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

7. The Scorching Solstice (December 21-22)

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Although visiting a desert at its hottest may seem contradictory, the summer solstice in Namibia's Red Desert is a special and strong experience for the daring visitor. This season, which runs about December 21–22, symbolises the longest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere and highlights the most harsh and spectacular desert. Temperatures at the solstice can rise to over 40°C, therefore posing a challenge that really tests the boundaries of human tolerance and desert survival. The great heat causes the air to shimmer, producing amazing mirages dancing on the horizon. This optical phenomena turns the view into a dreamlike, surreal one where the lines separating sand from sky seem to fade and change. The severe conditions of this period accentuate the actual colours of the desert in their most brilliant form. The constant sun accentuates the crimson sands, which seem to radiate with an inner fire. With the contrast between the deep red dunes and the sharp blue sky most evident, this time provides photographers with an opportunity to record photographs of hitherto unheard-of brightness. The solstice time offers special chances to see desert adaptations in action despite difficult conditions. Many desert species become nocturnal at this season, hence early morning or late evening trips can expose amazing activities as animals come to forage in the cooler hours. Furthermore displaying amazing adaptations is the plant life; species like the Welwitschia, a living fossil exclusively found in the Namib, exhibit their capacity to flourish in one of the toughest environments on Earth.