Quad Biking and Sandboarding in Cape Town’s Atlantis Dunes with Breathless Nomad
Cape Town and its surrounding areas are like a world in one city. We have mountains, forests and the ocean. And when you think that’s enough, surprise, there’s a desert too! At the Atlantis Dunes, just an hour north of the city, you can join Breathless Nomad for a quad biking and/or sandboarding adventure. They will provide you with a helmet, a quad bike, and just enough encouragement to make you think you’re in an action movie.
Quad Biking at Atlantis
When you arrive, you are fitted with a helmet (and a very sexy hairnet that, yes, you do get to keep) and you’re assigned a quad bike.
How easy is it to drive a quad bike?
Easy.
Breathless Nomad’s quad bikes are automatic and easy to manoeuvre. You have two brakes (front and back) and an accelerator.
You’re given a brief intro to how it works, as well as a safety briefing which includes wisdom like “Be smart when you panic.” Basically, if you feel you need to stop suddenly, press both brakes at the same time, especially the back one!
Beyond that, you get to choose how fast or slowly you want to go. The dunes roll out in front of you like an endless playground. I started out cautious, but it wasn’t long before I was channelling my inner Dakar Rally champion.
You go out in a group with a guide. People do tend to drive at different paces, but every now and then, the guide will stop and wait for everyone to catch up before proceeding, so it’s very difficult to get lost. …Which is not to say that I didn’t get lost. (In my defence, there was a really pretty shot with Table Mountain in the background that I had to have, and by the time I got my phone out, my group had left. But it didn’t take long at all for my guide to realise the group was down a member, and he came back to find me.)
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| Worth it, right? |
Sandboarding at Atlantis
After a fun quad biking session and returning our quad bikes to the entrance, it was time for adventure number two for the day: Sandboarding.
Our guide carried our sandboards to our sandboarding location, a carefully chosen dune with different gradients for both the more conservative and the more adventurous group members.
Here we learnt how to sandboard.
How to Sandboard for Beginners:
- Step 1: First, you stand on a newly waxed board with your dominant foot forward and strap your feet in.
- Step 2: Floss your way towards the slope (at least that’s how the cool kids do it!)
- Step 3: Then you let gravity do the rest. But don’t let it do too much; staying upright is the right idea.
- Step 4 (optional): If you do fall, try to fall backwards, not forwards.
- Step 5: If you fall down, get back up and try again - but you already knew that, because, well, “life”.
And for those who struggle to stay upright on a sandboard, hop onto a sand sled and toboggan down the dune like the dignified adult you are. There’s sand and it’s a board, so I maintain that it still counts as “sandboarding”!
Video tutorial to follow soon: Watch this space!
What to Wear for Quad Biking and/or Sandboarding
- For quad-biking, close-toed shoes are recommended, for sandboarding, barefoot or sandals are fine.
- Your own sunglasses are recommended for both.
- A jacket is a good idea because the wind coming off the Atlantic Ocean can be icy.
- Sunscreen.
- And bring water …You are essentially in the desert after all.
Pro-tips
- The sand will “steal” your personal belongings. It’s soft, so if you drop things in it, you might not see them again: …glasses, car keys, pride, etc.
- Sand Angels are underrated.
- If you scream on the way down the slope while sand boarding, it’s more fun but you will end up with sand in your mouth.
Why Breathless Nomad?
Because they’ve nailed the art of mixing adrenaline with idiot-proof instructions. They are the only operator who guarantees you will be part of a small group on a new bike. They also have R40m public liability insurance in place, are SATSA approved and all guides are certified.
You’ll leave sandy, smiling, and probably planning your return.
Also, they’re part of the Cape Country Routes, a group of owner-run hospitality and activity businesses in the Western and Eastern Cape. For R200 per person or R500 per family, you can join their loyalty program and save yourself much more than that on their varied activity and accommodation offerings.
* Correct at time of posting but subject to change.
Plan your Atlantis Quad Biking and Sandboarding Experience:
Quad Biking
Quad biking Cape Town prices:
- 60 Minutes at Atlantis Dunes: R800 per person | Excludes entry permit for the Nature Reserve of R250
- 30 Minutes at Atlantis Dunes (Blitz Tour: R500 per person | Excludes entry permit for the Nature Reserve of R250
* Correct at time of posting but subject to change
Age limits: 16 Years and older
Weight limits: 140.0 kg Max Weight
Sandboarding
Sandboarding Cape Town prices:
- 60 Minutes at Atlantis Dunes: R275 per person | Excludes entry permit for the Nature Reserve of R80 (cash only) * Correct at time of posting but subject to change
Age limits: 16 Years and older
Weight limits: 140.0 kg Max Weight
Getting to Atlantis
Location: 0 Dassenberg Dr, Atlantis, Cape Town, 7349. Use Google Maps to find it here.
Travel: About 43 km / 40 min from Cape Town.
For Bookings and More Info:
+27 64 670 0698
Find out more about Breathless Nomad and Cape Country Routes here.
I love how you captured the excitement and beauty of the Atlantis Dunes! Quad biking and sandboarding with Breathless Nomad sounds unforgettable
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like such an unforgettable experience! I had no idea Cape Town had so much variety packed into one area — mountains, forests, ocean and desert? That’s amazing.
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