Day 6 began VERY early.
Wake up call was at 4am, departure from lodge at 5am, so that we arrived at Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park at sunrise. Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan surrounded by Namibia's highest red dunes.
After 60km away from the main road (45km by coach, the last 15km by 4x4 cars) and a lovely walk (if it is not too windy as it was the day we visited) through the dunes the pan is another quite impressive attraction despite it being rather windy that day.
After 60km away from the main road (45km by coach, the last 15km by 4x4 cars) and a lovely walk (if it is not too windy as it was the day we visited) through the dunes the pan is another quite impressive attraction despite it being rather windy that day.
After that we visited the Sesriem Canyon, a natural canyon carved by the Tsauchab river in the local sedimentary rock, about 1km long and up to 30 meters deep. Sesriem means "six belts given by some settlers who had to attach together six belts in order to reach buckets down into the canyon to scoop up water.
You can walk down a footpath into the canyon and walk through the canyon passing by the carved rocks.
Our accommodation for the night was the Namib Desert Lodge, 60km north of Sossusvlei.
The lodge, which sits at the foot of a red sandstone cliff, which consists of the fossilised dunes of an ancient Namib, is a stunner.
The dunes overlooking the lodge are 20 million years old and are evidence that an earlier Namib existed and that is the oldest desert in the world.
As the climate changed, gradually getting wetter, the increasing moisture caused the sand to solidify into sandstone.
Then some 5 million years ago, the climate changed again to the desert conditions found in the Namib today, allowing the formation of a new sand sea.
Some of us did a sunset drive again and it was just so beautiful driving up the dunes enjoying the view over the lodge, the countryside in general and just another beautiful sunset.
The lodge, which sits at the foot of a red sandstone cliff, which consists of the fossilised dunes of an ancient Namib, is a stunner.
The dunes overlooking the lodge are 20 million years old and are evidence that an earlier Namib existed and that is the oldest desert in the world.
As the climate changed, gradually getting wetter, the increasing moisture caused the sand to solidify into sandstone.
Then some 5 million years ago, the climate changed again to the desert conditions found in the Namib today, allowing the formation of a new sand sea.
Some of us did a sunset drive again and it was just so beautiful driving up the dunes enjoying the view over the lodge, the countryside in general and just another beautiful sunset.
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| early morning sandstorm |
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| Dune 45 |
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| Dune 45 - yes it was a bit windy |
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| Sesriem Canyon |
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| my cottage at the Namib Desert Lodge |
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| Kudo just behind our cottages |
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| Kudo Kindergarten |
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| the sandstone cliff |
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| view over our lodge from the cliff |
