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Tuesday 14 Feb 2012
Swakopmund, Namibia

Quad Biking the Namib Desert!

Swakop is regarded as mini version of Queenstown in New Zealand, and is considered to be the activity-capital of Namibia.

Most of the activities utilise the sand-dunes just out of town, so you can quad bike, sandboard, paraglide, etc, etc. The water is too cold here for water-based activities (that damned Antarctic current again), although there is a small jetty where you can swim that is out of the path of the cold current.

Quad biking the Namib
Quad biking the Namib

Quad biking the Namib
Quad biking the Namib

I decided to partake in one of the activities and Quad Biking took my fancy as it's something I've never done before. So, careful not to get caught by the speed cameras, I drove out of Swakop toward Walvis Bay and stopped at the place I spotted the day before.

It was a Tuesday so I was the only punter at the time and opted for an hour ride. I was given a 2 minute "lesson" from my guide and we were off! I wasn't nearly as nervous as I thought I'd be, and I took to it like a duck to water. Riding down steep dunes, careening along steep-sided walls, even doing the odd jump here and there, it was great fun! I reckon the fact that I had an automatic gearbox helped a lot and I probably would have been flailing like a mad thing if it was manual.

I think I'll have to get me one of them quad bikes for Leitrim Smile

Next I planned to get the car valeted. It was still in a shocking state since the sandstorm in Luderitz covered everything in a fine layer of dust but it miraculously came out as good as new! You wouldn't know that I had driven it on gravel roads, let alone almost totalled it on a sand-dune in Luderitz!

Beer, good food, great...
Beer, good food @ sunset

I had planned to head to Windhoek in the evening to catch my flight to Zimbabwe in the morning, but was advised by the hostel staff that it was a long drive, packed with police checkpoints in the evening and that I would be best off staying the night and heading off early morning at 3am!
I hadn't arranged any accommodation for Windhoek, so it was doubtful that I'd manage to sort anything if arriving at midnight anyway!

It just so happened that Dune's Lodge backpackers had a deal: pay for one night's dorm, get a 2nd night free, so I was eligible to crash there for free. The staff even prepared a breakfast sandwich for me which came very handy in the morning! Great place, highly recommend it.

I had the evening to relax in Swakop, and went along to get a fish platter plus a few beers while watching the sunset.

I missed out on ordering Oryx, despite having been told I should try it, because I was sure I would be able to get it anywhere in Southern Africa. Unfortunately it is only really available in Namibia... it would be around a week before I got to taste some game on my travels...

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Sithern Efrika

Travel blog by peterforan

Great White Shark cage diving

Great White Shark cage diving


20 days to sample the "other" down-under... a trip covering parts of South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe in February. Cape Town to Vic Falls get the treatment, while I mix in a safari or two... Now where did I put that elephant gun?

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Photo Album

  • Quad biking...

    Swakopmund

    Namibia

    Quad biking the Namib
  • Quad biking...

    Swakopmund

    Namibia

    Quad biking the Namib
  • Quad biking...

    Swakopmund

    Namibia

    Quad biking the Namib
  • Enjoying the...

    Swakopmund

    Namibia

    Enjoying the sunset at lovely Swakop