Namibia

Our first destination in Namibia was the Kalahari Desert close to the town of Mariental. The landscape is captivating from the very first moment. The scenery is gentle and soft, and resembles more an impressionist painting by a famous artist. Blue sky with fair weather clouds, red dunes, golden savannah grass with scattered acacia trees like green spots spread over the picture. And to finish with the icing on the cake there is plenty of wildlife around, blending seamlessly to the surrounding landscape.

When we were planning our trip, there was a question whether to visit a living museum of the local Khoi-San people or not. Is this ethically responsible tourism? People put on a display. Finally, I decided to take this opportunity and to learn about their way of life and to let them have a small share of the economic benefit through my entry-fees and buying some handcraft.

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For our next destination, we changed the sandy tracks with gravel roads and drove further south towards Keetmanshoop. Now, it was time to try the roof tent on the top of our 4 by 4 and we stayed overnight in a huge private area on a hill in the midst of the quiver tree forest and between the dolomite rocks. Feelings? Somewhere between missing all comfort in an unknown place and enjoying the solitude in the outdoors.

From Dusk to Dawn: The silhouettes of the Quiver Trees during twilight. The background in all the graduations and hues from dark blue to pink to orange. How to describe this place. Kira found this vastness cosmic!

Where past meets present and your soul meets nature: Evidence of the Mesosaurus 300 million years ago and proof that Namibia and Brazil were neighbors before the continental drift divided both countries into two continents. The many Fossils remain untouched almost under every rock.

Hendrik, the entertaining owner and guide of the Mesosaurus Fossil Park, proved that you can play any melody on the rocks. Our passion and excitement for Namibia continued the second day.

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Activities in the morning and in the evening and in between, during the hottest time of the day nicely driving in the car. Continuing further south on the excellent gravel roads, to our third destination: the Fish River Canyon. The Panorama from the Main Viewpoint creates an awe-inspiring feeling. You can just say “Wow”! By the way, Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world, and it is worth a detour. Forget about sunrise and sunset because they are not very spectacular. The hours after sunrise or before sunset are better for photography.

Watching the jumping and running dassies (also known as rock hyraxes) and the ground squirrels is a lot of fun. And caught all our attention. By the way, Dassies are relatives of the elephant and not the guinea pig.

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 Kolmanskuppe, a ghost town located in the Namib Desert. The former diamond mining settlement was established by German settlers in the early 1900s but was abandoned by the mid-20th century. Since then, the buildings are slowly sinking in the sand. Rusted metal, peeling paint, broken windows, rotten wood-planks, doors half buried in the sand. It all offers us a glimpse into the past and tells us the stories of old times. Refined aesthetic beauty!

We took the photo permit that allowed us to enter and stay after the opening hours until sunset.

Solitaire is a must stop on the way, whether you come from the north or from the south. You refill your car, and you have a coffee break with the famous apple pie.

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Without any doubt, Sossusvlei and Deadvlei are among the most visited and photographed iconic places in the world. So, should we skip it and continue our off-the-beaten-track experience? The answer is NO: we started our trip during the off-peak season to avoid the big crowds. The lodge inside the Park allowed us to enter the park one hour before the gate opens at sunrise.

And we made a big effort to get up very, very early in the morning and to start on the 65 km long drive to Deadvlei and Sossusvlei before the sun will burn us too much, the big travel groups arrive and to take advantage of the soft morning light.

To change from scorching 42°C heat at Sossusvlei to the cooler coastal town of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay we crossed again the Namib-Naukluft-National Park. The soft and gentle landscape is a treat for the eyes, with rolling hills and vast open spaces. The park is also home to oryxes, mountain zebras, ostriches, springboks, and other wildlife you can spot along the roadway. You feel like you are on a journey far away from reality surrounded by beautiful nature.

In Walvis Bay we joined an organized kayak tour that first took us along the salt pans with  100 of flamingos, a couple of Black necked Jackal, several pelicans and other seabirds to Pelican Point, from where we jumped into a wetsuit to watch playful Cape Fur Seal’s cubs from our kayak.

As you paddle through the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, joyful seals will swim alongside you, playing and flipping around your kayak. Watch them feeding, jumping and performing acrobatics in their natural habitat. You don’t know where to look first and don’t forget to release the shutter of your camera. Incredible!

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