Sandboarding is a fun adventure that anyone can enjoy. It doesn’t require any great skill. Of course, initially, we may fall off the board frequently. In just a few attempts, we will begin sliding down a sand dune with a beaming smile on our faces.
There is no risk involved in sand surfing. Even when we tumble, we don’t injure ourselves.
Unfortunately, similar to wave surfing, there are not numerous sand-sliding destinations in the world. In this blog post, you will know more about nine sand surfing destinations across the world.
You can either plan an exclusive trip or if you happen to visit a place where sand surfing adventure is available, you can try getting on a board and ride on the sand dunes.
How to prevent falling off the sandboard?
If you strap your legs onto the board, you won’t fall off the board. In the worst-case, you will tumble with the sandboard hugging your legs.
Veterans enjoy sliding on sand dunes without binding their legs on the sandboard. After all, they want to show off their skill-right?
Can we squat or lie on our stomachs on the sandboard?
Yes, of course. As a matter of fact, beginners are advised to lie down on their stomachs and slide.
World’s 9 Thrilling Sandboarding Destination:
It requires sand dunes that are present only in deserts. Sure, you might have seen a beach or two where sand mounds are available but they are not very suitable for gliding on the sand.
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Stockton Dunes, Australia
Stockton Sand Dunes are located in New South Wales, Australia. Though Stockton Beach is famous for beach tourism, the short stretch of the sand dunes is where you can enjoy a stint of sandboarding.
The sand dunes run for a kilometer in length but the overall area that is available for the sandboarders is over 4000 hectares.
There is a famous beach in New South Wales called Nelson Bay. Our sand-sliding destination lies close to Nelson Bay.
Alternatively, you can make a day trip to Stockton sand dunes from Sydney itself. The distance from Sydney is only 220 km.
You can pre-book your appointment through online.
After enjoying half an hour of surfing on the sands, you can spend the remaining time of your day trip at the Nelson Bay, spotting dolphins and whales.
In addition, you can rent a surfboard and go wave surfing in the Tasman Sea.
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Little Sahara, Australia
Little Sahara in Australia is another sand-boarding destination in the world.
The exact place to go surfing on the sand is Kangaroo Island where the Little Sahara sand dune is seen.
Location of Kangaroo Island in the atlas.
Adelaide is the nearest big city at 112 km away.
The highest point of the sand dune is 230 feet. I wonder how the adventurers can climb that height lugging the heavy sandboard!
For moving down the sand dune, there is an alternative way in Little Sahara. You can use a sled made of wood. It is called ‘toboggan’ here.
What else to do in Kangaroo Island?
Man, what a beautiful beach! I don’t think you would look elsewhere to pass your time when you are touring Kangaroo Island. The beach is refreshingly beautiful.
What is special on Kangaroo Island apart from sand dune sliding?
When you are on Kangaroo Island, buy some local honey that is famous there. Moreover, don’t forget to taste the Rock Lobster.
The Aussies and the Kiwis call this ‘crayfish’.
Wine is brewed in Kangaroo Island extensively. Buy a bottle of wine as a souvenir.
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Kalbarri, Australia
Kalbarri coast is the third sand-boarding destination in Australia. The Lucky Bay Beach is where the sandboarders congregate.
Perth (Western Australia) is the nearest big city to Kalbarri at 600 km!
As soon as you enter the Lucky Bay area, you will be dumbfounded by the white sand beach that is glaringly in contrast to the turquoise sea.
There is a Kalbarri National Park that you can enter to see some extraordinary flora and fauna. The astounding seabird that you can spot in Kalbarri is the Australia Pelican
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Places in India where you can enjoy sandboarding
The Thar Desert is located in the state of Rajasthan, India. The desert is quite large that spreads into the following cities in Rajasthan:
- Jaisalmer
- Jodhpur
- Bikaner
You can try a desert safari in Rajasthan. It will cover quite a few thrilling adventures that include sandsurfing.
