself Namibian safari

The shifting dunes and flat pans around Sossusvlei, more than 700 km south of the Skeleton Coast, lie in the Namib-Naukluft Park, beyond the park entrance at Sesriem.

BBC: A long road trip along Namibia��s coast

Sleep outside the park at either Sossusvlei Lodge or the self-catering Desert Camp, and rise early to catch the vivid orange dunefields at sunrise the next morning.

BBC: A do-it-yourself Namibian safari