Sandboarding and desert dune adventures in Continental and South Africa.
The Sahara is a vast and unforgiving desert, notorious for its extreme temperatures, lack of water, and frequent sandstorms. But in addition to the harsh environmental conditions, the region is also plagued by criminal activities, including human trafficking, drug smuggling, and terrorism. Criminal organizations take advantage of the vast and remote landscape to operate with impunity, making the Sahara a dangerous place for travelers and locals alike.
It is possible to practice sandboarding in the Lompoul Desert, located in the region of Foundiougne in Senegal, on many of its several large dunes that are free of vegetation and well-suited for the activity. The Lompoul is a rather small desert iknown for its stunning natural beauty and offers…
Coastal deserts are deserts located in coastal areas, generally at the western edges of continents near the tropics. Coastal deserts are characterized by low levels of precipitation, high evaporation rates, and sparse vegetation. Winds off the coast blows in an easterly pattern and prevents the moisture from moving onto the…
Sand skiing in Algeria. Photo courtesy of Olivier Lepetit.
Algeria is the largest country in Africa, and much of its territory is covered by the Sahara desert. There are countless massive sand dunes where sand surfing can be practiced, albeit in somewhat remote locations of Algeria. Sand skiing near Djanet, Algeria. Photo courtesy of Olivier Lepetit. Algeria Sand Dunes…
Mauritania is a country in northwest Africa, and much of its territory is covered by the Sahara Desert, which has been expanding over the past couple of decades due to several factors, including prolonged drought and overgrazing by livestock. Approximately three-fourths of Mauritania is a desert or semidesert, with nothing…
The landlocked region of Gauteng in South Africa does not have any coastal dunes, but it is still possible to practice sand surfing at Mount Mayhem mine dumps, located in Boksburg about half a hour drive from Johannesburg and just outside of Benoni. Mount Mayhem Sandboarding. Sandboarding at Mt. Mayhem…
The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world and the second hottest desert, after the Lut desert in Iran. The Sahara occupies approximately 10 percent of the African Continent and spans several countries including Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan and Tunisia. Hence, the history…
Rocky deserts, also called hamada, consist of vast expanses of rocks that the wind has stripped of all debris produced by meteoric degradation; pebbly deserts, called serir or reg, derive from ancient alluvial deposits from which the wind has removed the finer debris component. The desert landscape can take on…
The Kalahari Desert is a huge sand basin which stretches from Orange River up to Angola, in the west to Namibia and in the east to Zimbabwe. The Kalahari Desert covers an area of over 900,000 sq km. Kalahari has vast areas covered by red sand without any permanent surface…
The Sahara is the largest hot desert on Earth and it crosses almost a dozen countries in Northern Africa. Sandboarding on the dunes of the Sahara is a truly magical experience that should be on every thrill seeker's bucket list, and there are many different locations where you can do…