Train trip: the Dunes Express to the west

Today an excursion is planned to introduce you to Kimberley, you leave at 10:00 a.m. You will visit the Big Hole, a huge hole that arose from years of searching for diamonds here. The Kimberley mine was in operation from 1871 to 1914. You take a look at “the hole” with a width of no less than 463 meters. You will also learn more about life in the time of the diamond fever at the Diamond Mine Museum.

At 12:30 pm you will return to the train where you can have lunch on board at 1:00 pm. The journey continues by rail towards Upington.

After breakfast you will leave for a tour through Upington at 9:00 am where you will visit the Donkey Memorial. You can taste delicious South African wines and brandy (brandy) at Belazel Brandy and Wine Cellar where you will also get a tour alongside a tasting.

Enjoy a delicious breakfast before heading to the Fish River Canyon (9 AM). This canyon is the second largest canyon in the world and with its tube trees a special phenomenon. You will certainly make beautiful photos here. The entire length of the Fish River Canyon is no less than 161 km and the maximum width is 27 km. At the deepest point the canyon measures 550 meters (Distance of this excursion +/- 180 km).

12:30: return by train, lunch at 13:00 and departure for Aus.

The excursion that you are going to make today is definitely a special experience. You will visit the ‘ghost town’ of Kolmanskop and visit Lüderitz where you can take beautiful pictures of colonial architecture. Lüderitz is also known for its animals, including flamingos and penguins, which can be spotted here. Lüderitz (nowadays Naminus) was the first German settlement in the south-west of Africa and you can see this reflected among other things in the Lutheran church, architecture, street names and the German bakery. The first diamond was found in this area in 1909 and the diamond fever raged fiercely thereafter. The village of Kolmanskop was built for the miners. However, when more diamonds were found further south, the population slowly moved away and the village became a so-called ‘ghost town’, taken over by the sand of the desert.

After this interesting day you take a seat on the train that leaves at around 6 p.m. to Keetmanshoop.

Kokerboom (or Quiver Tree) Forest is a special natural phenomenon, as Kokerboom is normally found lonely in the desert steppe and not with several in the same place. The tube tree is a tree from the aloe family and only a few species develop into a tree. This tree was useful for the bushmen because of the hollow branches that they used to make the sleeves for their arrows. Tubular trees actually always grow on or against a piece of rock, the rock absorbs the heat of the sun during the day and releases it at night so that the tubular tree can grow in a more constant temperature.

After this morning excursion in which you have certainly been able to take beautiful photos again, you leave for the train at 13:00 and drive towards Mariental. Lunch on board the train.

At 8 am you will be taken to Sossusvlei in the Namib Naukluft Park where you will spend the night. During the day there is time to discover the beautiful Sesriem Canyon that has been formed over millions of years by the Tsaucheb River that flows / flows through it. The name Sesriem was invented by the African explorers who had to attach no less than six (‘ses’) leather straps to each other in order to have a bucket in the canyon business to get water up.

Dinner and overnight at Sossusvlei Lodge.

The most famous dune in the area is probably Dune 45, so named because it is located 45 kilometers from Sesriem along the road to Sossusvlei. This dune is about 80 meters high, but is not terribly steep, making it suitable for climbing. Today you have the opportunity to see the sunrise from Dune 45 early in the morning and to change the color of the dunes as the sun rises higher in the sky.

The dunes owe their special red color to the amount of iron they contain: the older the dune, the more the iron is oxidized and the more intense the color of the sand becomes. The dunes in the area around Sossusvlei are called ‘star dunes’. The wind blows here from all directions and causes a star shape with multiple points.

You return to the lodge for a well-earned brunch. When you drive back to the train you can enjoy the fantastic dune landscape along the way. The train to Rehoboth leaves at 6 p.m.

Located in the highlands of Namibia is the capital Windhoek, beautifully enclosed by the Auas and Eros Mountains. You will go on a city tour in this attractive city (departure at 9 a.m.). Part of this tour is a visit to the TransNamib Museum where you will learn about the history of the railways. A little further you visit the Alte Feste Castle (old fort), where the complex history of Namibia is central. The most famous building in Windhoek is undoubtedly the Evangelical Lutheran Church, completed in 1920. This structure is a mixture of different architectural styles. Finally you go to the Namibia Craft Center in the Oude Brouwerij where you may find a nice souvenir. The city tour ends around 12:00, after which you climb on board the train again for lunch. The train leaves for Otjiwarongo.

After breakfast you will be taken to a lodge in the Etosha National Park at 9:30 am where you will undertake safari activities. With an area of more than 22,000 square kilometers, this National Park in northern Namibia is one of the largest in Southern Africa. Etosha consists for the most part of savannah with different types of grass, trees and shrubs. The Mopane tree is the predominant vegetation in the park. In terms of animals you will find a wide variety including: elephants, white and black rhinos, lions, zebras, giraffes, wildebeests, leopards, cheetahs, impalas, kudu, jackals, elk and many other beautiful animals. So keep your camera ready in the coming days. Along the way will be stopped for lunch (for your own account).

Accommodation and dinner at a lodge in the park.