Imagine standing in a pan filled with flowers as far as the eye can see. This kind of
beauty makes time stand still. Flowers are often used to deliver messages that couldn’t
be spoken aloud. In a sort of silent dialogue, the picture in front of me speaks a
thousand words. There is something rare and magical about the pan filled with flowers.
On the edge of the pan, the rocky area makes it unbelievable to think it had rained. The
land has been waiting for this moment and now celebrates by blooming in full, glorious
splendour.
Namibia is characterised by its warm temperatures and little rain. In the south of
Namibia it is no different, rain is scarce. However, as soon as the first sight of rain
appears, the dry and barren landscapes transform into something unbelievable. In the
south of Namibia, about 39 km from Maltahöhe is Farm Sandhof, better known as the
Sandhof Lilies. With a good rainy season, the barren landscape of the farm is
transformed into a sea of pinkish flowers. From all over the country, the Namibians
make their way to Sandhof to see this unique occurrence of flowers. There, they camp
next to the vlei for the day while taking in the beautiful sight. The sound of laughter and
people chatting creates a harmonious moment.
What makes these flowers special, is their blooming behaviour. Only after the first rains
have fallen the bushveld lilies bloom. The sight is spectacular and very rare. This
phenomenon only occurs in some parts of Namibia and Farm Sandhof is one of these
places. This species of lilies, Crinum Paludosum, is a funnel shaped flower with a pink
and white colour.
The bulbs are situated in a clay pan and as soon as enough rain has filled the pan, at
least 30cm of water, they start to bloom. The flowers however do not wait for anyone.
For the next 6 to 8 days the flowers create a canvas of beauty and visitors can admire
the lilies. The lily field is about 800 ha. What makes this even more spectacular is that
the flowers only occur once in every 3-5 years. This is truly a destination one does not
want to miss.
Whenever you are traveling in Namibia in the rainy season, and hear that the lilies are in
bloom, make sure to visit Sandhof and experience this very rare phenomenon of flowers
in the desert. Sometimes, the unplanned routes are the best kind. If there is one lesson
that comes to mind when visiting the lilies it is: ‘bloom where you are planted
Author: Janke Murray