There are spots in the Thar Desert where no sand dunes are found that are essential to slide on the sand. At such spots, you can go sandsledding. It means, you will be standing on the sandboard but you hold onto a rope that is tied with the back of a desert jeep. As the jeep moves forward on the sand, you will be towed.
Sandsledding is not as exciting as sandboarding.
Here is a short video that shows both the forms of adventures on sand dunes in Dhora Resort and Spa, Jodhpur.
To take this trip, you have to stay in the Dhora Resort that is located about 100 km away from Jodhpur. The resort is built right in the heart of the Thar desert.
Similarly, Rajasthan’s one more sandsurfing destination is in Jaisalmer. Please inquire about Damodra Desert Camp.
If sliding on the sand dune is not your cup of desert tea, hop on to a camelback. However, I doubt you will enjoy your back-bending camel ride even if the camel is walking on the velvety desert sand.
Walk into a mirage and stay on the camel to see the never-seen-before sunset over a vast wilderness.
Who offers a tour of the Thar Desert?
Visit the online tour operators websites to decide on your life’s first desert safari and a stint of sand-sliding in Rajasthan, India.
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Sandboarding in the Middle East countries
Our next destination is in Dubai, the land of harsh Arabian desert that occupies an incredible 2 million sq. km!
The sand dunes in the deserts of Middle East countries offer longer slides for the sandboarders.
There is another terrific sand-boarding destination in the Middle Eastern countries. The Qatar Peninsula’s Inland Sea is a breathtaking wilderness of desert and endless sand dunes.
Actually, UAE is considered as one of the top sand surfing destinations in the world. The red sand of the Arabian desert entices the adventurers to enjoy a bout of sliding on the sand and go far a long desert safari either in a jeep or on camel-back.
I remember reading that in some counties in Arabia, you can go up on a hot-air balloon over the desert.
Here are some of the top sand-boarding spots in the UAE where the sand dunes offer conducive conditions.
- Bidayer Desert
- Al Lahbab Desert
- Liwa Desert
- Al Faya Desert
- Rub Al Khali
Some desert safari providers in the UAE offer ‘quad biking’ adventures also in the Arabian deserts.
This is the so-called “All-Terrain Vehicle” (ATV).
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Sandboarding in the Sahara
Off we go to the exciting Africa and its foremost attraction-‘The Sahara’. Probably no other desert in the world is as vast and as beautiful as Sahara.
With its mammoth 4800 km length and over 1800 km of width, the 9.2 million sq. km desert offers innumerable spots for this fun sport.
This monstrous desert spans through eleven counties that include Egypt, Morocco, Libya, Noger, Algeria, and Tunisia.
In order to take a trip in the Sahara, search for Sahara Desert Safari organizers on the web. I am sure you will find at least 10 companies that take you for a Sahara Desert Adventure Tour. The Moroccan part of Sahara has more Sahara tour operators.
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Sand Master Park
One of the highly visited sand-boarding destinations in the U.S is the Sand Master Park in Florence, Oregon. This is an exclusive park for sandsurfing sport in the world that comprises a huge 200 acres.
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Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Utah
That is a lover color of the sand.
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Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
One of the most under-visited sand surfing spots in the world is the Great Sand Dune National Park and Preserve.
This is actually sandboarders’ haven as it has the tallest sand dune in the world. Not even the Sahara offers such an extraordinary sand slope that begins at a height of 750 feet!
Imagine the thrill you would get when you begin your slide on the sand from that height.
What if you are still afraid of sandboarding?
Oh, there is an alternative to sliding down the sand dunes. Hop in a dune buggy and drive on the sand.
Watch a video clip of dune buggy speeding on a desert sand.
Did you notice the width of the tires? They are monstrous for an open four-wheeler.
There are some more mini spots in the world where you can go to ride the sand dunes. I believe a total of 24 countries have sand-boarding sports in the world.
