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Day 1
You should arrive at the Tok Tokkie farmhouse by 14h30. As the drive from Sesriem is 110 km and takes about ±1h30 it is important to keep an eye on the time. Upon arrival at the farm house, you will be introduced to your guide. Prior to departing on a short scenic drive to the starting point of the trail you will be given a daypack with a water bottle and some raisins and a cup. All you have to do is add your camera, binoculars and a book to read during the heat of the day. Your luggage needed for the duration of the trail will be transferred to your overnight camp by vehicle. From your drop-off point in the sand dunes it is a short walk to your first overnight camp. The dunes are not the massive ones that are encountered at Sossusvlei, but small, vegetated dunes that have a unique beauty of their own. Relax with a sundowner, marvel at the magnificent scenery and start “feeling” the desert. Enjoy a wholesome three-course dinner and unwind before falling asleep in the open under a blanket of starsWalking time: morning: 0 hrs / afternoon: 1 – 2 hrs
Sleeping out in the open on stretcher beds; (D)
Day 2
Early morning tea or coffee is served before sunrise followed by a light breakfast so that you can set off in the cool of the early morning. You will be given a lunch pack, as the day heats up it is time to stop at a shady spot. The highlight of the walk is the breathtaking view of the dunes and plains as well as the “coming alive” of the desert as the guide allows you to feel, smell, taste and see the oldest living desert in the world. The “morning news”, as written in the sand of the dunes is always fascinating and with some luck, and the guide’s trained eyes, you may spot some of the desert specials. (Golden Mole, Dancing White Lady, Barking Gecko, Dune Lark, Flightless Wasp to name some). You spend a good part of the morning on the mountain, before descending the other side to a dry riverbed.
During the course of the day your guide will explain the wonders of the Namib - how the fascinating desert flora survives by tapping underground water from the riverbed, how insect life, which is prolific, adapts to the harsh environment. Birding is surprisingly good and you may be lucky enough to see one of Namib endemics, the Dune Lark. Larger animals you might come across include Bat-eared Fox, Oryx, Springbok and Ostrich.
As the day heats up it is time to stop at a shady spot where you can enjoy your lunch pack and fill up your water bottles. There is plenty of time to relax, have a siesta and reflect on all you have seen. As the heat recedes you start walking – on and through the dunes to your second overnight spot. The scene in front of you is an endless dune sea and “fairy circles” with a backdrop of magnificent mountain scenery. Photography is spectacular as the shadows on the dunes create an ever-changing palette of col>ours shortly before sunset.
A delicious dinner after a long and enjoyable day is indeed welcome. The sound of barking geckoes, the occasional cry of a hyena, the hoo-hoo of spotted eagle owls, and more likely than not, the silence accompanies you through the night.
Walking time: morning: 4 – 4.5 hrs / afternoon: 2 – 2.5 hrs
Sleeping out in the open on stretcher beds; (BLD)
Day 3
Once again you are woken in the soft light shortly before sunruse. COffee and breakfast is served before you set off through the dune field. The soft and rolling dunes are interspersed by camel thorn trres, which provide welcome shade for a rest. Todays walk is easy and we arrive back at the farmhouse at approximately 10:30 to allow enough time for you to get to your next destination
When time allows we visit the Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust (NaDEET), a non-profit, donor sponsored trust, which aims at developing environmentally responsible citizens of Namibia. (www.nadeet.org)
Walking time: morning: 3 – 3.5 hrs / afternoon: 0 hrs (B)
NB – sometimes this walk is turned around, so the landscape will be seen at different times of the day.
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