Rider photos mountain biking Namibia

H+I Adventures riders photos mountain biking Namibia

Namibia isn’t necessarily the first place you think of when you’re considering a mountain bike tour. However, our mountain bike safari in Namibia is a unique way to explore this magnificent country, connecting with its wonderful people, landscapes, culture and, of course, the vast range of native wildlife.

We were lucky to have some fabulous riders exploring Namibia with us in 2016, some of whom were very handy with a camera, and shared their beautiful photos of mountain biking in Namibia with us – and we now share these with you!

Many thanks to Sasha Latypova and Mark Little for the photos, and to everyone who took the time to write a few words to share their Namibia experience with us too.

“We had a fantastic time! It was an incredible experience and I’d recommend it for folks who love to mountain bike and are willing to forego the everyday amenities for a once in a lifetime trip. Bring your best camera(s) because the landscape, animals and people are awe inspiring. The staff are terrific and knowledgable.” Scott, USA

“Who says you should never meet your heroes because they will always disappoint you. Well, Namibia has been an itch I have wanted to scratch for 20 years and having finally achieved my wish, I can tell you that my hero did not let me down.

“It is hard to describe in words or pictures the sheer beauty and majesty of this place. It has a bit of everything and for the adventurous traveller who wants some exercise and thrills this is a trip that is as good as anything I have done before. The variety of the scenery, the sheer humbling beauty of the rugged landscape, the isolation and the scale. Nothing will prepare you for how spectacular it is.

“The cycling is great fun. Technically it is doable for a reasonably novice but determined cyclist who has ok fitness and a big engine and heart. The soft sand and the rocks take a bit off getting used to but the distances are not great and are very doable. It is hot (52 degrees one afternoon crossing the Namib desert) but just jump in the truck and cool off if too hot.

“Highlights – everything, but the drive up into Damaraland and the two nights in the Adventure camp will stay long in the memory. H+I organise the tour superbly with great guides and excellent lodges. If anything they undersell how good the trip is but frankly until you have been to Namibia it is hard to tell any one what to expect and how good this trip is.

“We organised our own group and I can not think of a better way to have fun with 10 mates. We were a mixed group of boys and girls and very mixed cycling ability and even those who had done no cycling absolutely loved it. Five star rating from me and now a desire to see the rest of this amazing country that we missed out on this time round.” Mark, UK

“Incredible trip and a great way to see the country as no other tourist will see it. The trip covers a huge area with very diverse terrain and climate. The temperatures ranged from 5 to 48 C, and parts of the trip were in the areas that look exactly like the photos that Curiosity sent from Mars.

“The riding is not technically challenging, but you need to have some technical mountain bike skills and training to actually enjoy it. The heat, loose sand, rocks, gravel and very thorny vegetation add some extra challenge and opportunity to learn.

“Be prepared for long rides in vans as the distances are vast and only very few roads are paved. The highlight of the trip is Damaraland with out-of-this-world terrain and night skies. Etosha park is also a high note as the sheer number and the diversity of animals you will see is astounding.

“We enjoyed meeting the local people, tasting the local food (oryx! pinotage!) and the fact that in most places the water was safe to drink from the tap. Big thank you to H+I Adventures and our local guides for this experience.” Sasha, USA

“We had a fabulous time. Our guides, Zieggy, Jacques and Nicky were fantastic…all great fun, so patient with our differing levels of experience and very tolerant of our general noise and sense of humour!!

“Namibia is truly one of the most stunning countries I’ve ever visited, so varied and completely beautiful. A surprise around every corner. Damaraland is the most incredible place, made even more so by the fact we didn’t pass another vehicle for 3 days. A huge thank you to them all.” Kelda, UK