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Hiking in Apuseni Mountains in Romania | FinnsAway

Hiking in Romania Sep 2017, part 1

Published: September 21, 2017

Romania has so much to offer for hikers. Our day hike on the Apuseni Mountains, that are famous for caves and limestone karst rock formations.

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The giant sand dunes and dry white pans of the Sos The giant sand dunes and dry white pans of the Sossusvlei area are the most popular destination in the Namib-Naukluft National Park in the Namib Desert.The most photographed sight in the Sossusvlei area and probably the entire Namib Desert is the magnificent, surreal-looking clay pan of Deadvlei, with it's dry, skeleton-like trees, surrounded with high sand dunes 😍Visiting Deadvlei was the highlight of our self-guided tour in Namib Desert – we had seen a lot of photos of this extraordinary place, but it's something you need to experience yourself to understand hos special it is 🧡Deadvlei clay pan was formed when the Tsauchab river flooded, forming temporary pools that allowed acacia trees to grow. When drought then hit the area, approximately 900 years ago, the pan dried out, and sand dunes separated the area from the river. The trees died, but due to the heat they didn't decompose, but instead dried to impressive, picturesque black skeletons.#finnsaway #visitnamibia #sossusvlei #deadvlei #namibdesert
On our way from Solitaire to the Sossusvlei dunes, On our way from Solitaire to the Sossusvlei dunes, we spotted this elegant desert survivor – this beautiful antelope with long, spear-like horns is Oryx (Gemsbok), the National Animal of Namibia.These magnificent creatures can go months without drinking water, by extracting moisture from plants and roots, and using a specialized cooling system in their nose to survive under the burning sun, in the heat of the desert.#finnsaway #visitnamibia #sossusvlei #oryx #namibdesert
On our way from Camp Gecko to the dunes of Sossusv On our way from Camp Gecko to the dunes of Sossusvlei, we first saw giraffes in the early morning light (pic 9), and then stopped for a coffee in Solitaire 😍🦒Solitaire is a small, remote settlement along the popular route to Sossuvlei, located in the desert right outside the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The main features of the settlement are a gas station, a café (the coffee was excellent!), a bakery and a chapel. In addition, there are nowadays two lodges and a campsite.This all doesn't sound much, but the place really is worth of stopping. Why? Well, for the atmosphere alone, really. This is one of those places, where it feels like time has stopped. It's in the middle of nowhere, it's quiet, it's empty, it's dusty. But then you are welcomed with a smile to have a coffee, and to enjoy the unique environment.And then there are the old vehicles, abandoned skeletons stuck in time. Very photogenic, barren and kind of sad, but very, very fascinating.#finnsaway #nomadlife #visitnamibia #namibdesert #solitaire
Stargazing in Camp Gecko, Namibia 💙🇳🇦#finnsaway Stargazing in Camp Gecko, Namibia 💙🇳🇦#finnsaway #nomadlife #namibia #namibiatravel #visitnamibia
Namibian sunsets 💛🧡@camp_gecko#finnsaway #noma Namibian sunsets 💛🧡@camp_gecko#finnsaway #nomadlife #visitnamibia #campgecko
Accommodation recommendation to those who would li Accommodation recommendation to those who would like to visit Sossusvlei in Namib Desert (the area that is famous for high dunes and dry clay pans, including the iconic Deadvlei) on a budget!When planning our trip, we first decided against renting a camper car (which usually in hear means 4x4 truck with a rooftop tent) as renting a hatchback was at least five times cheaper. This meant that we couldn't camp (we don't have any camping gear), but mostly rented affordable apartments / rooms during our road trip.Near Sossusvlei the accommodation options are very limited, and even more limited for those who want to head to the dunes during sunrise, as for that you need to stay inside the national park outer gate. We were fine without being in the dunes super early in the morning, and ended up booking a tented bungalow cabin from Camp Gecko in Solitaire area.And what a place it was! 😍 A lovely, quiet campsite in the middle of savanna framed with mountains, with stunning sunset views right from the cabins. Our tented cabin (the single-storey ones for 2 persons cost roughly 63 € per night when booked straight from the camp) had a comfy double bed, a bathroom and a BBQ place. No electricity, just a couple of lights with batteries. Simple yes, but everything we needed.This is no advertisement, just a tip for fellow travelers to check this place out, as we loved our short stay! In addition to the tented cabins, there is also a camping site, oh and in the reception there is a small shop for cold drinks and a pond. And you can buy braai (BBQ) packages and firewood.More about the sunsets and starry nights in the camp soon!#finnsaway #nomadlife #visitnamibia #namibdesert #campgecko @camp_gecko
Views from along the desert roads from Walvis Bay Views from along the desert roads from Walvis Bay to Solitaire 🇳🇦After the leaving the coast behind, we headed to the Namib-Naukluft National Park to see the most famous dunes and clay pans of the Namib Desert in Sossusvlei. The first part of this road trip took us through dry landscapes, along good and not-so-good dirt roads.Had we realised beforehand that only the very first part of the road from Walvis Bay, and the part from Sesriem to Sossusvlei are paved, we would have considered renting a larger car, but luckily all the dirt roads (hundreds of kilometres of them) were doable (though not comfortable to drive) with a small hatchback 😅The distance from Walvis Bay to our accommodation close to Solitaire (more about that in the next post) was roughly 250 km, but certainly felt longer due to the challenging roads. On the way there is not much else to see than the endless deserted plains – no towns, not even settlements by the road, and no big sand dunes either. But the views are still fascinating.The most memorable parts of this part of the journey were the canyon landscapes near Oase, and the biggest sight was the road sign of the Tropic of Capricorn, a popular stop for taking pictures it seems. Closer to Solitaire we spotted a small herd of South African oryxes, large antelopes that are adapted to the arid bushlands.#finnsaway #nomadlife #visitnamibia #namibdesert
The Namib Desert, that stretches over 2 000 kilome The Namib Desert, that stretches over 2 000 kilometers along the Atlantic coast across South Africa, Namibia and Angola, is the world's oldest desert, and known for its beautiful, massive sand dunes 🧡Out first touch to this huge, extremely arid desert was in Swakopmund, on the coast of Namibia. The closest dunes are basically right next to the town, and Swakopmund is a popular starting point for tours in the desert.We got to enjoy bright, sunny weather, but one of the special features of the Namib Desert actually is fog, that is formed when the cold Benguela current meets with the warmer currents from tropical areas. This dense fog brings live to the desert, as the water from the fog condenses on surface of the desert. Many of the plants that survive in the desert have developed the ability to absorb the water straight through their leaves. In Swakopmund area, there are on average 180 foggy days a year.We followed the coast, and the dunes, south from Swakopmund to Walvis Bay, the largest coastal town and harbor of Namibia. Our visit to Walvis bay was a very short one, but we did visit the nearby Dune 7 (that should not be mixed with the other, way higher Dune 7 near Sossusvlei), and jogged along the Lagoon Promenade, spotting flamingospics 1-4 exploring dunes right next to Swakopmund
pics 5-6 from along the road to Walvis Bay
pics 7-8 Dune 7, Walvis Bay
pic 9 🦩
pic 10 desert meets the sea in Walvis Bay#finnsaway #nomadlife #visitnamibia #namibdesert #dunes
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About FinnsAway

We are Anne & Toni, a Finnish nomad couple traveling the world since 2017. We left 9-to-5 life behind to be free to explore the world and work location independently.

We are adventurous backpackers and low-cost travelers, often following the road less traveled. We write detailed travel guides with quality photos, as well as short introduction posts about the destinations that we explore.

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