One-month road trip in Namibia (page 5 of 7)

We arrive at the camp. We can say the setting is... sublime, right?



The toilets

The table with the ponchos



Our room



The view from our bed

We’re watching the sunset

It was really cold that night and the wind had picked up

July 18: last day of our trek. It's windy, which makes the temperature feel chilly. We’ll arrive before noon at our starting point and find our bags next to our car. There’ll be a little debrief with some good cake and hot or cold drinks (your choice). We’ll pack up quietly and leave this magical place with sadness. We’ve got 120 km to cover to reach the Sesriem campsite. But first, here are the last photos from the hike.



















It’s really blowing hard 🤪

There you go, our big trip is over. It was a huge crush for me with absolutely stunning, grand, and very photogenic landscapes. I LOVED IT

We arrived at the Sesriem campsite, and the wind still hadn’t let up The campsite is at the entrance to the park leading to Sossusvlei. We went to get our entry tickets for the next day and check the sunrise time since the park opens at that hour. Staying here lets us arrive an hour earlier. That evening, I’ll try my hand at photographing the Milky Way. I couldn’t do it much before because of the full moon.



July 19th: well, here we are, waking up at dawn to leave as early as possible, and... the wind is still there. A bit disappointed, but we’ll have to deal with it. There are already a lot of cars on the road. We follow the crowd. First planned stop: Big Daddy and Deadvlei. We arrive at the 4x2 parking lot and stop to deflate the tires a bit more since we want to drive ourselves to the 4x4 parking lot. Otherwise, you can take a paid shuttle to get there. Between the rising sun, the blowing wind, and the flying sand, the atmosphere is surreal.





There are already a few cars there. We study the path to climb Big Daddy. It’s the highest point in the photo (well, you all know that, but just for those who don’t )



It looks really far, and I can confirm it *is* far. Between walking in the sand, climbing, and the strong wind, I won’t lie—it was a tough ascent.



Little anecdote: I had a dust protector for my camera, and I don’t know how it happened, but halfway up, it flew away 🏴‍☠️ I couldn’t catch it. How can I put it? After that, I was a little stressed about the sand flying everywhere and sometimes even throwing me off balance. I hid the camera under my T-shirt to protect it as much as possible, but I wasn’t calm at all. Luckily, the beauty of the place enchanted me 😛

It's true that on the TTT, it's incredible—you feel like the landscape changes every 100 meters! 😲

Ah, thanks Muriel! I’m not the only one who felt that way, so it reassures me :)

It’s true that on the TTT, it’s amazing—you feel like the landscape changes every 100 meters :o

If you stop at a specific spot, the colors of the landscape also shift (sometimes quite dramatically) as the sun rises, hour by hour.... :)

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Yeah, but I think in these photos, with the colors of the sand, the vegetation (shrubs, grasses sometimes sparse and sometimes in "fields"), the varied reliefs on the horizon... all of that combined with the changing light, the photos all look different on this hike :)

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That's the magic, the "kisskool" effect of this region—and Namibia in particular—!!

Thanks again to Mathilde for taking us (me) there. 🙂

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Once we’re at the bottom, of course we’re carrying 5 kg extra because there’s an unimaginable amount of sand in our shoes It’s breathtaking and surprising.









This spot is where we saw the most people in one place in Namibia. I should mention it’s really beautiful and well-known

It’s my pleasure, Alain. It’s true that the light depending on the time of day really affects the colors of the landscapes (especially mornings and evenings when it can turn *very* red), but climbing up or down a dune, shifting 30 meters to one side or the other of a tree, widening or tightening a shot—it all makes a huge difference too. The "kisscool" effect works like a charm. 😏

We had a picnic on the site and then got back in the car.





Brief stop at Dune 45.



Then we headed to Elim Dune. This dune is almost at the park entrance. I really loved it because it’s on the edge of the plain, offering great views of the Naukluft Mountains, and also because it’s different from the dunes at Sossusvlei. There was no one around.















It’s absolutely stunning!

We ended our day at Sesriem Canyon.





July 20th: We have to head back to Windhoek because we’re catching our flight on the 21st in the afternoon. So, we’ve got 300 km to get back to Londiningi Lodge. And you know what? This morning, there’s not a breath of wind . It would’ve been better the day before. Then, as if to say goodbye, Namibia gives us one last gift.



A few oryx cross the camp toward the dunes. Thank you, beautiful animal, for saying goodbye. We leave with heavy hearts, passing through Solitaire and Spreetshoogte Pass again.







And here’s the final shot.

We arrive at the lodge in the afternoon. One group gives the car a quick clean and the other reorganizes the bags. Everything’s set for departure. We gave what was left of our food to a guy by the side of the road. We made someone happy.

July 21st: We have a meet-up with the rental company to return the car. Of course, we lose the deposit because of the rock. But after the check, everything else is fine. The rental company will take us to the airport, and we’ll catch our flight in the early afternoon.

Thank you, Namibia. You’ve filled us with so much: the animals, the landscapes, the experiences, the discoveries. Everything was magnificent, grand, exceptional (despite the rock thrown at the car by a little guy). And THANK YOU to everyone who followed this travel journal!

It's magnificent

It's the magic of the NAMIB...

This was in November 2012—there are at least two photos almost identical to yours.

https://forum.image-nature.com/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=44022&p=566995#p566995

In 2012, we also left via that same "S. Pass" on the last day.

THANKS for the whole story. (and for the dream of going back without the exhaustion...)

Puma2A 😉

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I went back there myself with great pleasure 😉

And your photos are gorgeous...

Thanks for this travel journal. The photos are gorgeous and the story is so enjoyable. It’s really a pleasure to read. It’s made me want to go back!

Thanks Mathilde! 🙂 I’d gotten used to following your adventures regularly. I’ll miss them! !

Thanks Mathilde for this travel journal and those gorgeous photos 🙂.

These 4 weeks flew by!

Thanks Mathilde for making me travel to this beautiful country again... I really want to go back so badly! 😍