Douglas Easton Travel Blog - Douglas Easton Travel

March 20, 2007

Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge, Namib Rand Desert Private Reserve, Namibia

Yesterday, our trusty entourage of charter planes wafted us over the striking range of mountains comprising the western border of the Namib Desert. We marveled at the indescribable beauty of the vast, inhospitable land below. It is difficult to comprehend how the San people have been able to live under such severe conditions for thousands of years.

The lodge here is stunningly elegant. The ten sumptuous guest cottages feature both indoor and outdoor showers, huge marble bathrooms, handsome living rooms with glass walls to better marvel at the view and beds that are almost indecently inviting.

If there is one place that could be said to have the world's most impressive sunsets, it would have to be here. The nightly psychedelic show is enhanced by the clarity of the air and the desert's palette of yellows and reds (the latter ranging from pale pink to deep brick).

The gargantuan sand dunes of nearby Sossusvlei - at almost a quarter-mile high, the world's largest - only add to the surreal tone of the scenery. The intense red of the dunes, tufted with yellow grass and imposed against cloudless cerulean skies, looks like an unrealistic movie set.

As dusk approaches, the sky transmutes progressively to pink, orange, red and finally violet before finally ushering in a night sky more brilliant than one would have thought possible. This is due to Namibia's low population density: lack of human presence means no electricity. As a result, the stars are unlike anything one is likely to have seen prior.

Beneath this light show, one dines outside in a veritable epitome of African elegance. The lodge prides itself on its gourmet cuisine, and offers an excellent selection of mostly South African wines. All wines and spirits are included in the rates, so people tend to become a tad silly.

Last night, after dinner, the lodge's resident astronomer treated us to a magnificent visit to the on-site observatory. The powerful telescope provided us with some stupendous sightings; the highlight of which was a super-clear view of Saturn, its rings sharp and luminescent.

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