Runaway Photo: The Namib Desert
Celebrating My Birthday
November 1, 2013
Runaway Accommodation: Hotel A la Mer – Swakopmund, Namibia
November 17, 2013Runaway Photo: The Namib Desert
Exploring the oldest desert on Earth
From a list of thirty amazing Pre-Summit Adventures, I chose the Namib Desert trip. Although I felt that going on a safari would be an appropriate choice for my very first trip to Africa, I couldn’t pass up a chance to spend time in one of the most beautiful deserts in the world. In case I haven’t mentioned it a thousand times already, here I go again; deserts and glaciers are two of my most favorite places on earth.
We started our journey from Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia. For the next five days, we drove a lot. Our drivers were highly skilled. They conquered the dunes with their rough 4WD vehicles. It was very much a roller coaster ride. We made the sand sing, sliding down the dunes with no clear path. The entire drive was full of sand and hills, but the scenery gradually changed. We started with green patches (some animals live around the bush: zebras, oryxes, springboks, ostriches…) and bright-red dunes, and ended up swimming in a great ocean of sand dunes. To name a few places we went: the Kuiseb River and its valley, Tsondab valley, the Long Wall in the Sperrgebiet, and the Sandwich Harbour (please see the photos below).
I brought half of the desert back with me, in my shoes, socks, clothes, and even in my ears, and it was one of the most amazing travel experiences I’ve ever had. I can still vividly recall the bright southern Milky Way and Venus soaring high above the sand dunes at night.
the red-color sand dunes of Namibia
Petrified sand dunes
Namibian desert plants
Driving through the sand dunes
Red sands of Namibia
The Kuiseb River
The Kuiseb River and valley
Scorpion
Sun rising over the sand dunes
The morning sun shining the red dunes redder
Sunrise over the camp
A zebra ran across the car!
Beautiful sands and the buds
Hiking to the Kuiseb River, and its ‘moonscape’
This kind of plant only exists in Namibia
Skiing on the Long Wall
The moonscape of Namibia
The moonscape of Namibia
Diverse sides of Namibian desert
Camping on the desert
The Long Wall, a coastal area of the Namib Desert in the Sperrgebiet
Skiing on the Long Wall
The coastline of Namibia – looking toward the Sandwich Harbour
Namib Desert
A shipwreck on the shore
Flamingoes on the Sandwich Harbour
Namib Desert
The bright southern night sky of Namibia
This is the African sunset
The bright southern Milky Way and our camp at the Sandwich Harbour
18 Comments
Namibia looks awesome. I love the desert, but have never been there. Your photos that have captured the essence of those places a superb way. Congrats!
Thanks Michela. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been for sure. Inspiring view!
WOW Juno those sky photos are out of this world! I wouldn’t even know how to begin to take a photograph like that. Fantastic!
Thanks Alex! Being in the desert helped a lot. 🙂
These photos are truly remarkable, Juno. I’ve had this odd fascination with Namibia for awhile now, and you only added to it with this post!
It’s such a fascinating country. I love deserts, so this was the perfect place to explore for me. I’m sure I’ll be back soon enough.
The last three shots are superb! Was it pitch black when you took the last one (minus camp lights)?
Thanks Frederico! Yes, it was pitch-black. There was no one but us 🙂
Pretty gorgeous photos. I really like the bright orange sand against the strong blue of the sky. And the stars, of course. I think I need to get out of the city so I can finally see them like that.
Great photos! Looks like and incredible experience
Some great shots there Juno. I especially like the sunset one, it just screams Africa, and was very well captured. The nightsky photo is quite impressive, what was your exposure out of interest?
Although I know little of Namibia, the photos remind me a lot of Mongolia which I spent some time photographing. One thing that struck me, and that I still remember well, was the sound of silence after sunset each evening, it was incredible to witness first hand, the sheer emptiness of it all. Did you have the same experience in Namibia?
I’d love to take a ramble round Namibia with the camera, it seems like a really photogenic place.
These photos truly rock, especially the one with the starry mantle.
Amazing Pictures of Nambia Desert Juno..
its the one of the world Desert Destinations in World. thanks for sharing lovely pictures
What a great photo essay! Namibia is high on my list and you have just reminded me why 🙂 Thank you so much!