Sossusvlei: you might not have heard of the sossusvlei but its iconic landscape is often seen in film. it lies in namibia in the southern namib desert a region of dry lake clay pan and orange and red sand dunes. its name combines the afrikaans word 'vlei' meaning 'marsh' and the local nama word meaning 'of-no-return'. the area has a remarkably spare clean beauty dead acacia trees the deep blue of the sky and the shifting burnished red of the sands make for a stunning vision.