A motorhome tour of Sossusvlei in Namibia

It had been high on my wish list for some time: the Sossusvlei. The scenery is absolutely spectacular. The Sossusvlei is at its most beautiful in the morning and in the evening at sunset and sunrise. The light is warm then which creates beautiful contrasts between the white of the clay and the red of the dunes.

We spend the night in Sesriem, so we can enter as soon as the gate opens at sunrise. There is already a nice line of cars; we are not the only ones who want to go in. Once inside the park we drive a little further until we see the sun rise over the dunes. Oh those colors! After we have taken the time to enjoy this and take some nice pictures we drive on.

45 kilometers from Sesriem is Dune 45, a very photogenic dune. The crest of the dune forms the letter S where you get a beautiful dividing line between light and dark. You can also climb Dune 45, but we like to leave that to others. At the end of the paved road is Big Daddy, a dune 325 meters high. Here is also the parking lot for 2WD vehicles.

With a 4WD vehicle, you can drive the last 5 kilometers to Deadvlei itself. If you have a 2WD vehicle, you can walk the last 5 kilometers (keep in mind the heat!) or take a 4WD Transfer from the NWR. Deadvlei is a white clay plain surrounded by tall red dunes. In the valley are skeletons of trees that are about 900 years old. Although they are not petrified, they do not decay because it is too dry. The white plain with the blackened trees, surrounded by red dunes and under an azure sky form a surreal image. The distances are greater than I expected. Therefore, set aside a whole day to visit Sossusvlei.

Tip from Diana:
I recommend spending the night at the Sesriem Camp Site. This is the only campsite within the gate of the National Park. This allows you to go out before sunrise and watch the sunrise at Dune 45, for example.