Namibia - Event

Sink your feet into the biggest dunes on the face of the earth. Then watch the sun set and turn everything from burnt orange to pink. At 300m high, the Sossusvlei Sand Dunes knock the socks off their vertical cousins in Arabia.

One thing is for sure, they are a very very long way from civilisation of any kind. Unless, of course, you count 'Solitaire', a positive hub of activity, exhausting itself over a couple of petrol pumps and a snack bar. And then there's a scattering of campsites, which offer you a patch on which to pitch your tent and set up your braai (barbecue). Lighting a fire is the easiest thing to do - wood gets pretty dry in Namibia.

Geologists think that this area of 50,000 square kilometres makes up the oldest desert in the world - and as such, it supports an incredible range of desert wildlife - big, small and barely noticeable. But being surrounded by so much space, sky and sand is certainly enough stimulation for all the senses if you're not into creatures.

Unless you're madly intrepid, you don't want to head for the sand unless you know what you are doing, and where you are going. Getting lost in a hot desert isn't fun. In effect, this means hiring a 4X4 or even a quad bike. There are expert guides who can lead you if you want - but when you are doing your homework about which ones to pick, make sure they care about the fragile desert ecosystems. And don't be tempted to go racing in your quad bikes, however much fun it may seem. This will only kill indigenous life (if not humans too).

All the rain falls in the summer months between April and November so keep this in mind when planning your trip. At four times the size of the UK, Namibia clearly has a lot more to offer than dunes. When the sand is rubbed out of your eyes, don't leave without visiting the Etosha National Park (one of the biggest in Africa).