Planning a trip
Hearing music in Namibia
Be clear about what this is: a place to listen, not a bookable venue. There is no stage and no programme. Any sunrise listening session is arranged by the lodge that offers it, so ask before you book. The atlas keeps it as the continent's purest natural listening environment. Leave camp around 4.30am, while the dunes are mauve, and wait for the sun to clear the eastern ridge, when the silence seems to grow louder.
Dawn is the listening window. Park gates open at sunrise, and the time varies by season. The cooler months, April to September, are the listening months, while October to March is very hot. Dune 45 lies 45 km from the Sesriem gate, and Deadvlei is about 2 km from Sossusvlei.
Fly to Windhoek (WDH), then drive roughly five hours south to Sesriem, the park gate. From Sesriem a 60 km tarmac road leads to Sossusvlei, and the final 6 km needs a 4WD. Staying inside the park at Sesriem puts you on the dune road before dawn. Once you are out on the dunes, stop talking and stay still for five minutes.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What is the best time to visit Sossusvlei to listen to the silence?
Dawn is the listening window, and park gates open at sunrise, which varies by season. The cooler months, April to September, are the listening months. October to March is very hot.
How do you get to Sossusvlei from Windhoek?
Fly to Windhoek (WDH), then drive roughly five hours south to Sesriem, the park gate. A 60 km tarmac road leads on to Sossusvlei, and the final 6 km needs a 4WD.
Is there live music at Sossusvlei?
No. There is no stage and no programme: the sound is silence. Any sunrise listening session is arranged by an individual lodge, so ask before you book. Park gates open at sunrise, which varies by season.
Pulse
Electronic music in Namibia
Namibia is on Pulse, the Sonic Paths map and radio of African electronic music: electronic music in Windhoek (house, 1 artist).
More across the continent: African electronic music on Pulse and every dated festival.