Jul 11, 2012 - Day 177 - Sesriem..Lost and found

Sesriem has to be one of the most photogenic places on the planet. The colours of the landscape change by the minute in the oldest desert in the world. When we arrived at Sesriem, the mid afternoon sun burnt the dunes a deep red and the dazzling blue sky the perfect foil to the huge red sentinels which rose above an ocean of yellow desert grass. The grassy sea lapped at the foot of the dunes and the breeze sent ripples of waves through the pale yellow grass, sheafs of wheat like stalks nodding their heads in the wind. After cooling off in...

Apr 27, 2012 - A trip to Dune 45

Early start from camp. Ricki not well with self inflicted red wine injury. Travel in darkness to dune 45 where we shed our shoes and barefoot up this enormous red narrow ridged dune. Quite a breath taking experience in both ways. The air so clean, clear and dry the colours are really defined. We take photos of sunrise and each and run back down – last few hundred metres on the contour kicking up a real sandstorm as the east wind has just arrived. We take a photo of three pair of pied crows – just waking and grooming themselves. Breakfast...

Apr 26, 2012 - A long drive and our first view of the fauna

The bad news is we have to be in the truck and breakfasted by 7. There has been some rain and Anna has been told that the truck ahead of us was stuck 3 times yesterday and didn’t reach its destination until dark. So we are leaving in plenty of time and will also detour on a different route. We are now mostly on gravel roads. The first stretch quite treacherous – wet and slippery – the truck fishtails on the odd occasion. Good thing they are gravel and not dirt. Riding in this is, well, like riding in a truck. Even on tarmac she is pretty...

Nov 16, 2011 - Distant Dunes

I shivered through most of the night. It really cooled off. I had to cover my head and put on a fleece pullover to stay warm. A thin blanket on top of my silk sleep sheet was not enough.  Breakfast is at the lodge this morning. The beautiful buffet allows us to have a large breakfast so we won't have to stop for lunch. we witness ca Thea, one of the managers of the property, bottle feed the zebra. How cute! The bottle was quickly emptied followed by nudging by the zebra in an attempt to get more. She loves her bottle. Now that all...

Oct 28, 2011 - End of Namibia

Continuing on to the dunes.... The area near Sossusvlei, Namibia is the most photographed, picturesque part of this country. The Dunes are a part of the 32 000 sq mm sand sea that covers much of the region. The dunes reach as high as 325m, and are part of the oldest, driest ecosystems on earth. The landscape here is constantly shifting, swirling in a sandy sprawl. To truly appreciate the magnitude of the dunes it is necessary to climb up and fly over them. Our first opportunity to enjoy the sand of the dunes was on the drive in to the...

Jul 18, 2011 - The Sand Sea

Another driving day – this time to Sesriem, land of the red sand dunes. Passed through some rugged landscapes of jagged mountains and valleys scattered with huge mesas, the result of the Ice Age. Then after crossing wide grassy plains, we dropped 500 metres on the Zarishoogte Pass. The land reminded Bernie of Rohan while I thought more of the Misty Mountains! – Lord of the Rings references to those fans. We met a van with a surfboard on top – a bit incongruous at first, but for surfing the “Sea of Sand” not the ocean! Arrived at our Desert...

May 4, 2010 - route dag 7 Aus - Sesriem

Aus - Sesriem (time 5,5 hours, distance 340 km) This day we will be doing a lot of driving. We will get a taste of how wide stretched Namibia is. The drive will lead us along the forbidden mining area of diamonds. If we are lucky, we will see Klipspringers, the African Antelope. Sesriem is on the edge of Sossusvlei and our lodge will be 38 km from there. We will be staying at Betesda Lodge ( www.betesdalodge.com ) ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Aug 19, 2009 - Sesrium

LONG drive on dusty, gravel roads to the town of Sesrium, gateway to the Sossusvlei dunes in the Namib-Naukluft Park. This area is part of the oldest and driest ecosystem in the world and home to very tall, colorful sand dunes that rise up out of the desert. Beautiful! Everything is now full of sand and probably will be for the next few weeks.

Dec 7, 2008 - A View of The World From Dune 45

Adam and Elton had been AWOL for most of our time in Swakopmund. It was kind of like a vacation for them. They did their own thing, failed to organize any group trips or activities, and generally did not bother themselves with what we were up to. We didn’t even know their hotel room numbers or how to contact them in case there were any emergencies. We didn’t really care - we would have spent our time with Lee, Kate and Gabby regardless; we just found it a little unprofessional and generally representative of their level of service. We found...

Feb 9, 2008 - Namibian Sand Dunes here we come!

We were up at 6am today so that we could get moving as we had a long drive ahead of us in order to get to Sesriem and the famous Namibian Sand Dunes! As it had been raining the camp was rather muddy especially around the truck so Ray decided we should just get packed up and then stop in a bit for breakfast which is what we did! We stopped in a town called Bethanien where there was a 'slaghaus' butchery that is famous for its billtong. It's grocery store however was poorly stocked... On the road again Ray said that we were nearly at the camp...

Jan 10, 2008 - Sesriem & Sossuvlei

Last night's meal at the Butcher's Grill was delicious - I had ostrich steak coated in peppercorns and mustard seeds and Nige had a trio of fillets (steak, venison & ostrich) in a berry and mushroom sauce. It's terrible getting something decent to eat out here. Today we set off on a 3 day trip south to Sesriem & Sossuvlei with a great guide, Elias and the cook/camp assistant, Joseph. There were 15 of us, so the truck was full: 5 Swedes, 3 English (including a lady who lives in a village near my parents, outside Cambridge), 2 German, 1...

Dec 20, 2007 - Seeheim to Hardap Recreation Resort

The road north took us to the town of Keepmanshoop, which allowed us to grocery shop, do quick e-mail and others in our group to visit a much-needed dentist and doctor. We seem to be buying water like there is no tomorrow. While we waited for the others in our group we drove to the Kokerboom (Quiver Tree) forest. Very cool. These trees have a very strange shape and can survive drought and heat very well. Tribes’ years ago used the bark from these trees to make quivers for their arrows. Two cheetahs are housed there but were difficult to...