From asphalt to adventure around Windhoek
After days of dust and gravel roads, Lisette and Marco decide to go for a relaxed ride on the asphalt roads around Windhoek. It doesn’t last long. The moment an unpaved road disappears into the landscape, curiosity takes over once again. Not much later, they find themselves face to face with wildebeest, baboons and curious giraffes.
Santos Adventure Lite Not your typical cycling country
After two years of travelling through Africa, we’ve started to feel quite at home on the continent. We’ve seen countless wild animals, and every encounter still feels special. But what we experience today, this close to a major city and from the saddle of a bicycle, is something we haven’t experienced before.
Namibia is not really considered a cycling country in Africa. Very different from places like Malawi or Uganda, where bicycles are everywhere and are an essential means of transport for daily life.
Here, the distances are vast, the gravel roads are rough, the wind is relentless and the dust gets into everything. On these dusty roads, the only people you usually meet are other dedicated bikepackers.
Just a bit of asphalt
After days on gravel, we simply wanted to enjoy some smooth tarmac around Windhoek: a chance to stretch the legs, feel the wind and escape the dust for a while.
But that’s the thing with travelling by bike: curiosity always wins.
After about twenty kilometres of smooth asphalt, we spot a small dirt road disappearing into the landscape. One glance is enough. Before we know it, we’re back on gravel again.
Face to face with wildlife
Not long after, we suddenly find ourselves face to face with a wildebeest.
A little further on, we are surrounded by a group of baboons. Impressive animals, but definitely not harmless. Anyone who has travelled through Africa knows you have to be careful around baboons. They are smart, strong and completely unafraid of humans.
So we keep pedalling.
Africa’s most curious animals
And then it happens… We come face to face with Africa’s most curious animals: giraffes.
Anyone who has been to Africa knows the way giraffes look at you. Calm, interested and without the slightest sign of fear. They simply don’t have many natural enemies, so they quietly continue nibbling leaves and branches while carefully watching us at the same time.
And when you are on a bicycle, the experience becomes even more intense.
At first, we carefully ride towards them, but soon we realise the giraffes are just as curious about us. They only seem to come closer. So we stop and get off the bikes.
Human and giraffe look at each other.
We calmly take some photos, and for a brief moment it feels as if there is real contact. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking, but it doesn’t make the experience any less special. As cyclists, you are always close to nature — but today that feels more literal than ever.
Riding together
When we get back on our bikes and continue riding, the giraffes start running alongside us for a while.
What an experience.
Sometimes an ordinary bike ride unexpectedly turns into a day you will never forget.
