Namib-Naukluft National Park

especially the red dunes in the morning light are unforgettable!

This is truly a must-see in Namibia. It was our first experience with the desert in our lives and it was absolutely breath-taking.

Start your days early (the ground temperature can rise to 80°C) and visit the Deadvlei, Sossusvlei and climb the Dune 45 (before 11:00, because of the exposure and heat).
Be sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen. The view from Dune 45 is astonishing. It gives a broad overview of the area and you’ll be able to see the massive Big Daddy and Big Momma dunes.

An advice we learned while visiting: if you go early enough then climb it on your bare feet. If you can’t make it to the dune early in the morning then climb it while wearing socks.
The soft sand makes it hard to walk on either sneakers or walking shoes.

Most campsites have waterholes for the Oryx’s. In our case we had one just a few meters from our cottage so during the day (and especially the night!) it was swarming with desert foxes and Oryx’s.
If there is a pool near your campsite/cottage then make sure to visit it at night. It usually attracts thirsty wildlife.

The Namib-Naukluft is vast and is a place of spectacular scenery - from the Atlantic coastline, the sand sea of the Namib to the rugged terrain inland.

Beautiful vistas ... great geology.

Not sure if Namib Naukluft National Park qualifies as a safari destination. However, the scenery is breathtaking beautiful. A definite-must.

An extraordinary experience

For our one year anniversary, we were thinking about potential trips we could take from the States. We had settled on South Africa, when one of our well-traveled friends suggested that we consider Namibia. We Google Image-d it; as soon as we saw pictures of Deadvlei, we knew we had to go there.

We went during the "rainy" season (I put it in quotes because the area has been experiencing a multiyear drought; most of the riverbeds we saw were dry). This is the low point for tourism, which worked to our advantage; during high season, the dunes are apparently crawling with tourists.

The gvt does an exception job maintaining the park - they are clearly well-prepared for tourists. We went on a guided tour from our lodge. The park is enormous - we went at daybreak, and spent a few hours driving straight into the park. We stopped at one of the massive dunes and took 45 minutes to climb up and down it. You must try it - that experience was so fun! Dune sand is unlike any sand you're used to - it's not coarse at all, it's like silk. I highly recommend bringing a waterproof container with you and taking some sand with you, you'll want to bring some home with you. (Also, go up the dunes barefoot in the morning when the sand is cool, and run down them - it's a lot of fun!).

The Deadvlei was breathtaking - just as spectacular in person, a photographer's dream. And much bigger than one expects from photos!

Overall, visually stunning, and a unique experience. So glad we chose Namibia!

An amazing experience the dunes have to be seen to be believed

For sand lovers <3

Driving from Windhoek to Sesriem entrance gate was one of the most liberating things I'v done in a long time. We rented a 4x4 Toyota Hilux in Windhoek, packed out things and drove into the wild. No guide, only our guide book.

First stop was Desert camp in Sossusvlei, just outside theNamib Naukluft National Park entrance . The camp has a gas station next door equipped with cold beer, ice cream, bbq stuff and outside the store by the camping tables a mist raining over you when you're eating your ice-cream. Big plus in the heat.

Gates open between 6.00-6.45am (depending on season), but be at the gate at least 15-20 min before. We came just 5 min before and had a whole caravan before us waiting at the gate.

The morning drive was just amazing, no pot holes, red dunes, a few oryxes running in the sun rise. We drove to the Sossusvlei area to do the morning desert drive, prepared to do it ourselves in out powerful 4x4. Arriving to the end of the tarmac road though we spotted the first 4x$ stuck in the sand, we quickly decided to take the park service. No doubt would it been fun to drive around in the sand, but the heat comes quickly and if you want to save time and energy, take the service.

Hiking in the sand is tough, bring water, sun screen and a hat. Arriving to Deadvlie we spotted a beautiful fashion shooting taking place, which says something about the scenery. If you are planning to hike up the Sossusvlei dune, do that in the early morning.

Solitaire is a great stop on the way, great coffee and apple cake and a lot of vintage cars having out in the back ground makes great scenery.

Dunes, dunes, gemboks, dunes... Wonderful desert ! The power of beauty is strong there...

Namib-Naukluft National Park is a place of stunning scenery and the amazing ambience of Africa

The drive through Namib Naukluft National Park has the feel of an off-road adventure because of the gravelly roads and the isolated atmosphere. While a 4x4 vehicle is not necessary, and my husband and I did the drive by ourselves in a compact car, a truck or SUV might be more desirable for many drivers. We set off around 9 am from Walvis Bay on the C14, which dips in and out of the park. Though we made only a few stops along the way at a variety of rock formations and impressive dunes for photos, it took us about 4 hours to get there. It was cool in the morning but quickly got very warm outside. While we did pass a few desert resorts, there isn't very much on the way through the park to Sossusvlei other than gorgeous scenery, so it's advisable to bring along plenty of water and some snacks for the road. We did get to see quite a lot of Gemsbok as we made our way deeper into the park. Passing signs for rest stops, one sees just a picnic table off to the side of the road, sometimes under the rare shade tree.
Closer to Sosussvlei, there is an entrance gate with some very helpful rangers who can answer any questions one might have, and probably get a guide for anyone who would like one. Here you show a passport and pay a small entrance fee, and at this station you can park the car and take a break from the road. There's a small convenience store with drinks, food, postcards and some other souvenirs as well as a restaurant that also offers free, clean restrooms. Back on the road, which at this point is paved again, the drive is filled with spectacular scenery of towering orange dunes against a backdrop of cloudless azure skies. Here we saw more Gemsbok and Ostrich. Driving until the road ends at a car park, there are a few choices. You can take a ranger-driven vehicle to Sosussvlei, which takes about 20 minutes, you can walk there, or you can just walk the area surrounding the car park, including Hidden Vlei. Since our timetable was thrown by the unexpectedly long time it took to get there, we decided to hike to Hidden Vlei so we could start the return drive and hopefully get back to Walvis Bay before dark. There were so many incredible natural wonders to gaze at and photograph. It was hot, though not unbearably so (in September) and we got to spend a lot of time enjoying the beautiful views of the Namib Sand Sea. The stark trees, many petrified from the dry atmosphere, together with the towering orange dunes and deep blue sky, made for an awesome experience.
Before long, it was time to get back on the road. On the way back to Walvis Bay, we decided to stop at an extremely small town called Solitaire to get some gas. This is a really cool little place; there are old cars rusting and staged out in the desert near their gas station/convenience store and once again, lots of chances to get some very memorable photos. The people here were really friendly and lovely to chat with. The road was still fine to drive on as the sun began to set, but with no road lights and isolation, we were glad to be getting closer to Walvis Bay. We'd seen a few other cars on the way down, and almost no one else once we'd left Solitaire, just Gemsbok. As the sun began to set, we saw a sight that will stay with me forever: a dazzle of zebras. The group stood watching us as we stopped the car. It was phenomenal. The sky turned marvelous shades of orange and pink as the sun went down, and within a few more minutes we were back at our quaint little homestay: Omega B&B. The owners were relived to see us as they'd been waiting to make sure we got back from the drive ok. I think all we would've had to worry about was a flat tire, but luckily no such misfortune had befallen us. Namibia gave us an extraordinary experience, and we found ourselves immediately discussing when we might be able to return!

For more information and pictures, please go to my blog: http://bylandorbyair.blogspot.com/2015/11/namibia-namib-naukluft-national-park.html