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Uncategorized / January 1, 1970

African bike and train safari: All aboard the Desert Express!



 

We're incredibly excited to offer this brand new Bike and Train in Namibia tour that lets you see Namibia’s leading conservation efforts and diverse wildlife from two unique perches—the saddle of a bike and the comfort of your private chartered train, the Desert Express!

As part of the tour, you'll also learn first-hand from conservation leaders why the World Wildlife Fund has called Namibia “The Greatest Wildlife Recovery Story Ever Told.”

Tour highlights
The tour is 12 nights, and departs August 11, 2015, from Nambia’s capital city of Windhoek. Experience the country’s vast beauty while enjoying the highest standards of service and comfort. Visit Fish River Canyon (Africa’s longest), traverse the apricot colored dunes of the Namib Desert, and have the chance to see mountain zebras and desert elephants, along with giraffes, rhinos and lions.

After cycling each day, you'll sleep on the train or in scenic lodges along the route.  The train travels the longer distances during the night, making it possible to see more of the country and allowing plenty of time during the day for bike trips.



Two knowledgeable guides accompany you aboard the train and on each day’s easy rides, which average less than 25 miles/40 km per day, and a support vehicle is always nearby to shorten the riding or give a helping hand. Or you may choose to stay aboard the train, a great option for non-cycling companions or a taking a rest day mid-tour.

Experiencing leaders' stories
Throughout the tour visit, you'll meet many key players behind Namibia’s conservation success story, including John Kasaona, a leader in the drive to reinvent conservation in Namibia by turning former poachers into protectors of endangered species. (Check out his TED talk on the subject!)


You'll learn first-hand how tourism has made the country's conservation success possible by generating sustainable income for local communities—and why your travel here helps improve the lives of the nation’s people and save the lives of its wildlife.

Onboard the Desert Express
This train holds a maximum of 48 guests in 24 compartments, each accommodating up to three passengers. Each compartment is fully air-conditioned and heated and has a private bathroom. Relax in an elegant lounge, a unique bistro bar, and a spacious restaurant serving the best of Namibian cuisine. Expansive windows throughout the train let you absorb the breadth of the spectacular Namibian landscapes!

[caption id="attachment_2066" align="alignleft" width="300"]namibia bicycle safari Jim cruising by Namib Desert dunes[/caption]

Our president's take
Jim Johnson, president and founder of BikeToursDirect, traveled to Namibia in 2013 and biked in some of the same areas this tour will take you through: “It's probably the most impressive and memorable setting I've cycled in,” he says. "The landscapes were breathtaking: vast deserts with some of the tallest sand dunes in the world, remote coastlines, and deep chasms offset by towering mountains.

"And this Desert Express tour will transcend even that amazing experience. You'll get to see Namibia's unique landscapes and extensive wildlife from the unique vantage points of bicycle and train, and it's a rare opportunity to spend time with many of the individuals responsible for making the country such a conservation success story. It will be the trip of a lifetime."



Conservation success
Namibia was the first African country to incorporate protection of the environment into its constitution, and the government gave people living in communal areas the opportunity to manage their natural resources through the creation of communal conservancies. These conservancies – as well as governments, nonprofit organizations and other entities – have restored populations of lions, cheetahs, black rhinos, zebras and other native wildlife to the world’s richest dry land. Through initiatives such as ecotourism, restoration has generated sustainable income for their communities.

More Africa bicycle tours
This tour is among the
4 bicycle tours in Namibia and  15 on the continent of Africa currently offered by BikeToursDirect.

 

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