Sossusvlei

Namibia

By Kai Bernstein

April 10^th, 2018

PROLOGUE

"Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes, located in the southern part of the Namib Desert, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park of Namibia." Wikipedia

Have a look at my first story of our road-trip through Namibia here if you've missed it and want more information about the campsite or 'Deadvlei' which is in the same National Park. Thanks for all the likes and comments on the recent story! It really means a lot to me.

You certainly should visit 'Sossusvlei' in the morning. Also, solid shoes, strong sun blocker and enough water (at least 2 liters per person) is required. You should definitely not underestimate walking around there and hiking up a dune in the sun.

If you want to be on a dune for yourself and want to avoid the masses of people it is also possible to have a look at the “second” and smaller Deadvlei and the dunes next to them. Because time went by quickly and it got quite hot we decided to climb a smaller dune at this place. There is a lot of space and (until now) fortunately no signs that prohibit you to go wherever you want. So, feel free to discover this area on your own. But be careful: Poisonous snakes such as the sand viper and scorpions like the “Parabuthus villosus” are common in the Namib desert and hide in the sand very well. Luckily we did not encounter any dangerous animals like these this morning.

Back at the parking lot you can find a nice picnic area and if you brought some food, you can have your breakfast there while enjoying the rising sun and the impressive play of colors of the dunes. We didn’t want to lose time, so we continued our way to the actual 'Sossuvlei' before the huge rush.

The Sossusvlei and Deadvlei parking area. The only way to reach it is a 5km ride with a 4x4.

The way to the 'Sossusvlei' was again filled with a lot of loose sand and a 4x4 vehicle and good driving skills are required to actually reach the closest parking area. Alternatively (and obviously the less adventurous way) is to jump onto a shuttle. We visited 'Sossuvlei' in November and the water you can find here sometimes was unfortunately dried up. You can also find the starting point of the path up the also famous but smaller dune 'Big Mama' here.

This is the clay pan of Sossusvlei with the dune 'Big Mama' in the background.

When you start early enough, you'll be leaving while others just begin to explore 'Sossusvlei'.

I decided to drive offroad without deflating the tires before entering loose sand and learned the lesson. We got stuck after 8km and just a few hundred meters before being back on a proper road though.

After the early start in the morning and still without breakfast, we decided to go back to our camp to eat something and to have another nap. In the next two pictures you can see the difference a polarizing filter makes for creating the image you are looking for. The left one is with the polarizing effect, the right one is all natural - Those are two different dunes though ;-)

During the day it was too hot for visiting some other places around the area, and as the slow Wi-Fi at the restaurant was too expensive to do some research (50MB cost approx. 5€), we enjoyed our spare time reading a book in the shadow of the tree and swimming in the pool.

In the late afternoon we started our second drive through the National Park to enjoy the sunset at the 'Dune 45'. For me, the roads and the way inside the park were unique as well. Just a single road in the middle of nowhere and a wide and panoramic view I’ve rarely seen before.

Start your afternoon drive into the sunset early enough, so you'll have enough time to stop for one or two photos – or hundreds as it was in my case.

This is a map I've made based on a flyer we got at the entrance to show you where the different spots are located. Driving to the 'Dune 45' takes about 30 - 40 minutes. Your maximum speed should be 60km/h based on the signs.

Finally we arrived. These are two trees to the left and right of the dune.

DUNE 45

The 'Dune 45' was less crowded at sunset than at sunrise. The vastness is just unreal! Be prepared for stunning views, glistening sand and unbelievable colors, especially during dawn and dusk. As soon as the sun sets you need to hurry to get out of the park before the gates close, and bear in mind you still have to drive more than half an hour from the 'Dune 45' to get to the gates. We left a little too late and as we arrived at the (already closed!) gate we were relieved someone was still there to open it for us so we didn’t have to spend the night alone in the National Park. Remember it is very important not to drive in the dark because most car insurances don't have you covered for that, because of the enormously high risk of hitting an animal crossing your way. After all, you're out in the wild here.

The views from up here are incredible. Look at how tiny this car is!

From up here we enjoyed a crazy 360°-view and there seemed to be happening something different in every cardinal direction: An amazing sunset, an upcoming storm, all those colorful clouds... See for yourself.

We've almost been the last ones in the parking lot. You have to leave right after sunset to get out of the NP, as the gates close punctual.

THE NEXT MORNING

ELIM DUNE

There was someone who didn’t make it out of the park in time in the evening, unlike us. While we went for another trip to the 'Elim Dune' at sunrise the next morning, we met the unlucky guy named Theo. As he's been the last visitor of this dune, on his way back his car got stuck in the sand and he had to spend one night alone in the park – he even called his friends via WhatsApp and they tried to reach somebody at the National Park but nobody was available.

Except for Theo and some Oryx antelopes, which came so close you could almost touch them, this dune was completely empty at sunrise and therefore this place is considered a real insider tip for nature lovers. As suggested in my prior story, spending at least two nights in this area turned out to be the absolutely right decision.

I walked up this dune and behind it was...

This is the only way to and from the Elim Dune.

Mosquito repellent is always important. ;-)

SESRIEM CANYON

After an hour of enjoying the sunrise (and rescuing Theo) we went to the 'Sesriem Canyon', which I highly recommend you to do as well when in the area. On one hand you’ve already paid the National Park entrance fee and on the other hand the early morning is good for a visit to be almost by yourself there. In addition, you can expect an interesting play of light and shadow at this time in the day. Depending on the season you'll have the chance to see a water hole inside the canyon. But be careful, the signposting – if you can even call it that - is very bad. In general, it can be said that the water is to the left side from the arrival point.

When you have a closer look you can see the stairs of the official way down.

The name 'Sesriem Canyon' is derived from a local saying which explains that the canyon is "as deep as six ox-straps". In a German shortform this translates to "Sechs-Riemen" = Sesriem.

You can either stay on the upper edge of the canyon or have a short walk and search for an alternative entrance to have some fun with some easy climbing involved. The most annoying thing while walking through the canyon were the flies, although we used our mosquito repellent.

THE NEXT STORY

In my next story we drive to the city named 'Swakopmund' and take part in a very interesting animal tour in the desert. Then we visit 'Cape Cross' with hundreds of seals and seagulls and move on to stay the night in the beautiful 'Erongo Region'.

THANKS FOR WATCHING!

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