This was one of my favourite places to photograph on the planet. Shame I only had about 15 minutes to shoot on deadvlei. If you use snapseed for your phone, this is where that background photo was taken for snapseed.
I’ve written the opening paragraph to this article three separate times now. I had these grand ideas for a colourful post laden with descriptive text and words that danced off the pages. However, each time I sat back and looked at the article I realized it just wasn’t good enough.
You see, the bright red dunes of Sossusvlei, Namibia and the surrounding area have been atop my bucket list since the very first time I saw a photo of them. Thus, an article documenting them had been something of importance to me. However, no matter how colourful my words, they could never be as brilliant as those that twirl from the sands of Sossusvlei. No matter how descriptive my words were, they were never as beautiful as the sight of a solitary dead tree entrenched in a contrast of light. And no matter how much my words stirred, they didn’t even come close to the inspiration of the sight of a lone Oryx wandering along in a mirage of red earth.
Some things, you might say, are only meant to be seen with the eyes. Some wonders can leave a man muttering even in the best of times. There are places on this planet that almost seem too unreal to believe. Even while wandering through the dunes painted in a ochre of red light, it seems to be a painted world, too good to be true. Even now, weeks after my visit, I have to pinch myself and say “yeah, I was there.”
When you cross the number one item off of your bucket list, as I did in Sossusvlei, it’s easy to feel let down. It’s easy to feel as if you had over-hyped a location. However, in no way shape or form did Sossusvlei let me down. I’d go back tomorrow if I could, and I’d encourage you to do the same. So what’s next on my bucket list? How about skydiving in Swakopmund? Stay tuned.
All of these photos were taken on a 3 day tour to Sossusvlei with Chameleon Safaris.
Almost all trips to Sossusvlei start or end with a visit to the near ghost town of Solitaire. If you’re there, be sure to grab a chunk of apple crumble or two for the road.Only in the desert can a junkyard look like perfect art!Our trusty overland truck, Rafiki, pulled us into the Desert Camp in Sossusvlei just before a perfect desert sunset.This is the kitchen at desert camp. Great sunset!I headed to stay at the amazing Sossusvlei Lodge for the night. What a brilliant place. Such atmosphere. Wait until you see my cabin!I was woken up by a flock of hungry sparrows who thought my camera was food. Grab some grub and off to the dunes!Boom! I give you the incredible red sand dunes of Sossusvlei!Hiker on the top of Dune 45, likely the most famous sand dune on the planet.This is likely the most photographed sand dune in the world. Dune 45 is an icon for Namibia. It’s also hiked by dozens of people each day… including me.I love the contrast here between sand and vegetation. Also, the contrast between the dead half and live half of the tree is interesting.This was one of my favourite places to photograph on the planet. Shame I only had about 15 minutes to shoot on deadvlei. If you use snapseed for your phone, this is where that background photo was taken for snapseed.Another shot from Deadvlei. You can see here the sediment left over from the river that used to end here.One last shot of Deadvlei. These trees look tiny, but each one was much taller than I am.I think this is my favourite photo from the whole trip to Sossusvlei. That’s a lone Oryx chomping on some grasses amidst the dunes.No better way to end a day in the desert than a campfire at Desert Camp.Alas, set your eyes on the beauty that was my cabin at Sossusvlei Lodge under the Milky Way. The stars in Namibia are incredible.
