Sossusvlei Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Deadvlei Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Deadvlei Nambia - Frozen in time
Deadvlei, located in the heart of the Namib Desert in Namibia, is a surreal and otherworldly landscape frozen in time. The stark, white clay pan contrasts sharply with the surrounding red sand dunes, and the iconic skeletal camel thorn trees that dot the landscape are estimated to be over 900 years old.
The journey to Deadvlei is not for the faint of heart. The route takes travelers through some of the most remote and inhospitable landscapes on Earth. However, the payoff is more than worth it. Visitors are transported to a different world, where time seems to have stopped.
The vast expanse of Deadvlei provides endless opportunities for exploration and photography. As the sun rises and sets, the colors of the clay pan and the surrounding dunes shift dramatically, providing a constantly changing backdrop for the ancient trees.
Deadvlei is a truly unique and unforgettable destination that should be on every traveler's bucket list. It is a testament to the incredible power of nature and the enduring spirit of life, even in the harshest of environments.
Solitude and silence stretch powerfully—Namibia's "Death Valley"
Having just witnessed the ever-changing light and shadow of Dune 45, I immediately arrived at the nearby millennia-old static "Death Valley," where the visual and psychological impact is immense.
From Dune 45, walking deeper into the desert, you reach "the driest valley in the world"—"Death Valley." The sights here and the awe they inspire are incomparable to the usual seas and mountains. In this silent desert, the solitude of life, the silence of sound, and the infinite extension of the dunes all create a unique solemn atmosphere, evoking a natural reverence.
In the hinterlands of the Sossusvlei dunes, 900 to 1000 years ago, a severe drought struck. As the dunes shifted, they blocked the rivers, and the groundwater was quickly depleted. Rainfall became scarce, and plants lost their source of life. Trees slowly died under the scorching sun, their charred branches starkly contrasting with the rust-red dunes, leaving an unforgettable impression.
Death Valley is aptly named. For nearly a thousand years, there have been no signs of life here. Black withered branches, red dunes, and white parched land resemble a hell cursed by the gods and scorched by fire, carrying a bizarre beauty.
The famous dead lake basin in this desert has been a location for numerous films and advertisements. Lone dead tree branches have stood here for centuries, embodying a unique desolation and grandeur.
At this moment, I am reminded of the phrase: "All the splendor of the world is but a handful of sand."
For 900 years, there have been no signs of life here. The marshes dried up, the animals disappeared, but the dead trees were reborn in another form.
Trees that died centuries ago were quickly dried by the wind and did not rot like in other places. They have stood for centuries on the already cracked marshland, presenting another sign of life.
It is astonishing that the white clay depressions have not been buried by the sand, but rather have been washed bare, exposing the skin of the years.
It is this valley that pushes the cruel beauty of the desert to the extreme: a small basin surrounded by towering dunes, the azure sky, the orange-yellow dunes, and the gray-white soil form a striking backdrop, with the dead camel thorn trees stretching their powerful branches...
The trees, quietly rooted in the earth, silent and speechless, yet witness the passage of time. They seem to be telling their own story.
The tree is a child of the earth, born and grown here. It has witnessed the change of seasons and endured the baptism of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.
Yet, it always maintains its reticence and silence, as if to tell the world: I can only stand here, silently guarding this land. I need no words, only to exist.
Namibia's Death Valley - just the name is enough to send shivers down one's spine
The Namib Desert, said to be Africa's oldest desert, lends its name to the country of Namibia. Deep within this desert lies a place whose very name evokes a sense of dread: Death Valley.
Yet, this 'terrifying' location attracts a large number of tourists from around the world every year. What kind of landscape could possibly draw such crowds?
The Namib Desert is also known as the Namibian Red Desert, where the sand dunes under the sunlight take on a rust-red color.
🏜️ The world's tallest sand dune
In the Namib Desert, there's a dune called Big Daddy, which stands at 400 meters tall and is said to be the tallest dune in the world.
🏜️ The world's oldest sand dune
Dune 45 is the oldest dune on Earth. In the early morning or evening, the sunlight casts the dune's curves into the shape of an eagle, creating a magical and majestic sight.
