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This was much higher than Dune 45 and was so incredible! The views you get of all the dunes is gorgeous. We eventually made it to the top of the first ridge and were able to walk along the top of it.
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The sun is so strong and is literally just burning the sand. It was only around 9:30am at this point, but the sand was already so hot. There were a few different ridges, so this part wasn’t 380 meters, but still really steep! Since we visited the dead vlei first, we were in a bit of a small valley and literally had to climb part of the dune on the steep side, to make it up. To think the wind just created something that high is pretty incredible! The peak of Big Daddy is 380 meters tall, which is pretty amazing for a sand dune. We only had two hours to explore this area, but myself and 2 other people decided to climb Big Daddy. Two of the biggest dunes are also here – aptly named Big Mama and Big Daddy. We didn’t learn much about it, but pretty interesting! In between dunes that are millions of years old, there is a massive limestone slab with petrified wood/trees in it. Dune 45 is 180 meters from the ground, so it’s not that high but when you’re climbing uphill in sand, it seems a little taller!Īfter Dune 45, we drove a little further (plus had to take 4X4’s) to see some more dunes and the “dead vlei.” The dead vlei translates to dead/dry low landscape, and it was pretty incredible to see. The colors were gorgeous and you feel like you’re on top of the world!ĭefinitely a great workout too – not everyone made it to the top, but there were about 6 of us. It was so amazing to see the sunrise and to be on top of the dune. It was early, so the sand wasn’t hot, but that changed extremely quickly (more on that below!). We all walked barefoot, as wearing shoes in the sand would be too difficult. Since we stayed in the camp, we were able to get to the dune earlier then the general public, so we had the place to ourselves. The dune was 45 kilometers from camp, hence the name Dune 45. We woke up early and hiked one of the the famous dunes, Dune 45, for sunrise.
![namibia africa sand dunes namibia africa sand dunes](https://st3.depositphotos.com/1834167/17230/i/1600/depositphotos_172308734-stock-photo-sossusvlei-namibia-travel-destination-in.jpg)
The ones we visited are “star dunes” - they’re exposed to wind from all directions and have multiple ridges, often looking like a star. The Namibian sand dunes are unique in that they are always changing and shifting with the wind. They are absolutely gorgeous and one of the prettiest natural landscapes I’ve ever seen! Red sand dunes cover the valley, and raise up to 350 meters.
![namibia africa sand dunes namibia africa sand dunes](https://www.westend61.de/images/0001026228pw/africa-namibia-namib-desert-naukluft-national-park-sand-dunes-against-the-sun-FOF10106.jpg)
Last Saturday, we stopped at an area called Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft Park, which has the world’s oldest sand dunes.Īlmost every picture you see advertising Namibia has the dunes in them and it’s exactly what I imagined all of Africa to look like. We haven’t had internet for almost a week, so wanted to catch you up on Namibia.