Adventure: Namibia
April 2026
My husband, Jeff, and I are entering our 70s soon, and we have been carefully considering how to celebrate this landmark. We travel quite a bit, so that sounded like more fun than a fancy party or gifts. We decided to invite each of our three daughters and their partners to travel with us on their dream trip.
Over the years, we have been lightly intrigued by the idea of a safari, but did not relish the prospect of sitting all day in a truck. When we discovered H+I Adventures E-bike Safari in Namibia, we knew we had a winning combination. Our middle daughter and her partner, devoted animal lovers, quickly embraced the challenging itinerary and signed up for their turn to celebrate with us. I realize that it sounds kind of crazy, riding a mountain bike in the desert among wild animals, but that’s exactly what we did—safely and joyfully.
The trip was remarkable in every way. After committing to our kids and booking for September 2025, Jeff got an out-of-the-blue throat cancer diagnosis the week after our Chamonix ski trip in February 2025. (This will also explain the year-plus gap in my blog posts; we spent the year in hospitals, not in airports, not writing.) H+I was extremely gracious and offered the opportunity to rebook, which we did after Jeff’s amazing recovery. By the time we were ready to embark on our adventure, April 2026, our anticipation was at a fever-pitch. We planned three days at the Tree House Boutique Hotel in stunning Cape Town, hiking Table Mountain, and touring the Cape Peninsula as a trip warm-up. We flew for two hours on day four to Windhoek, Namibia, to meet our group. Here is our official itinerary and my reminiscences from twelve remarkable days of mountain biking, wild camping, dune hiking, and animal scouting in the Namib desert.
When I think of Namibia, I think of a vast and stunning landscape cut from the stencil of time, the oldest desert in the world, fresh and welcoming to me and my mountain bike. Massive cinnamon colored rock-scape carved against a blueberry sky, tangerine dunes, and curry-colored sunsets. Something essential is released in the heart when one observes magnificent animals in their natural habitat, a few yards away. There is a friskiness in the air: the contrast of the hot sun and the cool breeze alerted me to perpetual possibility—a dazzle of zebras, a journey of giraffes, pouncing springbok, all ready to run beside me as I rode the endless variety of tracks this pristine desert is blessed with.
These Rocky Mountain gals can shred!
Us and our tiny little tent in the wide open desert, what a thrill!
When I think of Namibia, I think of the people I was privileged to experience this adventure with: my husband, Jeff; middle daughter and her partner; Felice and Kimmy—rock stars from the Rocky Mountains, the elegant Francine and Paris from Paris via China; our devoted and playful Guides Zieggy and John; and Stanley who kept the wheels on, literally, by driving us all over this magnificent landscape. We clicked instantly as a group, each person contributing their own special energy. Witnessing one another, we experienced thrills of a lifetime, physical and emotional challenges, and moments of pure bliss. We laughed our asses off. Absorbing the dramatic energy of the largest dunes on earth, saying hello to our first giraffe, viewing the Southern Cross (complete with soundtrack) in the perfect night sky, and riding fearlessly on some of the best track of my life come to mind—just for starters. A galaxy of new insights. The thing I was most fearful of, wild camping in the desert, turned out to be my favorite part of the trip. What is fear but a lack of knowledge? This is the magic of travel; it can be as emotionally and physically stimulating as we are bold enough to make it. I was emboldened by Namibia, that’s mine for keeps now.
John in his zone. What a wonderful guide, cook, and friend he is!
When I think of Namibia, I think of drinking the best coffee in the cutest café ever, in Swakopmund, after riding tracks that felt like a trip to the moon. I think about how much love and effort John and Stanley poured into feeding us every day. John’s pitch-perfect seasoning (that curry!) and how marvelous simple food tastes cooked over an open fire after a hot day in the saddle. The ‘Sundowner’ custom of having a perfectly mixed gin and tonic (with lemon, NOT lime!) and the fortification that a simple Bolognese sauce paired with a South African Syrah can provide for the body and soul. The mindful moment I kept returning to was ‘less is more’. This is a theme that played out for me the entire trip: focus on what matters now, stinky clothing is fine, remain in awe, everything I need is right around me.
Damaraland has a exquisite wildness like no place else.
“Because I was so intimidated by this itinerary—sleeping wild despite my anxiety about snakes in my bedroll, mosquito bites, and cheetahs chasing me—I am in awe of myself.”
When I think of Namibia, I think of contrasts. I love the irony of a place called the Skeleton Coast being among the last untamed frontiers of beauty on the earth. I love that Namibia is rich in environmental diversity: coastlines, mountain ranges, desert, riverine forests, wetlands, and savannah forests, but humans are scarce. It is twice the size of California but has a population of only 2.5 million people concentrated near a few cities. Despite this, Namibia has a sophisticated network of connections supporting the adventure tourist infrastructure. There are professional outfitters, lovely hotels, camping options, and wonderful restaurants—all thriving in an immaculate environment. Despite the vast rawness of the landscape, hauntingly gorgeous Damaraland in particular, the Nambi desert feels like the most conscientious place on earth for humans to reboot and for civilization to survive. Despite the traditional patrimony and polygamous traditions of tribes that reside in Namibia, it is progressive—the country’s top three elected officials are women. Despite visiting as an American during MAGA insanity-rule, the Namibians I met offered me a genuinely warm welcome. They had a way of looking me right in the eye, instantly connecting with genuine kindness; they glowed with a goodness that felt wonderfully contagious. Despite some of the challenges we faced—running out of gas, a midday rendezvous miscue, getting stuck in the sand dunes, wrong hotel drop-off—our fantastic Guides just handled it—‘Got it sorted’ to quote Zieggy. Not bothered, not flustered, not apologizing—the energy was so regulating and relaxed, it was positively refreshing.
When I think of Namibia, I think of this as an adventure of the spirit. I feel this experience was a vessel for vanquishing the detritus of a difficult year, and with each pedal stroke, recycling it into something fresh and life-affirming. I think we did this by saying ‘Yes’ to the unknowns and pushing to see just exactly what we are made of. Being offline for days, a break from the news cycle, campfire meals, and making new friends—all are medicinal and mandated going forward.
AWE up close and personal—we were only 25 yards away from these beauties!
I have been rewired by awe. The feeling of riding through this wild, majestic landscape reminds me of my tiny yet powerful place in this ecosystem of beauty. Awe is a feeling that I will invite into my everyday attitude. Because I was so intimidated by this itinerary—sleeping wild despite my anxiety about snakes in my bedroll, mosquito bites, and cheetahs chasing me—I am in awe of myself. After these past many months of grief, making this trip with our kids felt like an opportunity for rebirth. Their companionship gave us the encouragement we needed and multiplied our wonder and enjoyment tenfold. The fragility and the beauty that life has to offer have been rebalanced for us. Namibia, you are magical: I did not expect to fall in love with you, but WOW, did I ever, ‘Fokken Lekke’ (Hell, yes!)
I’d love to hear from you—feel free to send your comments to me. Please share this post with a friend :) And thank you for reading!
