Trifter

Delightful Namibia – From Khorixas, Sesriem to Sossusvlei

After 800 kilometers of road travel, our next stop was to leave Khorixas  for Swakopmund. Swakopmund is a coastal area and activities you can do here include quad biking on the sand, fishing, dune boarding and the like. We did not do any of these activities as  the 350 km. ride from Khorixas was already tiring. We were just contented to be on the seaside despite the fog which seemed to stay during our 3 day stay there . On the way to Swakopmund, we passed Cape Cross, where the Seal Reserve is located. Here, thousands of eared seals can be seen from a designated  viewpoint with the occasional jackals straying.

                                                            Seals at Cape Cross

The focal point of this stretch was the Welwitschia drive. To do this, one has to get a permit to enter the premises which is part of the Namib-Naukluft Park. This is quickly done as the Permits Office is open even during Sundays until 13h00. With permit in arm, we proceeded for that ride which was expected to bring us to see the famous Welwitschia plant.

                                                             The Dollar Plant 

The scenic drive was full of strange plants like the dollar shrub above which we have never seen before but the highlight of course was the Welwitschia plant. This unusual plant grows in the Namib Desert and is really old, between 1000-1500 years.

                                                               Welwitschia Plant

Having seen this famous plant, we continued our journey towards Sesriem which will take us another 400 kilometers.  As usual, lovely and different sceneries along the way. We couldn’t wait to see the Dunes in Sossusvlei, said to be the highest dunes in the world some reaching as high as 300 meters.

Luckily, we were able to book a room at the Sossus Dune Lodge which  is the only lodge located inside the Park. This was a privilege as we could be the first ones to see the sun rise over the Dunes, apart from campers who are inside the Park. The rest have to wait until the entrance gate to the Park opens (which is at 6:00 a.m.).               

                                                        Sossus Dune Lodge

The drive to the first parking is about 45 kilometers.  This portion is commonly referred to as Dune 45. It was still dark when we passed this area but on or way back we could see all the other dunes along Dune 45.

                                                             Sunrise After the First Parking

Most tourist buses are parked here as well as cars with no 4WD. Only 4×4 vehicles are allowed beyond this point which is about 3 kilometers until the second parking.  Be aware of sandy conditions and therefore you have to use the 4WD function of your vehicle to negotiate this stretch. At any rate, should you get stuck in the sand, there is always someone there to tow you out (for a fee, of course). There is even a shuttle which drops tourists to the second parking (where the majority of the Dunes are) and pick them up after 2 hours.

                                                                    The Deadvlei

The Deadvlei above is  a typical scenery once you reach the second parking.  This is a salt  pan which was once a  a river.  It looks desolate yet beautiful in its tranquility. The trees are dead and are black in color because of the strong sun.

                                                      Another View from the Deadvlei

                                                                       The Dunes

People who come to see the dunes often climb them. The challenge is to climb the Big Daddy which is the highest in the Deadvlei area. If you cannot manage this, try Big Mama which comes in second. According to the locals, there is another dune which is higher than Big Daddy but this is more far. For the less enthusiastic, you can climb smaller dunes. Climb or go as much as you can and roll back down was the advise given to us by people at the Lodge. This is the fun part and though we did not do it as it probably takes about 10 or more showers to remove every bit if sand from your body, we can imagine how much fun it could be.

                                                               View from the Canyon

After a full morning at the Dunes, we went to see the Canyon  in the afternoon which was just in front of the Lodge where we were staying.  The photo above was taken in that Canyon, We also visited a smaller Dune which was nearer to the Lodge and easier to climb, the Elin Dunes.

Up to this point, we have driven as much as 1500 kilometers. The toughest drive is yet to come which will be from Sesriem to Ais-Ais, the southermost part of Namibia. We expect an 800 km. drive which will take us to Ais-Ais and the Fish River Canyon. It will be the last leg of our journey in Namibia but we expect to see equally fantastic sceneries like the ones we have seen so far.