On our way to Sossusvlei
In the morning we were supposed to leave for Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. While putting the luggage into the car, we noticed that we had a flat tire… Unbelievable… We were just starting our trip! We phoned the car rental company for advice and were sent to a tire centre in Windhoek. In the meantime, the staff of the hotel had already installed the spare wheel (you could see that they were really experienced in the matter…).
At the tire centre there were several cars ahead of us, but it did not take too long before we were finally on our way to Sossusvlei. We had more or less 4.5 hours driving in front of us, mainly on gravel roads so we had to be a bit careful because we were not used to it.
The Sossus Dune Lodge
During the drive we were often amazed by the breathtaking views of the surroundings. We made several photo stops before arriving at The Sossus Dune Lodge. It was the only lodge in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. That was also the reason for choosing this accommodation because it allowed us to be among the first visitors of Sossusvlei and Deadvlei the next day. The set-up of the lodge was beautiful, the 25 chalets were connected with boardwalks and they all had views of the plains with in the back the red dunes. In the morning as well as in the late afternoon we could easily spot wildlife from our balcony. After being installed it was time for gin & tonic, hahaha, we really deserved it after such a long drive! It all seemed like a dream…
Sossusvlei and Deadvlei
The next day, we had to get up in the middle of the night because we wanted to see the sunrise in Sossusvlei on top of the red dunes. This was probably one of the most stunning activities of our entire trip. Climbing up the dunes in the dark is already special in itself (as well as tiring…) but it was so worth it. Seeing the sunrise in such a setting is a once in a lifetime experience that we will never forget…
Once the sun was up, we descended into Deadvlei… so magical, we had the place to ourselves ! I am not sure how many photo’s I took, but it were many. I probably photographed each of the dead trees in the salt pan. After a while, Koen had installed himself against a tree trunk and waited patiently until my hunger for photo’s was satisfied.
We then walked back in the direction of the cars, where our lodge had installed a table for breakfast. And let me tell you, there are worse places to have your morning meal!
Sesriem and and Dune 45
After a delightful morning, we drove back to the lodge and had a bit of a rest. We then went for a walk in the Sesriem Canyon.
In the afternoon we returned to the dunes. This time, we drove ourselves and we stopped at Dune 45, probably the most photographed dune in the world. Along the way, we also spotted a lot of wildlife (another reason why we booked this trip to Namibia !).
End of a great day and end of our stay in Sossusvlei!
