In the morning of September 16th, we started the last portion of our 8-week trip. Leaving behind the safari activity, the focus was the exploration of the magnificent scenery of Namibia, with first stop at the world famous red sand dunes of the Namib desert.

It took us most of the day, stopping on the way in Windhoek to resupply, to reach Sossusvlei camp, one of the few camps located inside the National Park. We had to book weeks in advance to secure a spot there. We were a bit worried of the type of camp we would find – especially after the disappointing experience of Etosha – but the camp is really nice. The campsites were large and relatively private, with a large tree on each of them to provide a welcoming shade. We settled our camp and decided to stay put for the rest of the day. We had two days ahead to enjoy the park, so there was no rush.

We had read that the tip for this trip was to be first in line in the morning for the gate opening, and ensure to be on top of the dunes for the sunrise. So we were, proudly first in line with many cars behind us. Eff respected the 60km/h speed limit of the park, and long story short, we ended up being the last in the queue because everybody else was so in a hurry to climb the dunes than they overtook us and drove twice faster than the speed limit. Seriously, what’s the point to have one then?! Anyway, we stopped at the dune 45 to go and see the sunrise.

The climb was quite steep and already colourful from the first ray of light. But a main disappointment was waiting for us at the top: tens of people were packed just at the end of the climb to enjoy the sunrise, all at the same spot. Really??? All this speed to go and pack with the crowd?! That is far from my definition of exclusive experience… I walked along the edge to get some privacy, and I ended up alone on top of this colourful sandy world, joined quickly by Eff who as well needed some space from the crowd.The scenery was breathtaking. Colours were warming smoothly from purples to reds to orange and yellow with the the sun rising. Shades from the dunes created beautiful graphic patterns and we were totally mesmerized. This place is world-famous for a reason, and there is no-brainer as per why it can be crowded. We stayed for a while and decided to move towards Deadvlei and its world-reknown dead trees.

Driving is easy until the car park of Sossusvlei as the road is sealed but the last five kilometres to Deadvlei require a 4WD. Therefore most of people park at Sossusvlei and take the shuttle to reach Deadvlei. With our 4WD and Eff’s experience on sand driving, we pushed through. It is indeed a tricky portion of road with patches of heavy sand difficult to handle for first timers. We were very grateful for our training in Botswana!

Deadvlei is located approximately one kilometre from the 4WD car park. It was still early but the heat was rising up very fast and the flat walk in the sand was not that easy. Our efforts have been rewarded when all of a sudden we had a full view of this massive surreal land, where red sand dunes contrast with the white clay surface, the dead dark trees stuck in time and the crisp blue sky. Despite the crowd, there is an incredible feeling of remoteness and loneliness, as with a bit of patience, you can easily disconnect yourself from the rest of the world to become part of this amazing place and let yourself drawn into your surroundings.As we had no rush, we stayed there for couple of hours before deciding to slowly go back to the camp to escape the heat. We stopped multiple times on the way to take pictures of the dunes, although the shapes and colours were toned down by the high-up sun. We spent most of the afternoon in the camp in a very relaxed atmostphere between check-out and check-in hours, before going back to enjoy the park at a different time. It was such a different experience indeed!! Almost no one, and with the sun having turned, the shapes and colours of the dunes were the total opposite of the morning, it was another wow moment. As it was not enough, we went back the following morning, driving straight to Deadvlei to enjoy the sunrise there. We were second or third in the queue, but it did not matter as we were overtaken by everyone as per the day before. But as the “The Hare and the Tortoise” fable from La Fontaine taught us “To win a race, the swiftness of a dart availeth not without a timely start”, and it was shamely satisfying to drive pass the numerous cars stuck in the sand pits of the last five kilometres. There were many 2WD despite the multiple warnings as careless drivers tried their luck anyways, to eventually walk to the finish line.

The early morning atmosphere is quite different, less crowded but less colourful too. I wandered between the trees for a while to finally climb on top of a surrounding dune and wait for the sun to be up. It was a very nice perspective from up there, and I waited for Eff to be done with his photo shoot to move again. We drove slowly back to the camp stopping at every opportunity. We were supposed to stay a third night, but there was no real point to it, as we had enjoyed a lot this fantastic place. We decided to say good bye and drive towards our next stop.We stayed at a very small camp less than an hour away from the National park, on the way to Walvis Bay, named “Sossus on Foot”. There were only three spots in this amazingly quiet place. Beautiful and serene scenery, a tiny pool to freshen up a bit, that was exactly what we like and what we needed to get ready for the Namibian coast.

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