Road trip through Namibia - the Namib Desert
We arrive in the Namib Desert, the land of the oryx and one of the most pristine areas on earth. We take a breathtaking balloon ride at sunrise and climb the red dunes of Sossusvlei. We hike among the skeletal trees of Deadvlei and marvel at the stars and planets at night. Our home for the next 3 nights is the andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, an oasis in the endless wilderness.
The Namib, the world's oldest desert
The Namib is the oldest desert in the world and takes its name from the Nama culture. Namib means vast place, which is a perfect name for the vast sea of sand, dunes and rocks that follows the entire coastline of Namibia. The best known and most visited part of the Namib is the Namib Naukluft Park, a 5 million hectare desert wilderness. At the heart of the reserve is the Namib Sand Sea, the largest dune area south of the Sahara. The spectacular dunes are constantly reshaped by the wind and are home to a remarkable variety of plants and animals. In this living desert, flora and fauna have adapted to the extreme aridity and hostile environment. They capture the moisture in the air that comes ashore as fog, allowing them to survive without rain. The plains and dry riverbeds are a haven for big game. You will find the black rhino, giraffe, gemsbok and zebra, as well as predators such as hyena, cheetah, jackal and leopard.
AndBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge
Amidst the dramatic landscapes of the Namib Desert lies the exclusive andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge. Ten stone and glass villas line a mountain slope, offering breathtaking views of the desert's splendor and solitude.
The split-level lodge offers a cozy bar and comfortable lounge with total openness to nature. A delicious meal is served in the privacy of your villa, on the lodge terrace or in one of the private rooms. You come to andBeyond Lodge to experience the Namib, and you will do so day and night, thanks to the extensive game drives, the in-house observatory and the skylights above your bed that allow you to gaze at the stars at night.
We are warmly greeted by the lodge manager and introduced to Anna, our personal butler, and George, the guide we share with another couple. The atmosphere at the lodge is very friendly and nothing is impossible. You just have to ask. We plan the next few days' excursions with George and get ready for an elegant sundowner in the spectacular surroundings.
Stargazing in Africa's first International Dark Sky Reserve
The andBeyond Lodge is located in the first area in Africa to be designated an International Dark Sky Reserve (IDSR) with Gold Tier status. This means that there is no light pollution and the night sky is a starry wonder. The lodge has its own sophisticated observatory where Ed, the in-house star specialist, shares his passion with guests. It is the place to be when night falls.
The Milky Way spreads out before us in all its glory. We look at Mars and Saturn through the electronic telescope. The planets, along with Jupiter and Venus, are in a straight line above us tonight. Then we turn our attention to the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds. Ed programs the telescope for some open clusters. The Jewel Box star cluster is thousands of light-years away and consists of sparkling blue young stars that can be seen with the naked eye. We also look outside our galaxy to Omega Centauri, which is about 17,000 light-years away. It is the largest globular cluster in the Milky Way with a diameter of 150 light-years. While stargazing we see two meteors fall. The Pleiades are upon us and the meteor shower will only increase over the next few days.
Over the Namib in a hot air balloon
We rise before sunrise for a once in a lifetime experience. We will be flying over the Namib in a hot air balloon. When we arrive, the ground crew is already busy preparing. Three balloons take off this morning. The balloons are full of air and the pilot turns on the gas burners until the balloon is level.
We get in and rise gently from the ground. There is little wind and we climb to 750 meters. The panorama is spectacular. We drift rudderless with the wind and enjoy the spectacle around us. The rising sun changes the color palette of the desert from cold blues to a warmer yellow-red glow. The trip is over much too quickly and we calmly descend to the marked landing site.
Champagne breakfast in the Namib Desert
A champagne breakfast awaits us upon landing in the middle of the Namib Desert. We sit at long, beautifully set tables and enjoy the company of our fellow travelers. We enjoy a buffet of droëwors, smoked zebra fillet, cheese, smoked salmon and halibut, delicious homemade bread, yoghurt and muesli and even cake as one of the participants is celebrating his birthday. The professionalism of the balloon team and the quality of the breakfast are a pleasant experience. It is time to drive back to the lodge where we are warmly welcomed with a glass of lemon water and a cloth to wipe off the dust.
The towering dunes of Sossusvlei
After a long drive on sand and gravel roads we arrive at towering dunes, glistening vleis and an endless sea of sand. We have arrived at Sossusvlei. This part of the Namib Desert consists of dark red sand dunes that sometimes reach 300 meters in height. Here and there the dunes are interrupted by white vleis or dry clay plains that contrast sharply with the red sand. Sossusvlei means "gathering place of water" in the Nama language, but there is no water here.
Deadvlei is the most famous and largest white vlei. The clay plain is dotted with 500 to 700 year old ghostly skeletons of camel thorn trees. When a nearby river was blocked by migrating dunes, the trees died and dried in the desert sun and wind. The result is a magical landscape.
Climbing Big Daddy
The highest dune in Sossusvlei is the 320m high Big Daddy. It can get pretty crowded here, as climbing Big Daddy is on every traveler's bucket list in Namibia. George gives us some tips before we start the hike. The sand is very dry and light and the climb up the edge of the dune is smooth. Using the footsteps of the person in front of us, we walk at a decent pace.
The view is breathtaking. We are surrounded by high red sand dunes and white clay plains with withered trees.
On the way back, George suddenly stops and says it's time to descend. We look at him in amazement. Do we have to go straight down this steep slope? He nods with a mischievous smile and does some backward dance steps. He slides far down with each step. I gather all my courage and follow him. No, this cannot be so easy and so much fun! Laughing and shouting, we let ourselves slide down using gravity and the fine sand. Many look at us in disbelief from the edge of the dunes. Some of them, ignited by our fun, gather their courage and follow us straight down, shrieking with delight.
Sesriem Canyon
On the way back to the lodge we stop at the Sesriem Canyon. This beautiful canyon is 30 meters deep and 1 kilometer long and is completely hidden from view. The canyon consists of layers of gravel, sand and boulders that were deposited and cemented 15 million years ago. Thousands of years of erosion have exposed the layers and left holes in the porous rock. The canyon is usually dry and easy to hike.
Quad biking in the Namib Desert
There is nothing more fun than exploring the Namib on a quad bike. At first, I was apprehensive about getting on a quad bike as I had never driven one before, but my doubts were unfounded. A quad bike is completely automatic. George tells me how to do it: just accelerate, steer well and brake at the right time.
I ride behind Didier and quickly find pleasure in the new experience. We are in an untouched area with no trace of humans. In the distance we see 4 jackals and a large herd of springbok. We continue into the red dunes and see the fresh tracks of an oryx. The animal has already left the dunes and we see the oryx walking on the vast plain between the mountains. The sun is slowly setting, and the sand takes on a deep red color. We are enchanted by the play of light on the dunes and mountains. The silence of the Namib screams at us and brings a feeling of deep peace. We pass an area of large fairy circles, bare circles in the landscape with a ring of grass around them. There are several theories about the origin of the fairy circles, but there is no conclusive explanation for the phenomenon.
On the way back, in the middle of the wide plain, there is a beautifully set table with a sundowner. Our butler Anna is waiting for us, chilled to the bone. She is expecting her second child and is happy to go home soon. The staff stays in the desert for six weeks and then returns home for two weeks. She suffers from having to say goodbye to her family again and again. Her husband is a good father, but he cannot replace the role of a mother. Her young son always asks why she has to leave him. He is too young to understand that his mother has no choice in this beautiful but poor country where unemployment is high.
