Namib Desert Safari

A few people asked me why I would want to spend 6 days in the desert. My initial attraction to the Namib desert came after seeing the photos of Sossusvlei and the surrounding areas. But now I know that you have to experience it, to have an appreciation for the Namib desert. There are two things that I will always remember and defines the Namib for me...

First, the beauty of the desert. It is difficult to imagine that sand can be so beautiful,  but when you look out over dunes as far as you can see, and the sun highlights the one side while the other side is darker because of the shadows, then you get the most amazing scenes.

The beauty of the Namib desert

Second, the size and unpredictability of some of the dunes. When you have to slowly drive the nose of your vehicle over the edge of a dune and you see the other vehicles almost one hundred meters below you then you feel small. When the vehicle start slipping down the dune and the dunes starts roaring as the sand starts a mini avalange then you feel even smaller and are filled with awe.

Going down the almost 100m roaring dune

The six days started with a lecture by the guide on the do's and don'ts of driving through the desert. There is a lot of emphasis on safety and preservation.  Whatever we did, we had to stay in the tracks of the vehicle in front of us. First to ensure that we stay safe and don't get stuck in lose sand or potentially role the vehicle because of driving up too steep an angle. Secondly, but more importantly, to minimize the impact that we have on being in the desert. In some areas your tracks are almost completely covered within a day of going through the area, while in  other area, out tracks will stay for months if not years.

The trip gave the me the opportunity to get my adrenaline going. Some of the valleys between the dunes are so deep and the opposite edge so steep that you can only make it out the other side by going at it full speed. But getting stuck up against the opposite edge of the dune sometimes meant a lot of patience, trying over and over again, or very clever maneuvering to get out.

Patience is important when traveling through the desert,
waiting for the next vehicle to get up the dune....

Spending 6 days in the desert also gives you more than enough time to learn a few new things about nature. As an example, the toktokkie (a small local bug) would angle its body in such a way so that the morning dew would run down its body towards its head. Because of the fact that the toktokkies always have enough to drink, they are also referred to as the water bottles of the desert, causing other animals to often eat them because of the water they have.

The different faces of the Namib desert

Whether you are watching the breathtaking scenery, or are in awe when standing at the foot of one of the mighty dunes, feeling the earth tremble as the dune roars, the Namib desert will have an everlasting impact. How great is our God!