ITINERARY FOR SHONGOLOLO

​THE DUNE EXPRESS – 12 DAYS (WESTBOUND) :

Namibia is a country of compelling beauty, abundant sunshine and unconfined space. The wide horizons, the clear unpolluted skies and a population density, which is among the lowest in the world, generate a sense of freedom. This feeling of tranquillity and stillness compliments a landscape, which is singular in its colours, full of contrasts of light and shade. The Dune Adventure offers a unique opportunity to experience the harsh realities of the desert landscapes as well as the extraordinary natural phenomena resulting from millions of years of erosion and volcanic activity.

DAY 01 – PRETORIA

• 14:00 Check-in at Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria.
• 15:00 The train departs. Travel south across the goldfields of the Witwatersrand.
• 19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Kimberley

​​DAY 02 – KIMBERLEY

• 07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 09:30.
• 09:45 A shallow lake appears on the right-hand side of the train where, on most occasions, there are spectacular flocks of Lesser Flamingos (approximately 23 000).
• 1:00 Arrive Kimberley. Disembark for a tour of the city, Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole.
• 12:30 Depart Kimberley. Travel through the Karoo.
• 13:00 Lunch is served in the dining cars.
• 19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.

​DAY 03 – UPINGTON

• 07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 09:30. Arrive Upington.
• 10:00 Visit historical sights beginning with a drive past the Donkey Memorial – which honours the life of the working donkey – and the railway on the Orange River followed by a tour and tasting at Bezalel Wine & Brandy Estate.
• 12:00 Return to the train. Depart for Nakop and Ariumsvlei for border formalities.
• 13:00 Lunch is served in the dining cars.
• 19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Holoog.

Please put your watches BACK by ONE hour to WAST (West Africa Standard Time) or UTC/GMT+1.

​DAY 04 – FISH RIVER CANYON

• 07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 08:30.
• 09:00 Visit the Fish River Canyon.
• 13:00 Return to the train. Lunch is served in the dining cars.
• 19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Aus.

The Fish River rises in the centre of the country before flowing south into the Orange River on Namibia’s border with South Africa. 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. Its size is impressive: 161km long, up to 27km wide and almost 550m at its deepest.

DAY 05 – LUDERITZ AND KOLMANSKOP

• 07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 07:45.
• 08:00 Visit the ghost town of Kolmanskop. Arrive in Lüderitz, known for its museum, colonial architecture and wildlife including seals, penguins, flamingos and ostriches. Look out for the legendary horses rumoured to roam the Namib. Lunch en route (own account).
• 18:00 Return to the train. Depart for Keetmanshoop.
• 19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.

​DAY 06 – KEETMANSHOOP & GARAS PARK

• 07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 08:30.
• 09:00 Visit Keetmanshoop, Garas Park and the Quiver Tree Forest, home to roughly 300 specimens of the Aloe dichotomy. The prehistoric trees have forked branches that reach up to 5m making for great photographic opportunities.
• 13:00 Return to the train for lunch. Depart for Mariental.
• 19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.

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DAY 07 – SOSSUSVLEI & SESREIM CANYON

• 07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 08:30. Please have overnight bag ready for departure. Tog bags have been placed in your cabin for your convenience.
• 09:00 Transfer (3.5 hours) to a lodge in Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft Park for overnight. Enjoy lunch on arrival.
• 16:30 Visit the nearby Sesriem Canyon.
• 19:30 Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

The Tsauchab River has shaped the Sesriem Canyon over millions of years. It is one of the few places in this 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 08 – SOSSUSVLEI & NAMIB-NAUKLUFT PARK

• 06:00 Early breakfast is served at the lodge. Please be checked out with luggage before departure.
• 07:00 Transfer (1 hour) to Dune 45 and Deadvlei for a visit.
• 11:00 Return to the lodge for lunch.
• 13:00 Scenic drive across the Great Escarpment – formed over 80-million years ago – and the largest landscape formation in Namibia, the Central Plateau, which gives way to the Kalahari Basin.
• 17:00 Arrive at Mariental. Depart for Rehoboth.
• 19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.

The dunes of the Namib Desert were created by sand carried by the wind from the coast of Namibia. The sand here is over five million years old and is red in colour due to its iron-oxide content. As the light changes during the 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 causing the sand to form a star shape with multiple arms, hence the name “star dunes”.

​DAY 09 – WINDHOEK

• 07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 08:45.
• 09:00 Enjoy a city tour of Windhoek with visits to the Trans-Namib Transport Museum, the Alte Feste, the Evangelical Lutheran Church (one of the city’s most striking landmarks) and the Namibia Craft Centre in the old Breweries Building.
• 12:00 Return to the train. Depart for Otjiwarongo.
• 13:00 Lunch is served in the dining cars.
• 19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.

Situated in Namibia’s central highlands, Windhoek is an attractive city surrounded by clusters of hills and the impressive Auas and Eros Mountains. The Trans-Namib Transport Museum outlines Namibian transport history, particularly that of the railway. The Alte Feste is a fortress and museum featuring displays that lend insight into Namibia’s complex history.

​DAY 10 – ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

• 07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 09:30. Please have overnight bag ready for departure.
• 10:00 Transfer to a lodge in Etosha for overnight. Enjoy lunch on arrival.
• 15:30 Game drive in Etosha National Park.
• 19:30 Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Etosha National Park (22270km2 ) offers excellent game viewing in one of Africa’s most accessible venues. It gets its name from the Etosha pan (4760km2 ), a large salt pan forming part of the Kalahari Basin. Etosha means ‘Great White Place’.

​DAY 11 – ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

• 06:00 Breakfast at the lodge followed by a morning of game viewing in Etosha National Park. Please be checked out with luggage before departure.
• 12:30 Return to the train with lunch en route.
• 14:30 Arrive at Otjiwarongo Station. Depart for Kranzberg.
• 19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.

​​DAY 12 – WALVIS BAY

• 07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00. Please have luggage ready for collection at 10:30.
• 11:30 Arrive Walvis Bay Station. Check out of train.

Excursions may be changed according to schedule achieved. Times are approximate and cannot be guaranteed. In your cabin you will find the Journeys magazine that features articles of interest related to the route. 

Call or text (818) 353-9500