This ancient clay pan was once an oasis, studded with acacias and fed by a river that suddenly changed course, leaving the earth to dry up along with the trees it previously supported.  So dry were the climatic conditions that the trees never decomposed – instead they were entirely leached of moisture so that today, 900 years later, they remain as desiccated, blackened sentinels dotting the pan’s cracked surface. Surrounded by the red-pink dunes of the Namibia Desert, they create a surreal spectacle that is a photographer's dream.  Please note, the dead trees should not be touched so they will be there for many more people to see and photograph.

It is a 1.1km hike on foot to reach the Dead Vlei.  The Dead Vlei is flanked by the Big Daddy dune, known to be the highest sand dune on earth.