The Best 10 Seasons to Visit Namibia's Red Desert: A Chromatic Journey Through Time

2. Peak Summer Drama (January - February)

Namibia's Red Desert peaks summer, a period of startling contrasts and unanticipated beauty when the calendar turns to January. Although daytime temperatures could rise to a sweltering 40°C, this time provides some of the most amazing and unusual viewing opportunities of the year. The scene seems almost unearthly because of the great heat creating shimmering mirages on the horizon. The sporadic occurrence of tremendous thunderstorms in this season is one of its most fascinating aspects. Over the desert, these brief yet strong storms produce amazing illumination conditions. Lighting the heavens, lightning gives the red dunes an eerie hue and offers photographers once-in-a-lifetime shooting chances. The infrequent precipitation that follows these storms changes the desert floor to create ephemeral lakes that reflect the red dunes and produce a double image of surreal beauty like mirrors. Peak summer offers surprising spurts of life to the desert, even with the difficult heat. The sporadic rain sets off brief but amazing desert blossoms that accentuate the mostly red terrain with splashes of yellow, purple, and white wildflowers. These ephemeral sand gardens produce a striking contrast that reminds guests of the resiliency and adaptability of desert life. Early morning and late afternoon trips are really advised if one wants to maximise this season. Apart from relieving the noon heat, the softer light during these periods blankets the dunes in a golden glow, accentuating their rich red hue and therefore gives ideal circumstances for photography.