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Writer's pictureAMCL Schatz

Crossing the Desert in Style

The Desert Express was designed and built in 1998 and offers an affordable luxury overnight travel between Swakopmund and Windhoek. Somewhat of a misnomer, the word “express” really means 22 hours to cover the 350-kilometer distance between these two popular Namibian cities. But this certainly gives one the opportunity to gaze at the desert while enjoying the good life aboard this comfortable train. I am glad we decided to go this route.

The ticket price included onboard accommodation, elegant dining, and an excursion through Namibia’s magnificent landscape - its central highlands, across the savannah, desert, and gravel plains. I heard that the Desert Express also offers a seven-day tour from Windhoek, to Etosha and circling Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Soussuvlei, Mariental, and back to Windhoek on selected days. If we ever get the chance to go back to Namibia, we’d certainly look into this. A train tour would offer us a different perspective of the country, that's for sure.


We met this blue-white-yellow beauty at the Swakopmund Railway Station. It consisted of nine coaches, which were permanently linked by a draw bar and 24 ensuite compartments. Inside, it was modern, featuring all the convenience and luxury a traveler could ask for.

We were led to our cabin (we were assigned to the Oryx cabin; all cabins have wild animal names) and as we looked around, we appreciated the train’s amenities with its spacious reclining seats, rose pink upholstery, rich golden-red woods and animal motifs on the walls, comfortable air-conditioning, intercom phone, big windows, and ensuite bathroom with a small shower, toilet, and washbasin.


Each cabin was convertible into a personal lounge by day, and a bedroom by night. There was a full-service restaurant and a lounge with full-bar services for the guests. The crew greeted us warmly and offered us welcome cocktails as we settled in. Then, they served us a late-lunch of sandwiches and our choice of drinks.

For the first part of our train journey, we were busy with looking out the window, taking in the view, and snapping some shots. Then, we hung out at the Spitzkoppe Lounge where plush leather couches and bar stools were available. There were newspapers and magazines, traditional board games (some resembling the Filipino “sungka”), and TV screens to keep one occupied. But we mostly chatted with the friendly crew and browsed the items at the small gift-shop nearby.

At 6:00 pm, the train stopped at Stingbank near the Kahn River Valley and we were asked to disembark. We were going to have a sundowner (of course, this is Namibia!) and then dinner. There was no indication where we were, save for a chalkboard sign with fading texts in English, French, and German that said, “Welcome, Desert Express!”


Along with the other passengers, we followed the crew as they wound their way through the bushes, some of them carrying coolers, to the direction of a small hill. In a single file, we marched along the savannah, stopping here and there when the main guide pointed at some peculiar rock formations, mostly granite-like gneiss and notable shrubs. All I noticed was that we were chasing the sunset, as the sky gradually changed colours and dimmed.

We finally stopped at a high point where the crew spread out blankets and laid down an array of ice-cold drinks for us to choose from. My husband picked a Windhoek Beer (of course!) and a can of lemonade for me. We each chose a rock to perch on where we could watch the sun go down as we sipped our drinks. Ah, it was wonderful!


We were literally in the middle of nowhere, in this huge expanse of land, with nothing in sight but the glorious orange-tinged sunset and the gradually emerging twinkling lights from the stars that soon shone brightly in these dark skies bereft of those artificial lights from the city. In the background, we could hear a cacophony of nocturnal insects and the howls of wild animals from afar.

When darkness spread, our crew packed up and we followed the leader back to the train with nothing but a few flashlights under the blanket of stars. As we approached, the wonderful aroma of braai (African-style barbecue) wafted in the air, and suddenly we felt hungry.

We were led to our assigned table at the Welwitschia Restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious three-course meal (with wild game braai as the main course) paired with a glass of exquisite Namibian wine. After coffee and dessert, there was an announcement that our rooms were ready.

We returned to our compartment and discovered that it had been turned into a bedroom, ready for us to turn in for the night. I guess the rest of the staff quickly went to work as soon as we disembarked for the sundowner and the dinner. Impressive!


My husband and I slept soundly that night. The bed was comfortable, and even though the train was in motion, we did not have any problems. If anything, the humming of the engine, the total darkness of our desert surroundings, and the occasional wildlife cries lulled us to dreamland.

The next morning, we woke up to the beautiful sunrise seen from our window. We took a quick shower and got ready for breakfast. It was served a la carte at the same restaurant. We lingered over coffee while enjoying the early morning view from the restaurant window. Then, we organized our luggage to get ready for disembarkation later.

We had one more stop before leaving the train in Windhoek. We were going to Okapuka Ranch for a “lion-feeding” extravaganza and a safari drive.


Photo Credits:

worldtraintravel.com, namibweb.com, flyertalk.com, desert.express

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