Four Deserts Route

Four Deserts Route, Namibia

“Celebrating Namibia’s unique deserts and desert experiences, and promoting community benefit and conservation through sustainable tourism.”

Deserts fell under the spotlight in 2006 with the declaration of the International Year of Deserts and Desertification by the United Nations General Assembly. Two issues were at stake: deserts as natural ecosystems that need to be protected and carefully managed, and unnatural desertification as a global challenge for sustainable development.

This conservation milestone coincided with an exciting event in Namibia’s south: the development of a multi-faceted tourism route based on the country’s four deserts. The initiative was spearheaded by the Gondwana Desert Collection, in partnership with Open Africa and others, including Wilderness Safaris and Wolwedans. Open Africa is a Pan-African organisation whose mission is to turn Africa’s cultural and natural resources into wealth-creating products, thereby optimising the synergies between tourism, job creation and conservation. This is being done by means of a carefully planned development programme that aims to link the splendours of Africa in a continuous network of “Afrikatourism” routes stretching from the Cape to Cairo.

The Four Deserts Route Namibia covers the entire south, from the Orange River up to the Tropic of Capricorn. The route is not a single road linking four great deserts, but rather represents a variety of enterprises – accommodation and other tourist services – found in the vicinity of these attractions. The participants in this joint initiative share a common vision: the celebration of Namibia’s unique deserts and desert experiences, and the promotion of community benefit and conservation through life-changing tourism experiences. Various sub-routes, alternative routes and side routes connect the attractions and provide a springboard for further exploration of special interests such as geology, plants, bird and game viewing, archaeology, history and culture, and adventure tourism. The route is being developed in phases, starting with a core group of participants but with a view to expanding as more and more attractions are included.

Namibia boasts four great and very different desert systems. By definition, a desert is a dry area. But think of the desert as an area where water loss through evaporation exceeds the low rainfall (less than 250mm) by at least 10 times, and you will quickly develop a healthy respect for any kind of life that can survive under these conditions. It comes as a surprise for some that desert landscapes are not just endless stretches of sand but may be rocky and mountainous as well, at times punctuated with vast gravel plains. This kaleidoscope of geological forms is rich and fascinating, while the dramatic, ever-changing landscapes cast a lingering enchantment on visitors. With their plant and animal life minutely adapted to survive under these harsh conditions, our living deserts are also important centres of biodiversity. Here one can experience extremes of aridity, heat and cold, space and quiet, sunsets and star-spangled skies. The main treat in store, however, is to become acquainted with the people. With a cultural and historical identity rooted in survival, they are keen to share the delights of their surroundings with visitors, and their genuine warmth and hospitality make them perfect ambassadors of the desert.

This new route invites travellers to linger and to explore Namibia’s four desert systems.

In the east lie the deep, red sands of the Kalahari Desert. With a total area of 1.6-million km², it is the largest continuous stretch of sand in the world. The long, parallel dunes were formed about 20 000 years ago and are partly covered with grasses, punctuated by gnarled old camelthorn trees and shepherd’s bush. Since the rain sinks away rapidly, surface water is a rarity. Nevertheless, game manages to survive by means of special adaptations, and large herds of oryx, springbok and ostrich are once more moving across the landscape, followed by increasing numbers of vultures, marabou storks and other scavengers. The Kalahari is the home of the San Bushmen, people who have been able to live so frugally from these resources, perfecting the art of sustainable living.

The Nama Karoo covers most of southern central Namibia, driving a deep wedge northwards of the Orange River (and South Africa) to about 120km south of Windhoek, with a narrow strip along the edge of the Namib reaching up to Angola. The sedimentary geological formations take on dramatic proportions in the Fish River Canyon, the second-largest canyon on Earth, formed during the break-up of Gondwanaland some 130-million years ago. The vegetation is characterised by dwarf shrubs and scattered grasslands, while the quiver tree is a fascinating and distinctive icon for the south. Various hikes and drives afford one an opportunity to view the increasing herds of springbok, and also of oryx, kudu, mountain zebra and ostrich. Much of the Nama Karoo consists of wide plains, broken only by the dark, enigmatic massif of Brukkaros Mountain, some 120km north of Keetmanshoop. Perhaps it was the tranquillity of this huge desert that inspired the construction of a fairytale castle in the midst of this landscape at Duwiseb, to the west, a century ago.

Situated at Aus and extending southwards, the Succulent Karoo is mainly a winter-rainfall area. Bizarre-looking shrubs store moisture in their leaves and stems to tide them over the dry times. The Succulent Karoo is the most plant-diverse desert in the world and has been listed as one of the world’s 25 global biodiversity 'hotspots'. Although these floral wonders are at their best after the rains, they are well worth investigating throughout the year. Lüderitz provides a fascinating breakaway, its harsh, minimalistic landscape resembling that of an island. In the vicinity one can hear and see African penguins as they go about their activities, and on a visit to the ghost diamond mining town of Kolmanskop one wonders at the lives of the past inhabitants of this desert settlement.

To the north, the Namib Desert lies in a narrow strip along the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery ranges from shifting, glowing red dunes in the south to gravel plains with inselbergs in the central parts, and jagged blue mountains in the north and east, with deep valleys cut by ephemeral rivers. Fog supplies the life-giving moisture for plants and animals. Here, visitors have a wide range of experiences to choose from: clambering up some of the highest sand dunes in the world at Sossusvlei at dawn; discovering the ancient, fossilised red dunes south of Solitaire as they stand frozen in time; gazing at huge black lappetfaced vultures as they arch across the sky; or following in the tracks of a solitary oryx across the gravel plains. One of the ultimate ways of experiencing this desert is to drift by balloon over the endless red dunes in the early morning sun.

The Four Deserts Route is a very special one: it showcases diversification, alternative land uses and sustainable approaches in the management of desert landscapes that are more productive, create more jobs and generate more income than conventional farming activities. At the same time the natural balance and diversity of the deserts is protected – and even restored.

The International Year of Deserts and Desertification:

The United Nations General Assembly, at its 58th session, declared 2006 the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. The decision was taken to help prevent further desertification around the globe.

The main objective of the year was to get the message across that desertification is a major threat to humanity, compounded by both climate change and loss of biological diversity. Land degradation affects one-third of the planet’s land surface and around one billion people in over a hundred countries.

The year also sought to celebrate the unique ecosystem and cultural diversity of deserts worldwide.

The UN logo for the year was intended to represent both issues in one image: deserts as natural ecosystems and desertification as a global problem.

Useful Links

http://www.gondwana-desert-collection.com
http://www.namibiatourism.com.na
http://www.namibia-tourism.com

Nearby routes

Caprivi Wetlands Paradise Route

Namibia: Caprivi, a thin strip of land in the north-east of Namibia, lies in the centre of Southern Africa. It is bordered by Angola, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Three perennial rivers cross Caprivi, making it a wetland paradise full of animals and birds.

Nama Padloper Route

The route has an abundance of natural attractions with unique landscapes and a diverse range of fauna and flora. Most of the route falls within the Succulent Karoo Biome whilst the area east of the Fish River falls in the Nama Karoo Biome.

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Four Deserts Route