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Namibia’s Sandy Wonderland: The Orange Dunes of Sossusvlei

05/22/2015 by Kristin Addis 19 Comments

The sky went from pitch black, dotted with a Milky Way of stars stretching from one corner to the other in an arc, to a royal blue. The sun was rising faster than my feet could carry me, and I worried that the peak would be unreachable in time.

There was a steady stream of people behind me, and I couldn’t simply stop. It was too narrow for anyone to pass, and we were on unsteady sand, after all. An inner voiceย urgedย me to keep going, just as it had when I climbed Rinjani, despite that for every two steps forward I wasย sliding one back.

I pulled my socks off and continued barefoot in the incredibly soft sand, and suddenly invigorated by the foot massage, doubled my speed. Huffing and puffing and reaching the peak of Dune 45 in the Namib Desert with time to spare, I plunked myself down and stared in awe as the sun began to peek over the hills. I’d been the second person to reach the peak and got prime positioning, just in the nick of time.

namibia dune 45
The rise begins

The first time I sawย this place in photos Iย vowed thatย I would see it with my own two eyes one day. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there’s something magical about the peace and barrenness of a desert.

The sun finally rose completely and as I surveyed the beautyย in every direction, my first time in a sandy desert, I felt exuberant at the sight unfolding before me.

namibia dune 45
Goodness gracious
namibia dune 45
Sitting atop Namibia’s Dune 45
namibia dune 45
I don’t know who she is, but I know how she must feel looking out there

The colors of the dunes varied quite a bit depending on the angle of the sunย and the direction the duneย was facing. The orange became more intense as the sun rose higher, reflecting onย the desert as it morphed from one scheme of colors to another.

This is, without a doubt, a bucket listย item. If you think you don’t love deserts, try this one on for size.

namibia dune 45
Another point of view
namibia dune 45
The dunes turning red as the sun rises
namibia dune 45
The only tree on Dune 45
namibia dune 45
What happens when you lose your balance in tree pose on the top of a narrow dune – impromptu rain dance!

I watched as the crowd thinned after the sun had fully risen.

While they headed back down, I turned in the other direction, heading for a vista I could enjoy solo.

It didnโ€™t take long to reach the dunes just behind Dune 45, spotted with hoofedย kuduย footprints and still slightly shaded.ย I stepped down a bit and with that, the last person disappeared and the 360-degree view was mine.

Be sure to do that if you find yourself in the Namib Desert. It was a humbling experience being surrounded by theย sandy giants.

namibia dune 45
The color of the shady side of Dune 45

No visit to Sossusvlei, Namibia,ย would be complete without checking out the famous acacia trees of Deadvlei (English โ€œdeadโ€ plus Afrikaans โ€œvleiโ€ meaning โ€œmarshโ€ combining to mean โ€˜dead marshโ€™), so after descending Dune 45, it was time toย board jeeps and headย to another dune.

namibia dune 45
The cracked earth before the next dune climb

The jeep driver laughed, a silver star implanted in one of his front teeth (a common fashion statement there), as he describedย climbing the next dune. Its name is “Big Daddy” as it reaches 350 meters high.

You have a choice to avoid climbing this dune and just walk along the dried salt pan to the acacia trees, but I honestly found it easier than Dune 45. It wasnโ€™t nearly as steep, and lots of people before me had packed down the sand and left nice footprints for me to step in.

namibia dune 45
Still some energy left over for jumping for joy

Besides, you get a great view:

namibia dune 45
The view from the top ofย “Big Daddy”

From the top, simply step-slide (barefoot is best) down the side of the dune to reach the “dead marsh.”

The sand feels great on the feet!

namibia dune 45
THOSE trees!

These famous trees had the chance to grow when the nearby Tsauchab River flooded, creating shallow pools. As the climate changed, drought hit the area and the sand dunes moved in, thereby cutting off any water supply.

The remaining trees died, but due to the dryness, their scorched black skeletons still stand after 900 years.

namibia dune 45
It’s really that orange, and that blue, and that “Wow!”

I loved the way the branches eerily reach towards the sun.

Despite the fact that these trees are no longer living, they still seem to have a personality, and an energy, to them.

namibia dune 45
Tree hugs: doing the psyche good since the dawn of, um, trees
namibia dune 45
A dry lake bed and trees on their way to petrification
namibia dune 45
Possible barefoot!

By noon, I made my escape as the desert heated up, and the ground became too hot to walk on. It was only my third day in Namibia, but already a sign of great things to come.

Have you been here? Would you like to go? Are you also thinking to yourself, โ€œHey, theย snapseed trees!โ€ (โ€™cause I was).

Do It Yourself:

Stay:

  • Namibia is for camping. Those warm nights are meant to be enjoyedย outside underneath the dazzling star display
  • Sesriem Rest Camp is close to the dunes and has a great pool and beautiful sunset backdrop

Travel with:

  • Self driving is possible with a 4×4 to Dune 45 and is easily accessible from the road
  • I personally took a Safari tour with Acacia Africa

Practical tips:

  • Hiking shoes or even running shoes do you a disservice on the sandy dunes. The sand is so fine that it sneaks into the shoes and weighs you down. The sand isn’t hot enough yet in the mornings to burn your feet, so try just wearing socks, or even going barefoot
  • Step into footsteps left by someone else. They’ve already packed down the sand slightly with their weight, which makes it a better foothold and sliding backwards less likely
  • Bring a hat or something to shield your face – that sun is strong!
  • The sunrise is a somewhat busy time to visit the dunes, but most people only stay for a few minutes then start to head back to their cars.ย Give it a bit more time and travel farther down the dune and you can get a lot of beautiful views to yourself
Get the guidebook for solo female travelers!

