--- title: Next Time You're in Namibia description: The Desert Express wears its name lightly. At 1 p.m. on a Friday, the station mistress rings the bell on the platform of Windhoek station,... canonical: https://time.com/archive/6938363/next-time-youre-in-namibia/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2010-07-15T04:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-22T07:28:03.089Z og:title: Next Time You're in Namibia og:description: The Desert Express wears its name lightly. At 1 p.m. on a Friday, the station mistress rings the bell on the platform of Windhoek station,... og:url: https://time.com/archive/6938363/next-time-youre-in-namibia/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcb3d38246538db13/698a4f61b21a9c596650949e/360_tga_namibia_0726.jpg?branch=production&width=360&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 360 og:image:height: 203 og:image:alt: 360_tga_namibia_0726.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Next Time You're in Namibia twitter:description: The Desert Express wears its name lightly. At 1 p.m. on a Friday, the station mistress rings the bell on the platform of Windhoek station,... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcb3d38246538db13/698a4f61b21a9c596650949e/360_tga_namibia_0726.jpg?branch=production&width=360&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Next Time You're in Namibia > Sponsored content. 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Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is included in a TIME print and digital subscription? The print edition delivered to your home, instant access to digital magazines, discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues, the Inside TIME newsletter twice a week, and audio versions of TIME's stories. It is from $29 for one year or $49 for two years at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is the difference between TIME's digital and print plans? Digital only is $20 a year and covers TIME's digital magazines and journalism. Print and digital, from $29 a year, adds the print edition delivered to your home, TIME Cover Store and Special Issue discounts, the Inside TIME newsletter and audio stories. #### Is TIME a reliable news source? TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923. Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=43911866-3c7b-453b-ba1e-073851155f4d&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=43911866-3c7b-453b-ba1e-073851155f4d&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) by [Claire L. Bell](https://time.com/author/claire-l-bell/) Jul 15, 2010 4:00 AM UTC  Are we there yet? The Desert Express is unhurried Are we there yet? The Desert Express is unhurried Chris Bradley by [Claire L. Bell](https://time.com/author/claire-l-bell/) Jul 15, 2010 4:00 AM UTC The Desert Express wears its name lightly. At 1 p.m. on a Friday, the station mistress rings the bell on the platform of Windhoek station, and we’re off — only to be overtaken by a dragonfly 10 minutes later. But that’s the thing with Namibia. It’s a country where nature is still in the lead. Our destination is the old German colonial town of Swakopmund, which fronts the blustery Atlantic and lies on the fringe of the golden dunes of the Namib desert. With a location like that, Swakopmund, says one resident, “is the only place in the world where you need a 4×4 vacuum cleaner.” [(See five reasons to visit Swakopmund.)](https://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1951951,00.html) En route, the train stops for an afternoon game drive at Oropoko Lodge. But we spot far more wildlife from the train windows as the Desert Express traverses the endless plains. We tick off baboons, zebra, wildebeest, four kinds of buck, two dozen buzzards circling over a kill and a solitary giraffe regarding the train with philosophic interest. Life on board is comfortable. There’s a 1950s-style lounge bar, where you can while away some of the 21 hours. Each passenger compartment has a washroom, the beds are snug and the train stops in a siding overnight, so you can sleep without having your bones rattled. After breakfast, guests disembark into the silence of a fog-cloaked Namib desert and climb a 30-m dune to get a distant glimpse of the ocean. The Desert Express is not for those who like the luxury of, say, South Africa’s Blue Train. And it’s not for anyone in a hurry. But those who like the idea of meandering through a spectacular corner of Africa, on an express service that’s anything but, can visit [www.transnamib.com.na](https://www.transnamib.com.na) for details. [See the best travel gadgets of 2009.](https://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1933520%5F1933522,00.html) [See TIME’s Global Adviser for exotic, beautiful and interesting getaways.](https://www.time.com/time/travel/tipsadvice/globaladviser) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/6938363/next-time-youre-in-namibia/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/6938363/next-time-youre-in-namibia/"},"headline":"Next Time You're in Namibia","datePublished":"2010-07-15T04:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-22T07:28:03.089Z","description":"The Desert Express wears its name lightly. 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