“Where the heck is Swakopmund?!”
“How do you pronounce it?!”
"Why would you want to go there?"
So many questions! And, as is becoming a trend in my most recent reports, I suspect a bit of geographical clarification may be required before we can continue.
Both Windhoek and Swakopmund are in Namibia, the country once known as South West Africa. Namibia is located just north of South Africa and west of Botswana. Off the west coast, the South Atlantic Ocean provides stark contrast to an arid landscape dominated by the vast Namib Desert. Given its dry climate and desert terrain, it’s hardly surprising that Namibia is also one of the most sparsely populated countries in Africa with a population of only 1.7 million
Windhoek is the capitol of Namibia. Located in the south central part of the country, it is home to 225,000 people. The downtown is clean and modern looking, with broad well lit boulevards and a handful of tall, shiny buildings.
Swakopmund (pronounced Swah-cop-moond) is located almost 300 km to the west of Windhoek, on the coast of the South Atlantic Ocean. It is the closest thing Namibia’s got to a resort destination on a coastline described by many early explorers with terms like “inhospitable” and “desolate”.
So - What am I doing here when I could have been relaxing on a beach in Polynesia or hanging out in Quito? Aside from having a lifelong attraction to exploring these off the beaten track destinations, I am also here for a train ride. Not just any train ride, mind you, but a luxury rail experience via Namibia’s own
Desert Express.
When it comes to luxurious train travel in Africa, most people immediately think of South Africa’s
Blue Train. Indeed, the
Blue Train has been a standard bearer for rail borne luxury not just in Africa but world wide. It is arguably the finest rail experience on the planet – the other being the
Venice-Simplon Orient Express. Luxury comes at a steep price however, and a trip on the Blue Train – even a short one – is unfortunately beyond my limited means.
Thankfully, there are a number of other luxury trains operating in Africa with perhaps the most affordable of them being Namibia’s
Desert Express. Operating a twice weekly schedule between Windhoek and Swakopmund, a distance of only 385 kilometers, the
Desert Express offers affordable luxury for only $350.00 USD one way. To be sure, the journey is a short one. The entire trip takes only twenty hours. Still, that’s more than enough time to get a decent taste of the good life while relaxing in an air conditioned suite, enjoying an ice cold beer or cocktail in the beautifully appointed lounge car or dining on fine cuisine - including African game specialties - in the attractive dining car.
I stumbled across the
Desert Express quite by accident while exploring transportation options between Windhoek and Walvis Bay, Namibia’s main port city located just 100km south of Swakopmund. Namib-Rail, the state run railroad, operates a train on this route. While looking for schedules on its website, I came across a link to the
Desert Express. “Namibia’s Luxury Rail Experience” read the header. Hmm… I had no idea any luxury trains existed in Namibia. I immediately looked into it and within ten minutes was sending off an email requesting availability and prices. Four days later, I’d arranged payment and was in possession of a faxed certificate confirming my place on the April 23rd departure from Windhoek.