Posts by Mathilde1967

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 🤪

We’re watching the sunset

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

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

After the break, we hit the road again





















There are no words. It's sublime, wonderful, magical... I'm running out of superlatives

😮 poor Tourmaline

Oh no, that must not have been fun with a storm. I guess they made you sleep in a tent then? I must have read your travel journal but I don’t remember everything. I’ll go read it again 🙂

Yeah, we went to Sesriem but later. We made a small route change due to the TTT dates.

After a short trek through the rocky terrain, we find the beautiful red sand again.





You wonder how flowers manage to grow in such a dry place.







Mealtime is approaching. As always, everything is well organized—a tent is waiting for us. Underneath, there are chairs that recline. Sandwiches and fruit are available.



And the coffee water heats up naturally.

It’s awesome. A bit long but efficient. We take a nice break here.

Oh, I really hope you get to experience it, Isabelle—it’s absolutely amazing! We were there at the perfect time because it wasn’t too hot during the day, even though the nights were pretty chilly. On the flip side, though, we didn’t see any animals (chameleon, scorpion, etc.)

Hey Bruno

What, you didn’t do the TTT? Big mistake 🙁 😏 Definitely need to go back there then

July 17th: 2nd day of the Tok Tokkie Trail. The longest in terms of walking time since we have to reach our second base camp. We can't stop talking about the landscapes we're seeing. We're on foot, so our field of vision stays the same, but honestly, it feels like the scenery keeps changing all the time. It's wild. Question for those who've done the TTT: did you feel the same way I did?













We climb up a small hill: two completely different vibes when we reach the top. On the left:

On the right:

Hi Carmen,

Welcome to the car too! 🙂 That’s exactly what we did with Tourmaline. We planned our trip, and they booked everything for us (car, campsites, lodges, and excursions). Yes, the Himbas were a letdown, and the Skeleton Coast (TTT) was a huge highlight for me. I had the opposite experience like that 😏

Yeah, we took our time doing it. My kids said: "We could’ve gone to Lüderitz," and I replied: "You have to make choices—we only have 4 weeks, and there’s already so much driving... so we preferred going to Epupa Falls. Next time, we’ll explore more of the south. 😛 We’ve barely scratched the surface, so we’ll have to come back.

I don’t know how it was before, but there are still plenty of very "natural" places. Afterward, I think it’s mostly around the "sites" where new lodges are being built. There’s definitely a lot of choice... I hope the government puts a stop to it for the country’s sake and to protect the people. I’m always a little unsettled seeing kids begging for water at the start of a road, then a few kilometers later, a lodge with a pool and unlimited water.

Hi Muriel,

We had date constraints, so we had to plan ahead, and when there are obligations, there’s inevitably less flexibility. With the dates we had, 18 months before our departure we could do the trip in one direction, but 15 months before, we couldn’t anymore. So we quickly booked the TTT before there were no spots left at all. After that, if you have more flexibility than we did, maybe you don’t need to book so far in advance. Definitely worth looking into, because it’s absolutely necessary—especially if it’s a dream trip!

We’re a group of 8 people plus the guide. From what I understand, groups rarely exceed this number, and the trek runs three times a week (there are two guides in total, and they take turns leading the hike). It doesn’t happen when it’s too hot—and you can definitely see why.













We arrive at the campsite as the sun sets. Everything’s already set up. Let me explain how it all works. There’s a "fixed" wooden structure where the cook and her assistant prepare meals. There are toilets and a shower like this one:



Drinks are available. A big table is set up with woolen ponchos on each chair. Camp beds are arranged by "family" and spaced apart for privacy. Each bed comes with a thick sleeping bag, and we can use the ponchos for extra warmth if we want. There are small solar lamps at each spot, a water container for washing hands and brushing teeth, small mats at the foot of each bed to keep sand out, and even a little table. And—here’s the cherry on top—just before bedtime, they put hot water bottles in our sleeping bags. Oh wow, what a treat because it gets cold fast once the sun’s gone down. The aperitif is on the house, then the cook and her assistant serve dinner. It includes a starter, a main course, and dessert—all local. It was really tasty and filling. During the evening, we get an astronomy session. The sky is so clear and beautiful. Everyone turns in early, hats on , even though we’re buried in our sleeping bags 😛. The Milky Way is right above us. No need to crane our necks—lying down, we can see it in all its sublime, wonderful glory.

