Sandwich Harbor: Dune Drive & Walvis Bay Flamingos Tour

4.99

(123 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t really expect to see that many flamingos right at the start — just a blur of pink legs in the shallow water at Walvis Bay, making those odd little head-bobbing moves. Our guide (Pieter, who grew up nearby) explained why they’re so pink — something about shrimp, but honestly I was too busy watching them shuffle around. The air smelled a bit salty and sharp, with this weird sweetness from the mudflats. We drove past these massive salt pans after that — you could see the lakes turning almost bubblegum pink in patches. Pieter said it’s the algae. I tried to get a photo but my phone just made it look gray.

The drive along the shore felt endless — sand on one side, ocean on the other, and sometimes nothing but wind for minutes. We saw jackals darting behind dunes (they’re quick), and seals flopped out like they owned the place. The Sandwich Harbor day trip from Walvis Bay is tide-dependent; I didn’t realize how much until we had to wait for a gap before entering. The dunes here don’t just meet the sea — they sort of lean into it, like they’re trying to swallow the beach whole. There was this moment where we stopped at the top of a dune and everything went quiet except for wind and distant surf. I still think about that view sometimes.

Pieter let some air out of the tires before we did what he called “the rollercoaster.” Honestly? It was wild — up and over these huge slopes, sand rattling under us, everyone laughing or squealing (I may have done both). He pointed out tiny lizard tracks zigzagging across hot sand and somehow spotted an oryx way off in the shimmer. On our way back along the salt pans I realized my shoes were full of sand and didn’t even care.