Jumping in the Namib Desert

The Namib Desert was an incredible experience.

From Walvis Bay, we drove south in a 4x4 along the coastal dunes. On the way, we saw lots of seals, flamingos, elephant seals (including one in a sorry state) and... skulls and bones. Lots of them. Apparently many animals wash ashore, and the desert is so dry that their remains stay well preserved. Spooky.

We stopped at the bottom of a dune to take in the view and get ready for some jumping photos. The dune was maybe 50 metres high, and we all started climbing. But boy, the soft sand made it exhausting! Many gave up halfway. I kept going, and when I finally made it to the top, I was rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Namib Desert meeting the Atlantic Ocean.

After that workout, we had lunch straight out of the 4x4, facing the ocean. Chicken, lamb, salad, bubbly and some local delicacies made for a perfect meal with an incredible view.

Then we hopped back in the 4x4s to drive up the dunes. Some slopes were really steep, which made the climb a lot of fun and the descent even more thrilling. We stopped at the top of the bigger dunes to admire the view and jump some more.

I was happy to see that the jumping virus had spread to some of my fellow travellers 😬

All in all, we only spent a day in Namibia, but we enjoyed every second of it. Two days later, we disembarked in Cape Town, where we spent 24 hours before flying back home to Dubai.