🏜️ Death Valley is located deep within the Red Desert. Hundreds of years ago, this place was a marshland, but the intense sunlight evaporated all the water, turning it into a dry, saline land. The trees here have turned into petrified-like forms, standing erect in the dried marsh for thousands of years without decaying.
The journey to Death Valley is not an easy one. From the parking lot at the main entrance to Death Valley, it's almost 10 kilometers. Although you can take a shuttle, you still need to walk a considerable distance. Moreover, walking in the scorching desert sun can be extremely challenging.
🏨 There are many hotels and resorts near the Namib Desert, and staying nearby overnight to enter the desert early the next morning is the choice of most people. Of course, some choose to spend the night in the desert, as it is a global dark sky reserve, and the night sky filled with stars is enough to dazzle your eyes. However, for the average tourist, hotels are a safer option.
Namibia's Red Desert Luxury Play Method You Should Know About N Things!
🏜️The oldest desert in the world is the Namib Desert in Namibia, a World Natural Heritage site, located in the largest national park in Africa, Namib-Naukluft National Park. The representative main visual of Namibia that we have seen countless times everywhere is the Death Valley here, next to the Sossusvlei Salt Marsh.
Over 900 years ago, the climate suddenly became dry, and the sand dunes cut off the river that supplied water here. The camel thorn trees died, and the intense sunlight scorched them. The climate was too dry, and the trees didn't even have a chance to decompose and rot, so they became the black tree branches that are now over a thousand years old, and the desert behind them is called the Red Desert because of its reddish color.
🎫Tickets:
Drive in the morning to get a registration number at the entrance, remember this number and drive directly into the gate to the shuttle bus at the farthest end to get into Death Valley.
Generally, you won't drive to the farthest end yourself, because pure sand is too dangerous and easy to sink.
Come back and take this car, get off the car and buy a ticket for 180 Namibian dollars/person in the small house.
When leaving by car, buy a park ticket in the green house on the left hand side near the park gate, 650 for a car with 4 people. Give the slip to the park gate guard, register and leave.
You can re-enter within the same day with the ticket, such as going to Dune 45 at sunset. But you must leave by 19:45.
🏨Hotels:
From a personal preference and experience perspective, the feeling of seeing the Red Desert Death Valley is far less than staying in a desert luxury hotel.
If you want to enjoy both the luxury hotel and the Red Desert, you need to stay in the desert for two nights.
1️⃣Desert Quiver Camp
The price is lower, about a thousand, only includes breakfast. Dinner can be ordered from the hotel's menu of ingredients, and you can barbecue yourself in front of the room. The ingredients are very cheap, the quantity is large, and they are all marinated, just grill them directly. Including large antelope meat, steak, chicken wings, onions, potatoes, etc. Drinks can only be ordered at the bar, so it is recommended to buy them from the supermarket and bring them.
There is a pool under the hill where you can watch the sunset, the scenery is very good.
It is especially suitable for star shooting, with very little light pollution.
The guest rooms are spacious, with bathrooms, toilets, and washrooms all available, and the quality is good.
The breakfast is very rich, you have to go to the Sossusvlei Lodge opposite to eat. The hotel is more upscale than Quiver Camp, a standard desert luxury boutique hotel.
Disadvantages: The room has no internet, only the pool bar has.
Plugs: European standard, Swiss and South African, Swiss sockets with European ends can also be used.
It is recommended to stay here when going to the Red Desert.
2️⃣Le Mirage Resort
It is said to be the best resort in the area, a 20-minute drive from the Red Desert, a luxury resort hotel that looks like a black castle + yellow castle.
The room rate includes breakfast and dinner, the breakfast quality is relatively poor, and there are few types. Dinner is a set meal, with a choice of large antelope meat and chicken.
The potato soup tastes like mashed potatoes with water and instant noodle seasoning, it's very delicious, suitable for Chinese taste.
The hotel looks good, but it's messy and can't be photographed.
The room is spacious and good-looking, and there is a fun room without a roof on the top floor, with all open-air beds, toilets, and bathrooms, suitable for taking big shots.
There is a massage bath in the grass next to the pool, the temperature is relatively high, can be used for relaxation.
Internet: The room has no internet, only the front desk and pool bar have.
It is recommended to stay here and not go anywhere.
The main source of guests for these hotels is said to be mostly Germans and French.
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