23.08.2021: Namib coastlife
Today meant another long stretch on the road, heading for the coast — destination: Swakopmund. The 330 km didn’t happen in one go though. A stop at the must-see Solitär was, of course, non-negotiable. Surrounded by rusting old car wrecks, we put the legendary apple pie to the test — paired with a cappuccino — and can officially confirm: absolutely worth the hype 🤩🤩.
From there, the journey continued over two mountain passes and through surreal, moon-like landscapes. Once again, we found ourselves completely captivated by Namibia’s raw diversity and dramatic beauty 🥰.
After about 4½ hours on gravel roads, we finally rolled into Swakopmund. Once unpacked, we set out to explore the town — and, unsurprisingly, couldn’t resist a few shops along the way 🤷🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️😂.
The evening ended in the best possible way: in a wonderfully cozy brewery right by the ocean, watching the day slowly fade away.
24.08.2021
Around 8:00 this morning, Chris Neal picked us up right at our accommodation. Chris is the founder of Little Desert Tours — and an absolute legend 🤙🏼. In his effortlessly cool, down-to-earth way, he introduced us (and the rest of the group) to the desert’s hidden microcosm.
From the windward and leeward sides of the dunes, to the perfect dune angle of 35 degrees, the mystical fog, and even “dune muesli” and the entire cycle of life that comes with it — he made the desert come alive in the most captivating way. And almost casually, as if by magic, he kept spotting the Namib’s endemic inhabitants — species found nowhere else on Earth.
Creatures we honestly never would have seen on our own suddenly appeared: the palmato gecko, a blind legless lizard, the Namaqua chameleon, and even a dwarf puff adder! All accompanied by fascinating stories, insights, and little desert secrets along the way.
Between the wildlife moments, we soaked in stunning dune landscapes while listening to Chris explain this unique natural phenomenon called “desert.” A place that may look empty at first glance — but is anything but.
