Hey, remember that time I went quad biking over sand dunes in Namibia? No? Let me tell you all about it.

Our group went with Desert Explorers on the recommendation of our guides. That company (and their adventure activities) are currently ranked #1 on Trip Advisor out of 25 things to do in Swakopmund, Namibia. Of all the various options, we decide on the 2-hour tour which will cover around 45km of sand dunes.

Lisa points out the rules… no DOUGHNUTS or FISHTAILING. Got it.

Time to pick a quad bike. All of us decide on automatic over manual.

Sofie, Alice, Lisa, and Carly smile before the adventure begins.

Let’s do this!

So… I’ve never actually been on a quad bike before. I think I was expecting it to be like riding a kids’ toy vehicle but with more power? Sure enough, it’s a LOT more powerful — we FLY over those dunes. It’s more terrifying than I imagined. It’s like going on a roller coaster but you are in control of it, and you’ve never taken any lessons about how to operate a roller coaster. See what I mean? If I end up with broken bones it’s entirely my fault, but I barely know what I’m doing in the first place.

More than once my quad bike stalls in the sand. If I’m not careful about following the tracks of the person in front of me, or if I don’t give it enough power when going uphill, then the tires start to spin and our guide has to dig me out. That’s not a big deal except I feel bad about slowing down our group. Luckily everyone is patient and I’m not the only one it happens to. I realize that driving in sand isn’t that different from driving in snow.

The thrill of riding quad bikes on this kind of terrain is making steep curves over the dunes at high speeds. Sort of like running up a vertical wall and then getting back down safely. Here’s a glimpse from my GoPro:

During the actual bike experience, I wear a GoPro around my wrist to capture footage of our ride — it came out great and I will share that video tomorrow. The footage actually feels way more accurate to the experience than these still photos because it so clearly demonstrates the speed and terrain.

I keep my DSLR camera well-protected inside my backpack and only take it out during our two planned photo stops at viewpoints. This is one of them…

These golden dunes stretch on endlessly. It’s remarkable to see nothing but sand in every direction — the ocean is so close but it’s hidden from this vantage point.

Yellow, pink, gold, rose, purple… the colors are intense and they shift as the sun and clouds move overhead.

Lisa is a pro at jumping photos. She’s got skills.

The dunes don’t always look exactly like this — the wind shapes them over time so the crest of each wave can shift.

Can you make out those tire tracks in the distance of the photo below? That’s how high up the quad bikes can go (if you have a death wish).

Hi, friends!

The texture and pattern of sand dunes is dynamic — it shifts and alters often. Really neat to see up close.

Our quad bike guide poses near the end of our two-hour tour.

Back at the Desert Explorers headquarters, Carly poses with a colorful parrot.

Lisa is a natural.

That concludes my photo recap of our quad biking experience in the dunes of Swakopmund, but stay tuned for the video in tomorrow’s post. It’s a good one.

Many thanks to Desert Explorers for hosting my quad bike experience over the sane dunes of Swakopmund. Opinions are my own.