Camping in the Oldest Desert on Earth
And what it’s like to spend a night inside a dry riverbed
It was a rather spontaneous decision but those are always the best. Within half an hour the car was packed and we were on our way out into the wild.
The Swakop river (Namibia) that runs down from the Khomas Highlands all the way to the ocean only flows a handful of times in the timespan of a decade.
The rest of the years it’s just a dry riverbed. And a huge playground for all Swakopmunders. The people living on the coast love the options they have by living on the ocean and in the desert at the same time.
This is where and why I fell in love with this place and the country. When I first got to Namibia and took on that holiday job, I never intended to stay longer than 3 months.
But how things go and after several trips out to the desert I was addicted. Addicted to the beauty this place has to offer. Addicted to the lifestyle I was able to live out here. And I loved my life.
So here we are, just David and me heading out to that said riverbed. This is also where we fell in love with each other. Having a beer in hand and lying on a mattress on the ground counting shooting stars at night. Yes, we did count them, that’s how often you get to see them out here.
Today, we didn’t tell any our friends we were going. We wanted a break from civilization and from socializing. We also wanted to test our car and all the camping equipment we have. To make sure it’s ready for the big trip.
We had just turned off the tar road when two springbok antelopes ran across the gravel road. Yes. This is why I love this country so much. It’s wild and free.
Half an hour later, as we were looking for a spot we hadn’t camped in before, we found a flat area behind some massive rocks. And three steenboks (small antelope) were peacefully grazing on some green bushes.
I know these animals. Not much but I’ve seen them a handful of times. They usually are quick on their feet and you never get a chance to properly capture them on camera.
I quickly took a picture with the phone but then got out of the car, took my camera, swapped lenses and they were still there. Only 20 meters from us.
That was it. Our spot was chosen.
We sat up our gazebo and spend the rest of the afternoon in the shade. Listening to birds and the silence of the desert. Some guinea fowls were to be heard further away.
But there were no sounds of civilization out here. Nothing. Just us. And the wild desert.
As the sun was nearing the horizon and the temperatures dropped a little, I went for a walk with my camera. Looking for signs of beauty in this dry but not dead riverbed.
This area is also known as the moon landscape. And when I fly the drone up high you’ll understand why. Those barren mountain ranges do look like from another planet. Or from the moon itself.
The sun was setting and we were embracing the silence and beauty.
We had bought two walls for our gazebo but didn’t test them out yet. Now, as the temperatures were lower, we got up and did the effort. This setup should give us protection from the rain on our upcoming trip and provide some privacy.
We started the fire and collected extra firewood for later.
The meat was on and I tell you what. It always tastes better. Out here, in the wilderness.
The night came quickly. There is no long twilight in the desert. Once the sun has set, the night falls in.
But this night wasn’t gonna offer us many stars. It was almost full moon and the valley was entirely lit up by its brightness.
We went to bed and fell asleep in the silence of the desert.
After packing up camp, we drove out of this beautiful landscape again. With more excitement than ever for the upcoming trip.
If you enjoyed these pictures, maybe you’ll like the short video of this trip as well:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd-hbmlF1x0
More about desert adventures:
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