Nobody prepares you for what you are
about to see. This immense desert of red dunes on the Namibian coast exceeds
all expectations. Its beauty is indescribable and its stillness makes you lose
your sight into nothingness and that your whole life passes in front of you in
less than a minute.
It is the Namib desert, the tallest and
oldest dunes on the planet. A 1,600-kilometer-long stretch of sand by the sea,
a world heritage site that dates back to the era in which dinosaurs became
extinct more than 55 million years ago. bolts.answerhop
Namib means vastness in the local
Namibian language; huge stretches of sand that receive only eight millimeters
of rain annually, and where miraculously there is life thanks to a layer of fog
that usually covers the region thanks to the wind and cold water from the
Atlantic.
These dunes are protected within the
Namib-Naukluft National Park , which is larger than Switzerland , and they hide
a minimal flow of dry underground rivers that, from time to time, generate
oases on the surface. tc-bolts.dyifo
In the heart of this desert, rolling
hillsides take the breath away of any traveler who wants to probe them. The
reddish folds of this desert guard the largest sand dunes on the planet ,
forming a landscape of true sand skyscrapers that are molded at the whim of the
wind, forming parallel lines on the coast and with starry shapes in the
interior.
What does it impress? Well, prepare
yourself for what you are going to enjoy.
There's a slight stinging on my legs,
exposed below my shorts, as the wind hits them with full force. I've turned my
face away from the gusts and I'm trudging uphill regardless. The strength of
the wind is making the climb up this dune hard enough, but the added difficulty
is coming from all the tiny sand particles that are being picked up and slammed
into me at gale force speed. techqueer
I wonder if there's more sand in the
wind than in the dune beneath me - and that's saying something, seeing as the
dune is 85 meters high. I glance back down the trail of footsteps that curve
along the ridge of the sandy hill to the ground. It looks like the spine of a
giant red dinosaur. One that's taken me about half an hour to walk up.
This is Sossusvlei in Namibia, probably
the easiest part of the enormous Namib Sand Sea to access (climbing conditions
excepted). The red and orange dunes here roll on as far as you can see,
stretching out for about 400 kilometers in total. From the top of this one,
which I do eventually reach, I look out at just a small fraction of one of
Africa's natural wonders. construction-bolts.tockhop
In this picturesque painting,
Sossusvlei is the most popular attraction in the entire country. As if it were
a clay pot, this salt flat is dotted with walls of gigantic red sand dunes.
Inside, skeletons of dead plants dance in the wind. This place, which in the
local language means point of no return, offers the most spectacular views of
the place that you can choose to see on hot air balloon , helicopter or quad
rides , or on desert hikes, paragliding and sandboarding .
In this genuine landscape is the famous
Dune 45 , from where you can see the most enchanting sunrise in the country.
And if you want to do a bit of exercise, go to Dune 7 , the largest in the
world, at 380 meters .
Just two kilometers from Sossusvlei,
Deadvlei is, as its name suggests, an uninhabitable place: the change in the
course of the water caused it to go from an oasis on the mainland to the scene
of the apocalypse, since there is not enough humidity for the trees dead
decompose, causing the remains to remain in place. bacobolts.yictic
The landscape is, to say the least,
unsettling.
Experts think the Namib Sand Sea is
probably the oldest desert in the world. It's one of Namibia's biggest national
parks and one of only two World Heritage Sites in the country. So, it's no
surprise that the area is well protected, and I think the local authorities
should be commended for the way they've managed tourism in a way that is
sustainable and accessible. It's forbidden to climb most of the sand dunes but
the one I struggle up - Dune 45 - has been set aside for visitors to
experience. Some other parts of the Sossusvlei area can only be reached by 4WD
and the rangers drive tourists in and out to reduce damage to the environment.
Even the highlight of this region,
Deadvlei, is still inaccessible by road and requires a 20-minute walk through
the desert. It's worth it to experience the eerie landscape of skeleton-like
trees that died more than 700 years ago but have been preserved by the dry air
and blackened by the sun, sitting in the bright white clay pan and surrounded
by a background of red dunes.
Bordering Angola and South Africa, this
desert has a vast sample of the continent's fauna . Unique Camelthorn trees
populate the landscape , full of thorns and with deep roots that reach up to
fifty meters below their feet. Adorn the aridity, welwitschias conquer the
terrain, this one-of-a-kind plant survives by soaking up mist dew since
Jurassic times, as it can live up to two thousand years.
The fauna of this region has developed
intelligent refreshment systems, such as elephants adapted to the desert or
oryx gazelles, with a high body temperature of up to 40 degrees. Meerkats,
jackals, ostriches , spiders, beetles and snakes are other inhabitants, who
borrow water from the mist. All of them can be seen on safaris organized by
local operators, who claim that this desert offers views that no other place on
Earth has.
There are many options to enjoy this
unique place on earth. The best thing is in your own vehicle, but if you can, I
recommend another option that will make you see things from another dimension:
by helicopter.
The Namib Desert was probably the most
unique place I have ever been. The landscapes are gorgeous, and even though we
were there in the highest season possible, you are under the constant
impression that you are in the middle of nowhere. We could drive for three
straight hours without seeing another car or person.
To get to the Park region we rented a
car and drove for five hours on mostly gravel roads. I highly recommend renting
an SUV or the drive can get uncomfortable. I cannot get enough of my Namibian days,
and can't wait to go back to explore the rest of the country. However, if you
have a few days, I highly recommend taking this trip to the Namib Desert.
Dune 45 is located in the
Namib-Naukluft National Park . As we drove through the park, we approached km
45 where Dune 45 is located. It is the one closest to the road, so several
people are happy to try to climb it. Looking at it from the ground it does not
look like a challenging climb, but after starting my way up I quickly realized
it was deceiving.
For a better way to enjoy I took a
helicopter trip. Unforgettible!