About Kristin Addis

Kristin Addis is the founder and CEO of Be My Travel Muse, a resource for female travelers all around the world since 2012. She's traveled solo to over 65 countries and has brought over 150 women on her all-female adventure tours from Botswana to the Alaskan tundra.

« Meet the 13-Year-Old Girl Who Travels the World
Adventures in Swakopmund, Namibia: Sandboarding and Skydiving »

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I'm Kristin, and my vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered and living out their dreams. Solo traveling is the best method I've found to become the best, bravest version of me. This site is all about how YOU can have the adventure of a lifetime in an easy, fun, approachable way, so that you can feel empowered, too. Want to learn more about me?

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Comments

  1. Grainne says

    05/22/2015 at 4:30 pm

    Wowโ€ฆjust wow.
    I haven’t managed to make it to Africa yet but after seeing these photos I NEED to!

    Reply
  2. Geri says

    05/23/2015 at 12:29 am

    I love deserts! I just love them. They are mystic places where all human worries are just useless. Great pics and article!

    Reply
  3. Nathan says

    05/23/2015 at 10:02 am

    These pictures are stunning! You just keep adding places to my list haha

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      05/24/2015 at 5:34 am

      Thanks and great!

      Reply
  4. Sheena Rasmussen says

    05/24/2015 at 3:00 am

    These pictures stole my heart, Kristin. I have always dreamt of exploring Africa and this post just boosted that dream. Thanks for sharing and also thanks for mentioning Rinjani, haha, that dreadful but remarkable mountain ๐Ÿ˜‰ Kh Sheena

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      05/24/2015 at 5:34 am

      Dreadful but remarkable, indeed! Glad this inspired you to visit Namibia. It really is beautiful.

      Reply
  5. Kristin says

    05/24/2015 at 5:33 am

    well said maybe that’s why it felt so much like a giant playground.

    Reply
  6. Wanderinjon says

    05/24/2015 at 1:20 pm

    Cannot wait to go this summer – awesome fotos!

    Reply
  7. Kristin says

    05/25/2015 at 9:02 am

    Thank you! One of the easiest places to brilliantly photograph in the world, I’d say!

    Reply
  8. Coralie says

    05/25/2015 at 5:51 pm

    Hey Kristin!

    I am absolutely in love with these photos. The ultimate dream… I have a question, which tour did you take with Acacia Africa? Was it the ‘Desert Tracker (19 days)’? I am actually very interested in booking a tour with them next year but wouldn’t want to miss the chance to see these dunes…
    Thanks for the info, and thank you for your blog!

    Coralie

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      05/27/2015 at 1:30 am

      Hi Coralie,

      That one takes you through the same parts of Namibia and Botswana I visited. It was a wonderful tour and the highlight for me of my time with Acacia. I did the 35-day Cape Town to Zanzibar trip but the Desert Tracker is great if you have less time.

      Reply
  9. Heather says

    06/01/2015 at 8:40 am

    This is one of my favorite places….ever. I loved Namibia, and your pictures certainly do the dunes justice!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      06/02/2015 at 1:16 am

      Thanks Heather! I spent hours photographing them. Couldn’t stop. Namibia is just so damn photogenic.

      Reply
  10. Alana says

    06/01/2015 at 10:44 am

    Hi Kristin- Hiking Dune 45 was a huge highlight of our Nairobi to Cape Town overland trip. When we pulled up I didn’t think the dune looked that high. Once I got going though, wow, it’s a lot higher than it looks and sand is difficult to walk in/up. ๐Ÿ™‚ You got some incredible photos, sure to inspire someone else to make the trip to Namibia!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      06/02/2015 at 1:00 am

      I wish I could have gone as far as Nairobi! I definitely want to go back and start in Zanzibar and finish with Uganda, yet another month of overland camping in East Africa! Something so wonderful about it even though it’s most definitely roughing it. And yeah, that sand on Dune 45 makes it so much more than just a hill to climb.

      Reply
  11. Lilynufar says

    06/01/2015 at 8:23 pm

    Stunning ! I visited Botswana a few years ago and I loved it…now I wish I had also made it to Namibia ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      06/02/2015 at 1:00 am

      There’s so much to see and so many reasons to go back

      Reply
  12. Michelle says

    12/28/2015 at 9:49 pm

    I came across you on instagram. I love your posts and reading about your travels makes each day harder to go into the office. I was in Namibia 2 years ago and reading your post makes it very hard for me not to buy a ticket right now. I am now looking for more of your Africa posts to inspire my next adventure.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      12/31/2015 at 4:19 am

      Hi Michelle, that’s so awesome that you found me via Instagram! I wasn’t sure there was much crossover, so that’s pretty cool! Gosh Namibia is so nice and warm. I’m sitting in Europe right now in the middle of winter and I’m also quite tempted to buy a plane ticket back there!

      Reply

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