Hi Alain,

So happy to bring back good memories 🙂 Yes, that sunset with a drink in hand was an unforgettable moment. You were so lucky with the elephant! Thanks for the impala info—I hadn’t noticed with the others we came across 😮. I’ll go through my photos again to check

July 16th: So I told my husband, "If we go to Namibia, I *have* to do the TTT (Tok Tokkie Trail), and that’s non-negotiable." He agreed with me 😏... and we booked it. We didn’t really have much choice with the dates since it was already fully booked for the ones we wanted. Originally, we were supposed to start our trip with this and end in Etosha, doing the reverse route, but when we went to book, there were no spots left—even though we reserved this trek 15 months in advance 🤪.

Luckily, Tourmaline was quick to respond in our messages, and we were able to adjust the trip so we could still do it.

Practically speaking, this trek involves walking for 3 days and 2 nights under the stars in the Namib Rand, a private reserve.

We had a meet-up by 1 p.m. at the latest at Tok Tokkie Homestead, but it was recommended to arrive earlier for lunch and the briefing.

So we left calmly in the morning from our campsite since it was only 90 km to our meet-up spot. The road is... absolutely stunning, and when we arrived, I instantly fell in love with the landscapes around us. It’s breathtaking. I’m having a hard time choosing which photos to share!









Here we are, arrived!



Briefing, meal, and packing our daypack with water and a camera (it needs to stay light). We also prepare the bags for 2 nights and 2 days, but we won’t be carrying them—a car will drop them off directly at our first stop. A 4x4 takes us to the starting point of the hike. And we’re off!











The guide is amazing. He keeps stopping to check if we’re okay and gives explanations at every turn—about the trees, plants, animals we see, tracks in the sand, even the droppings we find... nothing gets left out

July 15th: a transition day today. We’ve got 350 km to cover to leave the coast and head back inland. Along this route that’ll take us to the Little Sossus Lodge campsite, there’ll be plenty of photo stops—the scenery is just stunning. There’s the Kuiseb River canyon, Gaub Pass, Solitaire, and crossing the Tropic of Capricorn.

















Breathtaking landscapes, each one totally different from the next

Welcome to Manu’s car! Agreed, it’s a jaw-dropping experience—not just for the eyes ;)

July 14th: Today we have a morning sea kayaking session with an extension to Sandwich Harbour. We meet up at 8 AM in Walvis Bay. We leave Swakopmund at 7 AM—there’s a lot of fog, so we can’t see anything and aren’t driving fast. On site, we join a group and set off with three cars loaded with kayaks. The drive to the starting point is pretty long. We cross salt pans and follow the coast all the way to Pelican Point.



The activity is awesome. My kids and I loved it, my husband less so. He didn’t appreciate the little critters that climbed onto the boat uninvited, while the kids, as they say, *really* enjoyed it. Still, we paddled among hundreds of playful seals for about an hour, and it was amazing. After that time in the water with them, we got a little meal. The tour is perfectly organized. Waterproof gear is provided—it’s great.



Just wish there’d been a bit more sun. The weather cleared up, but only by late morning.



After the morning kayaking, the group splits in two. We continue our adventure with another group. We switch cars, pass by the salt pans again, but this time we stop.



Then we head to Sandwich Harbour. We manage to drive along the shore before the tide comes in, then we gain some elevation to see the dunes meeting the water. It’s really windy and cold, but wow, it’s beautiful. Driving up and down the dunes in a 4x4 is just incredible and breathtaking.

July 13th: heading to Swakopmund, 120 km away. We’ll spend 2 nights at See Breeze Guesthouse. This guesthouse serves breakfast but not lunch or dinner. The owners are friendly and full of great tips. They’ll book us 2 excellent restaurants for the 2 evenings we’re staying with them. Since we arrive in the morning, we’ll check into our rooms and take a little stroll along the seafront to get our bearings. We’ll grab a quick bite to eat because at 2 PM, we have a meet-up with a guide for the Moon Landscape/Welwitschias Tour with Charly Desert Tours. I really loved this activity. We saw stunning landscapes, canyons, surprising plants, and got tons of explanations about everything. A really interesting visit.





Madame Welwitschias

Monsieur Welwitschias

Both plants need to be close to each other for these plants to "reproduce." They’re several hundred years old. They’re so surprising!

July 12: We hit the road again for Cape Cross and the largest colony of seals in Namibia. Here we are by the sea. It's 160 km to these animals and our accommodation, the Cap Cross Lodge. We'll leave our rooftop tents for a few nights because the coast is too humid to sleep in them.

So, if we were to redo this part of the trip, I think we wouldn’t stay here despite it being a really nice lodge in a great spot. We’d head straight to Swakopmund instead. The landscapes are different, a bit misty. But before getting a real bed, we witness a stunning sunrise, as often happens in Africa.







Different landscape

The colony has thousands of animals. It's impressive, really noisy, and it stinks a lot 🤪





The view from our room