Go2 - Sossusvlei Shuttle @ The Desert Grace Lodge #4 (S-S)

Please make your way to The Delight Hotel Swakopmund at 06:45 o'clock. The Go2 Traveller Transfer will depart at 07:00 o'clock. 

This is an extraordinary 5-hour (350km) desert route, follows the coastal road from Swakopmund to Walvis Bay, between the desert and the sea, before turning onto the gravel road that runs eastwards and southwards through the desert.

After appreciating the sights of Swakopmund and surrounds, it’s time to travel further south to some of the most spectacular scenery in the Namib Desert. The 30km route southwards from Swakopmund to Walvis Bay is a breath-taking stretch between the sand dunes and the crashing Atlantic Ocean. Walvis Bay is known for its lagoon, an internationally acclaimed RAMSAR site that is visited by thousands of water birds. The lagoon and the adjacent salt works attract lesser and greater flamingos, which tinge the water with pink at various times of the year.

As you leave Walvis Bay, you pass the lofty Dune 7 on the left-hand side. Soon the gravel plains of the desert surround you. Vogelfederberg, an outcrop of giant granite boulders, is a landmark on this section. Eventually the road dips into the Kuiseb Canyon to cross the bridge over the Kuiseb River and snakes through the tawny hills before levelling out again. The Kuiseb Canyon is where geologist Henno Martin, author of The Sheltering Desert, and his colleague and friend, Hermann Korn, made their hideout to avoid internment during WWII.

Next is the rugged, hilly land and small chasms of the Gaub Pass, which meanders through a tapestry of earthy shades and textures. After the Gaub Pass, signs for the Tropic of Capricorn come into view, the signposts adorned with colourful stickers from the many travellers who have stopped to acknowledge one of the five major circles of latitude.

Solitaire, with its old rusting automobiles and its cacti, has become a popular stop over the years for its frontier-like atmosphere and its apple crumble. Besides Moose McGregor’s Desert Bakery, there is a fuel station and general dealer store, reminiscent of shops of old. The yearly rainfall levels are scrawled onto the blackboard on the outside wall, always an eye-opener in this arid part of the world.

Thirty kilometres southward, after a scenic view of yellow grassland bisected by a line of green trees marking the Tsondab River and edged in the distance by the mountains, you reach Namib Desert Lodge. The lodge has an impressive backdrop of fossilised dunes that were formed when the sand compacted into sandstone in the more humid climate that existed between ten and twenty million years ago.  Arrival at Namib Desert Lodge is ca, 12:00 o'clock.

A short transfer will take you from Namib Desert Lodge to The Desert Grace Lodge. After your check-in you can enjoy a lunch (on own account) followed by a few hours at leisure. 

Ca. 2 hours before sunset the Sundowner Dune Drive will start at reception. Duration of the tour is 2-3 hours.

Sundowner Dune Drive: Discover the fossilised dunes, the red dunes above the plateau and the many other wonders of the Namib Desert on this drive around Gondwana Namib Park. Refreshments and a light snack included.

After the Sundowner Dune Drive, dinner will be ready.

Your Sossusvlei Excursion will start ca. 1 hour before sunrise. Please make sure to be at the reception in time. 

Be sure to pack: sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, comfortable closed walking shoes & your camera.

Sossusvlei Excursion: Guided half-day excursion to Sossusvlei, incl. entrance fees to the National Park, brunch, and refreshments. Duration of the tour is 5-6 hours.

After returning from the tour, you'll have a few hours at leisure, before dinner is ready.

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast and a few hours at leisure.  At 12:00 o'clock you need to be ready at reception for the short transfer back to Namib Desert Lodge,

The Go2 Traveller Transfers will depart Namib Desert Lodge at 13:00 o'clock.

You are about to embark on a spectacular desert journey.

After a scenic view of yellow grassland bisected by a line of green trees marking the Tsondab River and edged in the distance by the mountains, you will see Namib Desert Lodge one last time. The lodge has an impressive backdrop of fossilised dunes that were formed when the sand compacted into sandstone in the more humid climate that existed between ten and twenty million years ago.

A few Kilometres North from the breath-taking scene you will see Solitaire. Solitaire, with its old rusting automobiles and its cacti, has become a popular stop over the years for its frontier-like atmosphere and its apple crumble. Besides Moose McGregor’s Desert Bakery, there is a fuel station and general dealer store, reminiscent of shops of old. The yearly rainfall levels are scrawled onto the blackboard on the outside wall, always an eye-opener in this arid part of the world.

Continuing from Solitaire you will see the signs for the Tropic of Capricorn come into view, the signposts adorned with colourful stickers from the many travellers who have stopped to acknowledge one of the five major circles of latitude. This is shortly before you reach the hilly land and small chasms of the Gaub Pass. The pass meanders through a tapestry of earthy shades and textures. A bridge straddles the river with its line of trees, nourished by the underground water. These ephemeral rivers remain dry for much of the year until good summer rainfall fills up their catchment areas and they rush towards the sea.

You will eventually dip into and emerge from the Kuiseb Canyon. The Kuiseb Canyon is where geologist Henno Martin, author of The Sheltering Desert, and his colleague and friend, Hermann Korn, made their hideout to avoid internment during WWII.

Out of the Kuiseb Canyon and with nothing but Desert lands before you, you will see Vogelfederberg, an outcrop of giant granite boulders. It is a landmark on this section. You will pass the striking Dune 7 before reaching Walvis Bay. Walvis Bay is known for its lagoon, an internationally acclaimed RAMSAR site that is visited by thousands of water birds. The lagoon and the adjacent salt works attract lesser and greater flamingos, which tinge the water with pink at various times of the year.

From Walvis Bay you will enjoy a scenic drive sandwiched between Dunes on the one side and the crashing Atlantic on the other. On your way to your final destination, Namibia’s adventure capital, Swakopmund.

The journey to Swakopmund will take ca. 5 hours. Arrival at The Delight Hotel Swakopmund is ca. 18:00 o'clock.