Where we stayed: Sesriem Camp
Length of Stay: 1 day
This iconic sand dune paradise was one of the locations that lured me to Namibia. After seeing Deadvlei in movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and The Cell, I knew I had to see this weird place and photograph those weird camelthorn trees that seem to defy nature.
In my original itinerary, I’d planned for two nights at Sesriem, but unfortunately the travel time from the airport (45 minutes) + picking up the truck (1 hour) + rules about no driving at night = we didn’t have time to make it to Sossusvlei our first night. So the itinerary changed to 1 night at Sossusvlei.
If I could do the trip over again, I’d definitely stay 2 nights at Sossusvlei. There’s simply too much to do and see here. From hiking to Deadvlei, hiking Dune 45, photographing oryx and ostrich, and the travel time within the area, there’s not enough time in one day to soak up this magnificent spectrum. But we gave it our best shot.
Our first stop was Dune 45. We arrived around noon (not the best time for dune hiking). The dune was hot and windy. We wore old socks and trampled our way up the first ridge, not realizing that the wind would stop us before we’d made it even 30 minutes into this sandy trek. After blowing my sunglasses off my face, and pushing down several times, the wind did not let up. The copper-colored sand swarmed up in the air, leaving our vision blurred. We laughed at the unbelievable “weather” we were experiencing that could be escaped by a quick jog down the dune. The was the softest jog I’ve ever experienced! I wish the whole world was made of sand like that; nobody’s feet would ever be sore!
We then proceeded to the famed Deadvlei (meaning “Dead Marsh”). The sign from the 4×4 parking lot says 1.1 km to Deadvlei. Do not be misled by the short distance; bring plenty of water! This is one of the driest places on Earth!
We went around 1 pm and were lucky enough to have Deadvlei all to ourselves for about 25 minutes. It’s beautiful, yet eerie at the same time. These trees once had their own supply of water that was cut off by the moving dunes. The trees died and cannot decompose due to the intense, dry air. So they stand erect in the desert, surrounded by copper sand and blue skies, creating a landscape that looks almost unreal.
Each dune looked like it’s own playground. I wanted to know what the world looked like from the top of each one. Unfortunately, I now knew that dune hiking was incredibly difficult and tiring. At this point, I was satisfied with taking pictures of them from the ground.
Sesriem campsite was lovely. You get early entrance to the park (but not overnight unfortunately) and plenty of space at the campsites. I took this photo from our campsite in the morning and it shows was a spectacular sunrise it was. I wanted to get back out and take pictures with the dunes, but we had to move on.
I was sad to say goodbye to this wondrous place. I felt like there was so much left to explore here. I wonder what mysteries are buried under these dunes; what unknown stories this desert could tell if the wind could speak. But part of the fun is the wonder.