For this trip we have combined the visit to the family with some fishing at the Namibian coast. From Keetmanshoop we drove some roads in Namibia for the very first time and experienced the desert as never before.
- Keetmanshoop to Sossusvlei via the C27
- Sossusvlei to Mirabib (through the Kuiseb Canyon)
- Mirabib to Blutkuppe via Ganab (Namib region of the Namib Naukluft Park)
- Blutkuppe to Swakop River Valley camp (Namib region of the Namib Naukluft Park)
- Swakop River Valley Campsite via the Moon Landscape & Goanikontes to Windpomp 14 Camp (Mile 14) north of Swakopmund
The Namib is so beautiful, so quiet, so inhospitable and yet there are so many animals surviving in the desert. The pictures will tell the story….
Wikipedia: “The Sossusvlei area belongs to a wider region of southern Namib with homogeneous features (about 32.000 km²) extending between rivers Koichab and Kuiseb. This area is characterized by high sand dunes of vivid pink-to-orange color, an indication of a high concentration of iron in the sand and consequent oxidation processes. The oldest dunes are those of a more intense reddish color. These dunes are among the highest in the world; many of them are above 200 metres, the highest being the one nicknamed Big Daddy, about 325 metres high, however the highest dune in the Namib Desert, Dune 7, is about 388 metres high”
Wikipedia: “Deadvlei is another clay pan, about 2 km from Sossusvlei. A notable feature of Deadvlei is that it used to be an oasis with several acacia trees; afterwards, the river that watered the oasis changed its course. The pan is thus punctuated by blackened, dead acacia trees, in vivid contrast to the shiny white of the salty floor of the pan and the intense orange of the dunes. This creates a particularly fascinating and surrealistic landscape”
Wikipedia: “Sesriem is also known for Sesriem Canyon, about 4 km from Sesriem itself, which is the second most important tourist attraction in the area after Sossusvlei. It is a natural canyon carved by the Tsauchab river in the local sedimentary rock about a kilometre long and up to 30 meters deep.
We got our permits to drive and overnight in the Namib-Naukluft Park at the NWR offices at Sesriem. From Sesriem we took the C14 via the Guab pass and Kuiseb Canyon.
Mirabib, a lone granite inselberg in the desert, was the next overnight stop. Amazing landscape with zebra grazing in the distance and absolute silence with nobody in sight.
From Mirabib we crossed the park to the north towards Blutkuppe. Some water holes along the way with zebra, gemsbok, ostrich, springbuck, warthog and giraffe.
From Blutkuppe on to Swakop River Valley:
Another surreal landscape. Almost no colour and very dry:
Next stop at Mile 14, Swakopmund. On the way we passed the “moon landscape”, which is carved by the Swakop river over thousands of years. Goanikontes is an oasis in the river bed and the biggest Welwitchia mirabilis plants are around this area.
Camping at Windpomp 14 for the next 17 days:
TWO WRINKLED TRAVELLERS 
Sjoe, dis sulke pragtige foto’s! Sossusvlei is so uniek en werklik besonder mooi! En jou sonsondergang foto – “out of this world”!!
Dis harde paaie en ‘n ander mooi – maar vir my die mooiste-mooi 😊.
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Geniet dit is nog ‘n droom trip wat julle doen. Ek is lekker groen.
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Die woestyn is wonderlik mooi. En dis so stil en leeg met allerhande klein diertjies en voëls. Definief die moeite werd om weg van die toeriste te kamp.
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