Namib-Naukluft National Park

We left the Fish River Canyon early and made our way North to Sesriem.  We had a long day of driving ahead of us, but we enjoyed the dry and desert landscapes as we traveled along.  There were even mountain zebras in the distance at various points.

Sesriem Canyon

We arrived at the Sesriem Rest Camp, which would allow us early access to the dunes the following morning.  While Jenn prepared a potjie, Reinier took us to Sesriem Canyon.  It is miniature and young in comparison to Fish River Canyon, but was interesting to explore.

 

The small canyon was mostly dry with a few puddles although it floods every 3-5 years and this can be seen by the layers on the walls.  It is made of conglomerate rock, which is sand combined with minerals to create something similar to cement.  The larger rocks were at the top and they got smaller closer to the canyon floor showing the history of the canyon.

 

Dune 45

 

The next morning we woke up with dew on our sleeping bags and the stars still out.  The gate opened at 5:45 am and we needed to be there when they opened it as there was a 45 minute drive to get to our first destination.  We could see the outlines of the dunes in the distance and fog along the horizon.  There were oryx on both sides as we approached Dune 45.

 

We climbed up the crest until we reached the summit.  The sun was slowly making itself shown as we worked our way up the sand.  It was much harder than it looked and we had about 70 meters (230 feet) to reach the top.  The exact height is unknown as it is constantly changing.  The winds change with the seasons and more sand is brought in from the ocean in the summer months.

 

 

After enjoying the view for a bit, we started to make our way down for breakfast.  I decided to roll down the dune to get a different experience.  Even though I ended up with sand all over, it was worth it.  We also ran down and played in the fine sand as it cascaded down the side.

Deadvlei

Once we were done eating breakfast at the base of the dune, we moved in direction of the sea to Deadvlei.  Vlei means pan or salt flat in Afrikaans and is where a river used to run through the dunes.  Slowly a dune was created that dammed the river and the pan was created.  The acacia trees that were along the river are now being petrified to offer amazing photo opportunities.

 

We had to take a 4×4 truck to get there as the sand becomes too deep, which is actually a new dune being created.  Every few years when it floods the dune is washed away before starting to reform again.  They give you a fine if you drive in with your own car and get stuck so paying for their transportation is usually the best idea.

 

Once the truck dropped us off and we climbed through the dunes, we saw the amazing sight.  The contrast of colors was more than you can imagine.  The ground is white, the dunes in the background are burnt orange, the sky is blue without a cloud in sight and then the dark trees are scattered about.  We passed the tracks of an African wildcat on the way there and saw a Namib sand lizard as it scurried along the hot sand on our way out.

 

We passed by Sossusvlei on the way back to the overland truck and as Jenn said, there is no reason that it is more well known than Deadvlei.  It is another pan that is interesting to see, but the trees at Deadvlei make it much more picturesque.  Our time at the dunes had come to an end and as we worked our way back to the main road we passed oryx and ostrich in the fields.

Boesman’s Camp

 

Our next night would be spent not far from the dunes at Boesman’s Camp (pronounced Bushman’s).  The owner has a large piece of property that is home to mountain zebras, oryx and ostriches.  We had the afternoon to relax before our desert walk.

 

Once the sunset was getting closer we loaded into an open air safari truck and made our way around the edge of the property.  We saw a herd of mountain zebras running away from us and walked up a small dune to get a better view of the sunset.  Frans, our guide, explained more about the dunes and how they are created.  He also showed us how much iron is them by dragging a magnet across the sand.  As it turns out, the orange color of the dunes we saw earlier in the day is actually caused by the rusted iron in the sand.

 

 

He found a sand lizard and also managed to find a spider’s home from tracks in the sand while driving the truck.  He dug in the sand to find its trap door and then pulled out the spider.  It was very impressive!  He explained how he had learned the Bushman way of life from his grandfather and how he is teaching his children even though that style of life is no longer possible.

 

That night we slept under the stars and in view of the water hole.  With  the recent rain, we didn’t expect to see much and we were right.  Jenn heard footsteps near us, but the few times I woke up I wasn’t able to see any animals.  What I did see was a sky so full of stars I could hardly believe it.

Overland tour organized by Africa4Us.

Helpful tips:

• If possible, stay at Sesriem Rest Camp so you get earlier access to the dunes.
• You can climb the dunes barefoot or in socks in the early morning, but the sand heats up quickly once the sun is out and shoes are recommended.
• Boesman’s Camp is also known as Sossus-on-Foot and can be found by the shoes hanging on the camping sign North of Solitaire on the C14.
• McGregor’s bakery in Solitaire has famous apple crumble and is worth a stop.