confused about sossusvlei | Namibia - Lonely Planet Forum

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Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:38:52 +0000

I am little bit confused about how to better organize a visit to the vleis around Sossusvlei.

We will spend the night at Sesriem campsite and have the usual pre-dawn drive to Dune 45. At Dune 45, some photos for sunrise but we will not climb the dune here. So, we will keep going until 2WD parking (we drive a 2WD).

My doubts start once there. We would like to visit Sossusvlei , but we would specially like to be early morning in Dead Vlei.

1) From the 2WD parking to Dead Vlei, should we walk or can we take the shuttle? If I am not wrong, the shuttle goes to Sossus. Are Dead Vlei and Sossus in the same direction and therefore the shuttle also serves Dead Vlei? Are there shuttles so early in the morning?

2) From Dead Vleii to Sossus? Walk directly? Need to walk back to shuttle parking for the shuttle?

3) We would probably make it to Sossusvlei around 09,00. Does it make sense to go there so late? ( we give priority to dead vlei since we have already climbed dunes in other deserts while dead vlei seems to be very unique)

4) On second thought, we might try to hook up with someone with a 4WD in exchange for a shared Sesriem campsite. In that case, what would be your suggestion if we wanted to visit first dead vlei ? Is there a direct route to Dead V or we would still need to go to the Sossus parking?

Thanks,

is this the same direction than

ONLINE

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:13:51 +0000

I must be a Philistine. To me Dune 45 is just another dune. Sure one can take a couple of good pictures there, but whether it is early morning or late afternoon does not really matter that much. Just a personal opinion from memory - the dead vlei is a stark scene and I feel one does not need soft light to capture the essence of that vlei. But the Main dune at Sossusvlei is the big one. To my mind one must be there at sunrise to capture the variety of colours, constantly changing as the light gets sharper. Of course, it is all the more special if there is water in the vlei, but that is seldom the case. And, no. You do not have to climb the main dune to appreciate it. It is, a major slog to the top (+/- 300m ? high) - a slog that I did not attempt.

I would take the earliest possible shuttle to Sossusvlei (having given Dune 45 a miss). When finished there take the shuttle back and get off at Dead Vlei (as far as I can remember it is on the way). After photographing Dead Vlei (and tread carefully, the discs and patterns of the dried out mud can easily be destroyed and the patterns of the dry mud cakes in the foreground help enhance many a picture) drive back to Dune 45.
Then return later in the afternoon for more pics of Dune 45 and of Dead Vlei.

Google "Dune 45", "Dead Vlei" and "Sossusvlei" and you will see plenty of pics of each of them.

Edited by: RudiK

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ONLINE

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:01:28 +0000

I agree with Rudik. Head straight for the big dune at Sossusvlei and climb that. If you can manage, do try and go to the top. The view is spectacular. But it's still a great view of the dune and the vlei from near the bottom. The soft colours of sunrise are great here - especially if you can get to the dune before anyone else and photograph the lovely wave patterns in the sand before they're stomped on by others.

Dead vlei is very close to sossus vlei - it's just short of it and the shuttle bus driver will drop you off there on the way to sossusvlei if that's where you decide to go first.

I usually walk over to dead Vlei after climbing the big dune, but the shuttle guys will drive you back there. They're always doing circuits and you can just jump in with anyone. It's probably about 30-40 minutes easy walk all the way on to Dead Vlei, but you go across some other smaller pans... and the last part has a couple more small dunes to get across before you reach it.

Dead vlei looks great when the sun is out more and the colours are more saturated.

You can walk from the 2WD park, but it's a long way - about 5km. Some of it is across soft sand, so you won't make it for sunrise. The shuttle used to start at dawn, and I've been the 1st person down to Sossusvlei a couple of times, but last year, the shuttle started much later. The best bit is being there super early for sunrise if possible. I'd try and make friends with a 4wd-er and grab a lift from the 2wd carpark if possible, so you're assured of getting there early.

Dune 45 looks good for a couple of pics early in the morning on your way past, and looks great at sunset. Why not go in the afternoon of hte previous day and do the walk/climb/sunset thing then? That way you get the best of both worlds.

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