Swakopmund & Walvis Bay

We were up very early and on the road to Walvis Bay by seven, where the group split in two — some of us heading off to kayak with seals, the rest to Sandwich Harbour.

Sandwich Harbour turned out to be something none of us had quite pictured beforehand. The drive there is a 4x4 experience in itself: the only access is a narrow strip of beach passable solely at low tide, with towering dunes on one side and the Atlantic on the other. Along the way we spotted jackals, oryx, and springboks. The smaller dunes came first — then the real ones. The jeep climbed enormous dunes at speed and plunged down the other side. A rollercoaster built from sand. Lunch came around midday, served on top of the dunes, and it was excellent.

Those of us kayaking had an equally memorable morning. The guide drove us out to the launch point, pointing out flamingos and other wildlife along the way and explaining how salt is harvested from the surrounding waters. At the water, we were kitted out with dry gear and paddled toward a large seal colony — many resting on land, many more in the water, some drifting remarkably close to the kayaks. Tempting as it was, there was no touching them; wild seals can turn aggressive without warning. On the way back, we spotted jackals — including one feeding on a dead seal pup, and another pair chasing it off their territory. A reminder that what looks chaotic out there follows its own order.

Back together, some of us had lunch at a café near the meeting point before a supermarket run at Checkers to stock up for the days ahead. We closed the day with dinner at Ocean Cellar, an excellent option for coeliacs: the menu clearly flags which dishes are safe and which allergens are present throughout. Back to the Jetty Self-Catering apartments to end the day.