Sesriem camp site

Monday, 08 March 2010 21:31 |

(1 vote, average 4.00 out of 5)

Sesriem improvements sign If you are planning to visit the Sossusvlei dunes then the place to stay at is Sesriem camp site. This camp site is run by Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) and is inside the fence of the National Park. Because the camp site is within the fences visitors who stay at Sesriem are allowed to drive to Sossusvlei one hour before sunrise and they are allowed to return to Sesriem one hour after sunset. It's about an hours drive to Sossusvlei so you can use this hour to drive to Sossusvlei and arrive there around sunrise. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to see the dunes. In the early morning and late afternoon light you see the dramatic contrast of sunlit sides of the dunes and the sides that are in the shade. If you arrive at the dunes one and a half hours after sunrise most of this dramatic effect is already gone.

Shop and petrol

There is a shop in Sesriem, but don't expect to do your shopping for dinner there. The shop sells cooldrinks and charcoal but don't expect to find any meat or vegetables there. As there is also no restaurant in Sesriem you have to bring all the food you need with you to Sesriem! The petrol station sells petrol and diesel so no worries there. A new development was that when I was in Sesriem in October 2007 there was cell reception. I'm almost sure that wasn't there on my previous trips to Sesriem.

Sesriem roads and camp sites

The roads on in the camp are basically just sand roads. When it hasn't rained for a while, so basically all year round, the roads in the camp can get so sandy that it is very easy to get stuck if you're not driving a 4x4. Fortunately there's always someone around to tow you out, but be careful when driving there, getting stuck on the camp site is kind of embarassing. Sometimes staff waters the roads to make them more accesible to 2x4's but this only works for a day or so.

Sesriem prices

Please be aware that prices for staying at Sesriem campsites has increased sharply from November 2007. Up till this time you'd pay N$100 per campsite and N$50 per person. From November 2007 the price for a campsite has increased to N$300 per campsite and N$150 per person. This constitutes a price increase of 300%. The reason for the dramatic price increase is refurbishment of Sesriem campsite. According to Namibia Wildlife Resorts the refurbishment would include the development of a new reception, new entrance gates, the relocation of the petrol station and shop, a new thatched restaurant / bar complex, new swimming pool, new ablution facilities, re-development of the campsites and overall landscaping. It was anticipated that this process would take approximately five months from May until September 2007.

I was in Sesriem in October 2007 and it is my conclusion that very little has been done to improve the Sesriem. The campsites are the same as they've always been, the ablutions were still horrible, the pool and bar have not changed and the shop, reception and petrol station are as they were in 2003. The only thing that has been done is that more camp sites have been created and a new ablutions block for these camp sites was being built. In my opinion Sesriem was in the same dismal state as it was back in 2003 and 2006 when I stayed there. In my opinion the minor changes made to Sesriem do not warrant the ludicrous price increase.

Driving directions

I usualy drive to Sesriem from Windhoek. There are a number of routes you can take, this is the one I always use:

1. Get on the B1 in direction Rehoboth
2. Around 5km South of Rehoboth turn right onto the M47/C24 (Gravel)
3. Turn right onto D1274 (Gravel) after 89.3 km
4. Turn left onto D1261 (Gravel) after 23.1 km
5. Turn left onto C14 (Gravel) after 41.5 km
6. Turn right onto the D1273 (Gravel) after 1 km
7. Turn left onto the M36/C19 (Gravel) after 10.5 km
8. Turn right onto the D826 (Gravel) after 60.7 km
9. Drive straight on to Sesriem (arrive after 12 km).

Total driving time to Sesriem from Windhoek is about four and a half hours.

Arnoud Quanjer Wildlife Photography