Shongololo Express – Namibia Dune Express
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Overview:

This spectacular 12-day journey starts on the coast of Namibia, a country of compelling beauty, abundant sunshine and seemingly endless space, and winds its way to Pretoria. First stop is Etosha National Park for an overnight stay with game drives before continuing on to Windhoek for a city tour. Day five sees guests overnighting at a Sossusvlei lodge, surrounded by the dramatic dunes of the Namib-Naukluft Park, with visits to the natural Sesriem Canyon and the 170m-high star-dune “45”. The train then travels into the Kalahari Desert where guests spend the next few days visiting the historical towns of Keetmanshoop, Kolmanskop and Lüderitz with a stop at the Fish River Canyon, second in size to the Grand Canyon. After crossing the border, guests enjoy a walking tour of Upington before travelling to Kimberley for a visit to the Big Hole and diamond mine museum village. Continuing northeast across the Highveld, the train arrives at journey’s end in Pretoria

Brief Itinerary – Eastbound:
Day 1: Arrive Walvis Bay/ Begin train journey
Day 2: Full day game drive in Etosha National Park
Day 3: Morning Game Drive in Etosha National Park
Day 4: Windhoek Tour
Day 5: Sossusvlei / Sesriem Canyon
Day 6: Dune 45 / Drive Namib – Naukluft Park
Day 7: Keetmanshoop Tour
Day 8: Visit Luderitz and Kolmanskop
Day 9: Visit Fish River Canyon
Day 10: Upington Tour and Wine/Brandy Tasting
Day 11: Kimberley Tour
Day 13: Arrive in Pretoria / Transfer from train station to airport or hotel

Interested in more information? Please contact Africa Easy by calling 1-800-617-2319 or click here to e-mail the Africa Easy Team.

Shongololo Express – Namibia Dune Express
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Day-by-Day Itinerary:

Day 1 – Train Departs Walvis Bay

Swakopmund, Namibia’s seaside resort on the west coast, is a place of singular charm. It resembles a small Bavarian village nestling between the desert and the sea and enjoys a restful and relaxing atmosphere. The source of Swakopmund’s continental vibe is the graceful Art Nouveau buildings dating back to the turn of the previous century. The train departs at 11h00 from Walvis Bay Station for Otiwarongo for our overnight stop.

Day 2 – Etosha National Park

Transfer to lodge in Etosha National Park. Enjoy game-viewing activities at Etosha National Park. The park offers excellent game viewing in one of Africa’s most accessible venues. Zebra and springbok are scattered across the endless horizon while the many waterholes attract endangered black rhino, lion, elephant and large numbers of antelope.

Day 3 – Etosha National Park Game Drive and Return to Train

Enjoy a morning game drive before checking out and returning to the train.
15h00 The train departs for Kranzberg for overnight.

Day 4 – Windhoek Tour

12h00 Afternoon tour of Windhoek. Windhoek, Situated in Namibia’s central highlands, Windhoek is an attractive city surrounded by clusters of hills and the impressive Auas and Eros Mountains. The city tour of Windhoek starts with a visit to the TransNamib Transport Museum. The museum is situated in the Windhoek Railway Station and was built from 1912 to 1913. In front of the building is the narrow-gauge locomotive (vintage 1900), which used to operate between Swakopmund and Windhoek. The museum at the Alte Feste Castle offers a range of displays, including the Social History Gallery and the Independence Display. Both give an insight into Namibia’s complex history. At the top of Robert Mugabe Avenue is the Christuskirche or Evangelical Lutheran Church. This is one of the city’s most striking landmarks and was built from local sandstone and completed in 1910. Romanesque, neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau styles influenced its design and Kaiser Wilhelm II donated its stained- glass windows. Our last visit is the Namibia Craft Centre in the old Breweries Building. Distance travelled: ±50kmSee the Trans-Namib Transport Museum, the Alte Feste (Old Fortress), the Evangelical Lutheran Church – a striking landmark – and the Namibia Craft Centre in the old Breweries Building. 16h00 The train departs for Mariental for overnight.

Day 5 – Overnight Sossusvlei Lodge with a visit to Sesriem Canyon
Transfer to a Sossusvlei lodge in the Namib-Naukluft Park. Visit the Sesriem Canyon, shaped over millions of years by the Tsauchab River. Overnight at lodge.

The Tsauchab River has shaped the Sesriem Canyon over millions of years and it is one of the few places in that area that holds water all year round. The early Afrikaans explorers named the canyon after the fact that they had to use six (ses) leather straps (riem) tied together to create a rope long enough to lower water buckets into the canyon below.

