Namibia | A day trip to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei

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Our 7-day road-trip to Namibia continues. During our gorgeous stay at The Desert Grace, we only left the premises once: to head to the heart of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, more precisely to the Valley of Sossusvlei.

We left our accommodation before sunrise and had a quick coffee at the restaurant. We had asked for a packed meal the day before and they opened the buffet so we could grab our favourites for the journey.

On top of that they gave us a cooler for our beverages. We loved that place and the care they placed in such details, which matter to us deeply.

It was absolutely breathtaking to capture the sun rising as we went on our drive south to the dunes, with magical sightings of giraffes and gemsboks (oryxes).

This is the kind of landscape you can see only in these southern latitudes. We quickly reached the entrance to the Namib-Naukluft National Park and paid the entrance fees. I paid less than my husband as I am a SADC national, so if you are too, do not forget to show your ID. Or they might just be nice as they were with me and believe you when you mention it.

There are specific rules to follow regarding hours inside the park and speed within its limits, so act accordingly or you might be fined. There are great and clean public bathrooms by the entrance, use them as you won't see bathrooms for a while.

As we entered the park, we had the most stunning scenery of gorgeous dunes encircling the road. The contrast of the clear blue skies with the ocre of the dunes was unbelievable. Aside from the very few cars we passed by, we felt alone in this tremendous place, in the windy silence best to take it all in. Some dunes are more famous than others and Dune 45 is popular with hikers. It is so called because it lies 45 km past Sesriem on the road to Sossusvlei.

Only accessible with 4WD cars, Sossusvlei is a valley where river Tsauchab once ran, before drying hundreds of years ago. The dryness of the region, as well as its winds, created a salt clay pan in between the dunes, with little vegetation.

Our Self-Drive Namibia Adventure

And why we loved the car rental company we chose

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There are occasional floods in the region as the little water doesn't penetrate the soil, but these are rare and are never replenished.

A few kilometres further into Sossusvlei, you can reach Deadvlei. You need to stop the car and traverse the sand (or the higher Big Daddy dune) and you will have a barren forest of dried Vachellia erioloba trees (also known as camel thorns) before your eyes.

As this part of the valley was cut from the river, the trees did not decompose and you can see them to this day, forming an apocalyptic scenario. Here, you are not alone: there are many cars parked, many hikers in the dune, many people in the salt pan taking pictures and videos. But if you stay for a while you might enjoy glimpses of silence and wonder.

From this viewpoint, you can admire how small other humans are at the top of the dune, walking like ants in a little mount.

As there is no shade, the sun is scorching hot in this area. I did not have a hat and I regret it. My trusty sunscreen and thermal water are on hand.

Before leaving the Park, we found a gorgeous picnic spot under the shade of the most majestic tree, where we could appreciate the silence of Sossusvlei again while eating our packed meal.

We were then ready to take on the journey back to The Desert Grace, where a plunge in the pool and a copious dinner was awaiting for us. It was time to plan our last leg to Windhoek before heading to another African wonder I had long dreamed to experience...

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