On the 4th day in Namibia we drove 400+ km on an unpaved desert highway, passing rugged mountains and wild horses, before arriving to the fresh coastal air of the Atlantic Ocean. Seeing the desert open into the sea was a pleasant change after a month of traveling through the interior of Africa. The weather was also much cooler here and with that came welcomed relief from both the stifling heat and mosquitoes. We spent the next two days in the quaint coastal town of Swakopmund; the German Colonial architecture seemed a bit out of place in Africa, but was charming none the less. Unfortunately due to our arrival on the weekend, the place was a complete and utter ghost town; the shops all closing by 1pm on Saturday and remaining that way until Monday, the day we departed. Despite the empty streets, I still enjoyed walking around the town and beach, and it was nice to have a down day to catch up on some much needed laundry. I think my clothes have been permanently imbued with red dust.
We departed Swakop on Monday April 4th, and headed inland via the Trans-Kalahari Highway to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. We had a free afternoon to explore before meeting up for a farewell dinner for the 4 people leaving the tour.
With our group dwindled down to 6, we left the city early Tuesday morning and journeyed toward Sossusvlei, passing through spectacular rugged mountains, and stark desert landscapes. There is so much raw beauty in the desert; it’s like looking into the soul of the earth, displayed in red and golden hues. We paused at the Tropic of Cancer to take a couple of photos before continuing on to to our camp. This would be the final night of camping for on tour and it was a brutal 4am wake up call, putting our tents down in the dark, in the middle of a sandstorm, so we could make the climb up Dune 45 in time for sunrise. Totally worth the effort, the dune, one of the tallest in the world, rises up above a flat plane and takes about 20 mins to summit. We watched as the early morning rays illuminated the sand and turned it a flaming red. Then it was back into the truck for a scenic but uncomfortable 5-6 hour drive to our next lodge. I had a fine layer of sand covering every inch of my body, and each time I ran my hands through my hair I could feel the grit stuck to my scalp. When we arrived to our homey lodge in the middle of nowhere, the very first thing everyone did was jump in the showers, eager to desand ourselves.
Thursday was a leisurely 8:30am departure, and a few hours later we found ourselves at Fish River Canyon, considered to be the 2nd largest canyon in the world. There was a scenic 1km hike along the rim, offering a multitude of great photographic vantage points. An easy 3hr drive later we found ourselves at our lodge on the Orange River, just a short distance from the South African border. The thatched cabanas were beautifully laid out on manicured lawns overlooking the river, and I enjoyed sitting in the evening enjoying the breeze and the stars. Unfortunately like many of the amazing places we stayed, we only had the one night to enjoy it. Friday was a 5am wakeup for a 6am departure and border crossing to South Africa. We were rewarded by arriving early afternoon to the Highlands Lodge on a working vineyard, where we enjoyed a refreshing swim, followed by a sundowner wine tasting from the veranda overlooking the vines. It was a gorgeous end to an amazing tour that would end the following day in Cape Town.