Day 6 – Dune 45 & Scenic Drive Across Namib-Naukluft Park
Enjoy sunrise from Dune 45 followed by brunch at the lodge. Take a scenic drive through the Namib-Naukluft Park. The train departs for Keetmanshoop for overnight. The dunes of the Namib Desert were created by sand carried by the wind from the coast of Namibia. The sand here is 5 million years old and is red in colour due to its iron-oxide content. As the lighting changes with the time of day, so does the appearance of the dunes’ characteristic colour, allowing for interesting photographs at any time. The wind in the Sossusvlei area blows from all directions, which means that the type of the dunes hear are known as “star dunes”. This is because the winds cause the sand to form a star shape with multiple arms.

Day 7 – Keetmanshoop Tour

Morning tour of Keetmanshoop. See the Giant’s Playground where dolerite dykes of between three to five metres in width and 20kms in length can be explored. Visit Quiver Tree Forest, which is home to roughly 300 specimens of the Aloe dichotomy. Between three to five metres tall, these prehistoric trees have forked branches that reach skywards; this visit makes for wonderful photographic opportunities. Distance travelled: ±80km. Giants Playground, with its 20km-long dolerite dykes as well as Quiver Tree Forest, home to 300 species of the Aloe dichotomy. The train departs for Aus for overnight. Enjoy lunch on board.

Day 8 – Kolmanskop and Luderitz Tour

Lüderitz lies at the end of the currently decommissioned railway line to Keetmanshoop. En route we might see the legendary horses that are rumoured to roam the Namib desert as we visit the ghost town of Kolmanskop. Lüderitz is known for its museum, colonial architecture and for wildlife including seals, penguins, flamingos and ostriches. Full-day tour of the ghost town Kolmanskop and Lüderitz, well known for its colonial architecture and wildlife. The train departs for Holoog for overnight

Day 9 – Fish River Canyon Visit

The Fish River rises in the centre of the country, before flowing south into the Orange River, on Namibia’s border with South Africa. In between, it has formed the great Fish River Canyon – the largest canyon in the southern hemisphere, and probably only second to Arizona’s Grand Canyon in terms of size. The vast rocky landscape breaks up into a series of spectacular cliffs, formed by the Fish River as it meanders between boulders over half a kilometre below. Its size is impressive: 161km long, up to 27km wide and almost 550m at its deepest. Distance travelled: ±180km. After the morning visit the train departs for Ariamsvlei and Nakop for border formalities and overnight. Enjoy lunch on board.

Day 10 – Upington Tour & Wine/Brandy Tasting

A visit to the historical sights of Upington beginning with a drive past the Donkey Memorial, which honours the life of the working donkey, and the railway on the Orange River. Guests arrive at the Bezalel Wine & Brandy Cellar for a tour and tasting after which we return to the train. Distance travelled: ±80km The train departs for Modderrivier for overnight, lunch on board.

Day 11 – Kimberley Tour

Visit the Big Hole & Diamond Museum in Kimberly, the capital city of the Northern Cape, well known of the Big Hole and the discovery of the diamonds that led to the establishment of the city in 1893. Bloemfontein is the seat of the South African judicial system. At the end of the 19th century it was also the capital of the old Boer republic of The Orange Free State. The train departs for Potchefstroom for overnight.

Day 12 – Arrive in Pretoria & Depart the train
Arrive at Rovos Rail Station where the tour ends. Check out of the train.

SHONG-SD2023

Shongololo Express – Namibia Dune Express
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2023 Rates:

Emerald: R125,000
Gold: R172,000
Single Supplement +50%

Westbound Tour:
Pretoria to Walvis Bay
May 11 – 22, 2023
August 10 – 21, 2023

Eastbound Tour:
Walvis Bay to Pretoria
March 17 – 28, 2023
May 25 – June 05, 2023
August 24 – September 04, 2023
November 17 – 28, 2023

Rates are approximate until the time of booking. Please note rates are subject to change without prior notice due to circumstances beyond our control; i.e. fuel increases, currency fluctuations, etc.

Included:

– Arrival transfer: airport – train
– Departure transfer: train – airport
– Accommodation on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis (as per itinerary)
– A free choice of available Inclusive Options.

Not Included:

– Airfares (National / International)
– Lunches
– Beverages
– Laundry
– Gratuities
– Purchases of a personal nature
– Optional Extras
– Pre-night accommodation
– Visas where applicable
– Travel insurance
– Transfers between the train and hotels

Deposit & Payments

A completed & signed Africa Easy Reservation Form, along with your 25% safari package deposit and full regional and/or domestic air payment (if applicable) is required at the time of booking.

Reservations

This itinerary is subject to the availability of all services at the time of making a reservation. No space is being held at this time. Please contact Africa Easy for the full terms and conditions that apply. We are happy to answer questions and discuss your trip.

To reserve space on a trip on the Africa Easy website, please contact Africa Easy by calling 1-800-617-2319 or click here to e-mail the Africa Easy Team.


Select Departures in May & June.
Contact Africa Easy with preferred dates of travel