A New Appreciation for Sand in Namibia

On looks alone, Namibia blows away the competition. Bordered on one side by the Atlantic Ocean, this southwestern African country is known for its vast expanses of open space. Namibia’s landscape can be divided into four areas, perhaps the most famous is the Namib, a coastal desert that stretches the length of the country. The central plauteau area, dotted with mountain ranges and valleys of sand, is where most of the human population can be found in towns and villages. Third is the Kalahari Desert followed by Kavango and Caprivi where you’ll find tropical forests and rivers.

Sound good so far? For the adventurous holiday seeker, Namibia’s geography simply means more variety of terrain to play on; sand is not just a place to lay out a beach towel. The Namib has some of the largest sand dunes in the world, perfect for dune and sandboarding. Sandboarding puts you at the top of the steep sand dunes with a specially adapted board strapped to your feet. If that’s not scary enough go for the dune boarding where you lie face down on a board and take the sandy slopes head on, just make sure you keep your mouth shut! Another sandy adventure can be had in quadbiking, or four-wheeling through the sand dunes. There’s some controversy over quadbiking as its environmental impact has been questioned. If interested in trying it, check out the offering companies as there are those that also take the conversation of the sand dune environment as serious as a good ride.

When you’ve had enough sand, check out some of Namibia’s other activities, including hiking and climbing. Hit the water for kitesurfing or windsurfing. With an abundance of reservoirs and rivers, explore Namibia via canoe or kayak. For the truly fearless, forget the water and hit the sky for skydiving or paragliding. With roughly 300 days of sunshine out of the year, the view is truly amazing.

For places to stay in Namibia, hotel rooms run aplenty. You have the option of staying in a traditional hotel oryou could stay in a safari camp, plus everything in between. It’s best to plan your itinerary and then find accommodation based on what’s on your “have to do list,” whether that includes land, sand, or water.

When it comes down to where to eat in Namibia, it’s hard to find a place you don’t want to try. With 11 major ethnic groups, culture and flavor collide. European cuisine is also prevalent in the country, especially German food due to area’s former ties with the country. Expect lots of meat (vegetarians will be fine as well) and lots of interesting dishes. All in all you’re bound to have an unforgettable time in Namibia, it’s hard not to in this land of sun and adventure.