“There is a gleeful ritual in the tourism trade. In the early hours of the morning, at an hour that even the sun would find indecent, bleary eyed tourists are dragged from their beds and carted off to Sossusvlei...”

That tree again: most recently it starred alongside Jennifer Lopez in 'The Cell'. Unfortunately its performance was slightly wooden.

Sossusvlei is one of those surreal landscapes that only the imagination of God can get away with. If a painter came up with the idea he or she would instantly be accused of kitsch or abstract expressionism, depending on the technique. As it is now, it is a Godsend to amateur photographers all over the world. As long as you can point, focus and click, you will come up with something that resembles art.

For a good look at Sossusvlei, rent a movie called ‘The Cell’, starring Jennifer Lopez. Much of the film portrayed Sossusvlei as part of the mental landscape of a disturbed kid’s mind. This is not particularly fair to Sossusvlei as it is actually a very relaxing environment in a Zen-like way. On the other hand, it did raise the movie out of the realm of all the other forgettable special-effects driven productions.

Sossusvlei is one of the two natural attractions that set Namibia aside, the other being Etosha. If you visit Namibia and do not see Sossusvlei, you have been shortchanged.

What Sossusvlei entails, is a couple of pans surrounded by really high dunes. Every now and then, in very good rainy seasons, the pans fill up with water. When they dry out, they produce hardened mud which bakes in the sun forming nice, flat areas which are comfortable to walk on, admire the scenery and set up the camera for that brilliant shot that says you might actually become a photographer of some note.

There is a gleeful ritual in the tourism trade. In the early hours of the morning, at an hour that even the sun would find indecent, bleary eyed tourists are dragged from their beds and carted off to Dune 45 for sunrise. After this they head to Sossusvlei, a distance of about 65 kilometers from the nearest accommodation. Once in the Vlei, they are expected to climb another dune.

Obviously there is a reward: at Dune 45 there is a magnificent sunrise over the dunes, the silence of the desert, and a chance to hear the beating of your heart, which may well be loud and fast if you are out of shape. One wonders how the stars and big shots on the production of ‘The Cell’ managed it. Did they have someone to climb the dunes for them?

Just beyond Sossusvlei, there is another vlei called Dead Vlei. This is the one with all the dead trees. Make sure you have enough film stock or flash memory for your digital. Half a gigabyte should be about enough if you are using digital camera. Also make sure that your camera is well protected against sand as you climb.

As you leave Dead Vlei you forgive the guide for dragging you out of bed so early. By the time you begin the climb back up the dune to Sossusvlei, the sun will be relatively high in the sky and the going will be much tougher than it was just before sunrise. Take a look at the latecomers who have yet to do their climbing. It’s quite acceptable to feel gleeful and grin knowingly at them. After all, they didn’t get out of bed as early as you did.

A note on Sossusvlei: the last four or five kilometers consist of a narrow track and thick sand. This has to be driven by a skilled offroad driver, so if you are not on a guided tour, you may do well to book the drive to and from the Vlei with the lodge, if it is not included in the package.

Most of the lodges are in the vicinity of Sesriem Canyon, a narrow craggy gorge that offers an interesting walk and a number of other good photo opportunities.

The story behind Sesriem is that of the Trekkers who left South Africa in search of freedom. Obviously heading in the completely the wrong direction, they found water in the Canyon. They used spans of leather, the reins that they used to guide the oxen that pulled their wagons, to draw water from the canyon. The canyon is six reins deep, hence the Dutch name ‘Sesriem’.

Don’t expect vast amounts of game in the area, but when you do see game take a moment to reflect on how creatures manage to survive in the area. You may see oryx, ostrich and jackal. You may also hear the barking gecko, the only lizard that makes a noise.

If you intend to visit Sossusvlei and Sesriem, book your accommodation before you book your flight. Unlike Etosha, accommodation in the area is very limited and you may have to book as much as a year in advance.

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