Thread: Desert Express

A few basic facts:

From where to where? The Desert Express departs Windhoek in the central highlands of Namibia, crosses savannah, desert and gravel plains to Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast. There is a longer safari option as well that includes Walvis Bay and game drives in the Etosha National Park.

How far? The distance from Windhoek to Swakopmund is 354km (220 miles) and 1046k m(650 miles) on the safari round trip.

How long? Twenty two hours for Windhoek-Swakopmund and seven days for the safari trip.

How much? Taking today's date, the cost per person for Windhoek-Swakopmund one way, based on two sharing is 246 Euro (£203/US$313/N$2,163). The safari may also be booked as part of a package with some travel agents

Buffet or banquet? According to critics, the international cuisine in silver service dining car is excellent, with local specialities such as springbok fillet with berry sauce.

Sitting comfortably? Compartments have old-world charm and are light and spacious, but the seats could be a bit too firm for some, and small but perfectly formed en suite WC and shower.

When to go? Best times are July-October for game viewing. The train will not be operating between December 5, 2010 and February 10, 2011.

Make sure you pack a sun hat, good-quality sunglasses and hiking shoes and stay up to date with any required inocculations

Here is an article published in the Daily Telegraph on the Desert Express:

Great train journeys: Namibia's Desert Express

By Gavin Bell

At first I think it is a mirage: a lone figure, shimmering in the heat, loping through the emptiness of the Namib desert. In the distance it is a dark spectre, diminishing as it jogs towards a towering sand dune. I rub my eyes. I have just woken on the overnight Desert Express train from Windhoek. Is it an illusion, a trick of heat and dust, or the spirit of a long-dead San Bushman returned to his hunting grounds?

Neither: it's Cedric, a steward on the train and a keen footballer, who is running up the dune to make sure it is safe for passengers to trek up after him and view the Atlantic Ocean from its summit. Journeys on the Desert Express tend to be a bit out of the ordinary.

More ......

Not for ordinary Namibians as it is expensive.