Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
national parks, with the exception of the main highway routes through Namib-Naukluft
Park.
Train
Trans-Namib Railways
( 061-298 2032;
www.transnamib.com.na
)
connects some
major towns, but trains are extremely slow - as one reader remarked, they move 'at the
pace of an energetic donkey cart'. In addition, passenger and freight cars are mixed on the
same train, and trains tend to stop at every post, which means that rail travel isn't popular
and services are rarely fully booked.
Windhoek is Namibia's rail hub, with services south to Keetmanshoop, west to
Swakopmund and east to Gobabis. Trains carry economy and business-class seats but, al-
though most services operate overnight, sleepers are not available. Book at train stations
or through the Windhoek booking office; tickets must be collected before 4pm on the day
of departure.
TOURIST TRAINS
There are also two tourist trains, which are upmarket private charters that aim to recreate
the wondrous yesteryear of rail travel. The relatively plush 'rail cruise' aboard the
Desert
Express
( 061-298 2600;
www.transnamib.com.na/desert-express.html
)
offers a popu-
lar overnight trip between Windhoek and Swakopmund (single/double from N$6000/
9400) weekly in either direction. Ensuite cabins with proper beds and furniture are fully
heated and air-conditioned, and have large picture windows for gazing out at the passing
terrain. It also offers a special seven-day package combining Swakopmund and Etosha
National Park, complete with wildlife drives, picnic bush lunches and plenty of long and
glorious rail journeys to savour.
The
Shongololo Dune Express
( in South Africa 27-861-777 014;
www.shongololo.com
)
, which journeys between Johannesburg and Tsumeb via Mariental,
Windhoek, Swakopmund and Otjiwarongo, does 12-day trips taking in Namibia's main
sites. All-inclusive fares range from R25,800 for a single to R24,800 to R39,995 double
per person depending on the type of cabin. Regardless of which level you choose, the
Shongololo is one of the world's most luxurious trains, and is something akin to a 5-star
hotel on wheels. Guests are wined and dined to their stomach's content, and you can ex-
pect fine linens, hot showers, ample lounge space and a permeating sense of railway nos-
talgia.
