One of the memorable highlights of my global travels was spending a weekend in Namibia in the desert at Sossusvlei. I never really understood the appeal of the desert being a child of the mountains and the bush from NZ. But there is nothing like the sunset and sunrise in the desert – the crisp air, the morning chill, the sun slowly warming up the colours of the sand. I haven’t found another desert with the same rich hues as the Sossusvlei.
I have nothing more to say on the topic, apart from make sure you go there!
Go hiking, see dead vlei, climb the dunes (big daddy and big mama), get up early to watch the sun come up and enjoy the sunrise.
Hiking up on top of Big Daddy dune at dawn
And hunt out some of the desert flora – there are beautiful flowers with extraordinary colours
Enjoy it for every second that you can, as once you leave you will wish you were back there!
Additional tips
- Sossusvlei is a long way by road from Windhoek – the very laid back capital of Namibia, and the drivers are not fantastic. I took a small plane flight to get there, and although the pilot didn’t look old enough to be out of high school, we arrived just fine. The views en route were pretty stunning too
My private plane from windhoek - There is lots of good accommodation around the park, I stayed at Sossus Dune Lodge as it was owned by locals and one of the few operations which was actually inside the park, so getting to the dunes was easier in the morning
- You can take a hot air balloon up for sunrise if you have the time, money and inclination