Some Like it Hot - Namibian Desert!

Mike and I packed up traps after our unforgettable time in Etosha. We were headed south for a 7 hour drive to Swakopmund, which is on the west coast of Namibia. Swakopmund is a quirky mix of German-Namibian residents and is full of German tourists. We stopped for the night and treated ourselves to a great seafood dinner out at the Tug Restaurant. It was so nice not to have to cook over a camping stove for one night! We’re disappointed we didn’t get a picture!

The next day we had another big drive ahead of us as we headed south to the Namib-Naukluft National Park to experience the desert in all her glory.

The drive was challenging as all the roads were gravel and in bad shape but the views on the winding roads were beautiful! 

In addition to the difficult road conditions, the Namibian drivers (and many of the tourists) took on these roads at tremendous speeds – 120km on gravel.  The result was a not too infrequent reminder on the sides of the roads – flipped 4X4s that had obviously rolled.  We were pretty excited to hit Solitude – only 80km or so from our destination it consists of a gas station, rest stop and the one thing it is known for - Moose’s Bakery.  We stopped and enjoyed a delicious apple pie - not as good as yours Bonesssssss!

We arrived at Sossusvlei mid-afternoon - just in time for a scenic flight over the desert dunes, which extend all the way out to the Atlantic coast. 

The next morning we didn’t jump out of bed with everyone else at the crack of dawn to climb the dunes for sunrise, but rather took a more leisurely approach, which was great for us as the park was essentially empty. We climbed Dune 40, so called because it’s 40km from the main town of Sesriem.

The hike was tough and hot and took about 45 minutes to reach the peak but SO worth it. The views, as well as the serenity, were amazing.

We then drove to Sossusvlei, a large ephemeral pan set amid red sand dunes that tower up to 200m above the valley floor.  Despite being one of Namibia’s main tourist attractions, Sossusvlei still manages to feel isolated.

We finished our day with a 6km hike into Dead Vlei – a low, open landscape, which was once the terminus of the water which now forms Sossusvlei.  With the underground rivers having changed course, all that remains at Dead Vlei are skeletal trees and cracked mud.

All in all we loved our time in Namibia. Tomorrow we set off back to Windhoek for a day of e-mails and laundry and then it’s off to Botswana!