Rail trip in Namibia
Embarking on the luxurious “Shongololo Express” train for a spectacular rail cruise in the heart of Southern Africa.
Is it a dream, this giraffe coming out of nowhere and seen from the train window? We have just left Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Most of the passengers of the “Shongololo Express” are still ecstatic in front of their lovely mahogany cabin. And there, outside, wild animals, at the foot of the houses. The convoy runs alongside one of the private reserves surrounding the city. On the train platform, the landscape opens onto a wide green valley.
At the station – tiny – the welcome was grandiose: red carpet, honour hedge, songs and champagne. If the travellers had not arrived in jeans and bobsleigh, we could have thought we were in the “Orient Express”. But the “Shongololo”, an old luxury train re-circulated by a South African company, cultivates a more relaxed atmosphere, even if the service is at the top. One fairy godmother per car to ensure the well-being of passengers to Cape Town, South Africa. Our life? Rhythmic by the back and forth between the cosy cocoon of our cells, the smoking room and the restaurant all carved woodwork and golden lights. We almost regret that tuxedos are not mandatory.
Straight line
Stops in empty stations, nowhere to be found. Now we’re taking buses. Created at the beginning of 
the colonial era to transport ore from mines in the North, the railway crosses the country almost in a straight line, from top to bottom. To go west, where the main tourist sites are, the road is mandatory.
For now, heading north to Etosha Park. More than a hundred species of mammals, 340 species of birds listed, not to mention reptiles, various frogs, etc.. The tourist guides ensure that the animals come to you, that it is as guaranteed with the entrance fee in the park, that you just have to park your car near a water point and wait. Except that there are dozens of cars, full of tourists armed with telephoto lenses, hungry for thrills, screaming and restless. So? We meet herds of giraffes, impalas, slender springboks who ignore us.
Bushman’s paradise
Already, it is necessary to set out again towards Damaraland and the formidable basalt concretions of Spitzkoppe. Kilometres of arid earth pass in front of the cabin window, houses with sheet metal roofs, motionless silhouettes on improbable tracks. The sky is signed Turner, the show is breathtakingly beautiful.
Getting there
Kuoni. The agency offers a tour aboard the “Shongololo Express” from Windhoek, Namibia to Cape Town, South Africa. Among the highlights of the itinerary: safari in Etosha Park and crossing the Namib Desert. 16 days/ 13 nights, from 7 750 euros/person, flights, transfers, 8 nights aboard the “Shongololo” in the Elephant category, 5 nights in 2 to 4 star hotels and lodges, half board, some lunches, excursions and bus tours included. 01.55.87.80.54.
“Shongololo Express. Very nice but strict service on the schedules, very comfortable cabins (some of which are suites) with nice little Art Deco shower rooms and toilets, neat restaurant with wild meat – ostrich carpaccio, springbok steak with port… – and delicious desserts. The only downside: you have to travel kilometres by bus to see the most interesting sites.
Accomodations
Mirage Resort and Spa. Near the dunes of Sossusvlei, planted on the sand in the middle of nowhere, a group of buildings in the shape of a castle with swimming pool. Large rooms nicely decorated. Dinner is served in porcelain and glasses on foot in front of the sunset. Disconcerting. From 184 euros/pers. the night on half board.
Let’s start with the least useful payment method. In Europe and other countries, bank checks are less and less used in favor of credit cards. Trust me you won’t be able to finish your checkbook abroad!
As mentioned above, credit cards are the preferred means of payment for Europeans. But is it possible to pay abroad without a charge with a credit card? Yes, in the Euro-zone. The currency being the same as in Europe, payments abroad by credit card are free of charge.
If you have been admitted to a university in Costa Rica, you must prepare to take the administrative steps that are essential for a successful expatriation from the beginning to the end.
Trusting your experience and perceptions is an essential ingredient to formulating a good travel essay idea; pulling in personal interests and information you’ve collected give the idea originality, resonance and character. After practising on subject matter close to home-the Agnes Scott College campus, Decatur, metropolitan Atlanta, and their home towns-the students in my course successfully brought this approach to their writing about the most unfamiliar country of Ireland. For example, Rachel Lackey drew on her love of astronomy to write about Neolithic structures connected with astronomical events and the myths that each generation used to explain their presence. Andrea Yeaman analysed the contemporary statues she saw in Dublin and Belfast and the controversies surrounding them; she used this topic to discuss Irish cultural life and politics. Kelly Bernazza captured the Irish obsession with their struggle against British rule by examining political monuments in both the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland. Cassandra Castillo wrote about the miles and miles of stone walls she saw all over Ireland. As she told me, “I thought if I could understand those stone walls, I could understand Ireland.” These students translated their passions into multidimensional ideas that sprang from their original experiences of place.
For an editorial to be successful, the writer must have a compelling perspective that transforms mere opinion into informed insight. Residence abroad is a wonderful starting point for such insight: you’ve lived, studied, perhaps worked in another culture, learning its outlooks, understanding its particularities, and absorbing its rhythms. Whether the issue is an international one involving your country or a local one specific to your village or town that has larger implications, you will have a perspective that most readers won’t have, an outlook that will expand most Americans’ view of the world. Everyone knows that there has been tension between France and the U.S. over the invasion of Iraq, for example, but someone who has lived in a French town where there is a large population of Muslims might have a very original way of looking at this controversy. That story could become an editorial.
It is among the biggest national parks in Western Australia, situated about 200 km west from Esperance. It is likewise known for its extraordinary variety of plant types; about 15% of Western Australia plant types can be found her and, to be much more incredible, some of those types can be discovered only in this park. It has varied landscapes where you can walk, cycle or take a driving trip. The main part of the park can be accessed just by foot. There countless view points that you need to experience and fantastic camping sites to invest a day or more in the nearly unblemished nature.
Experiencing life outside the box tops the list of reasons of why you need to travel abroad. At home, you might have a routine, which can get monotonous from time to time. A little adventure out of the normal is magical.
Ever watched a movie scene where a camera pans over stunning vistas, beautiful mountains or some wide-sweeping landscape? With drone aerial photography or filming, you can perfectly capture similar landmark footage. When travelling abroad, this technology comes in handy to helping you capture the best scenes of the dazzling landscape. Rather than utilising a film crew or your camera, the remote controlled gadget will surely help grab the best aerial shots. In the recent past, using drones to take shots has exploded in popularity throughout the world.
Katherine lies in between Darwin and Alice Springs, and its main attraction is the Katherine George.
Voted number 2 in Australian Tourist Magazine’s 100 Finest Towns in Australia, Esperance is a great little town to invest a number of days in. If you are in the mindset for a little fishing, there are so great deals of areas to choose from that you might not fish from each if you had a month to spare. Fishing from the rocks at any among the beaches surrounding Esperance will yield salmon, skippy, herring, salmon trout, gummy shark, & shark.
2. Crazy street art – The Parisiennes love their art so much they’ve littered the streets with it! Alongside the ubiquitous graffiti are seen all over the city, there is also some fascinating sculpture dotted around the city. From the giant thumb in La Defense to the Les Enfants du Monde (children of the world) in Parc Bercy, there is bizarre, interesting and thought provoking art all over the place. Keep an eye out for street art by Invader and Obey as well. Who needs the Louvre?
Before you travel to Australia, a person must make sure that to get his or her visa in order. This does not have to be a real hassle or problem since most travel agents are usually pretty good about being able to help people to get a good working holiday visa.
Now the important fact to discuss is the need to have a place to stay. There are many hostels for backpackers. Some of the hostels are very basic, but then there are ones that even seem more like a hotel with a more luxurious setting.
What Exactly is an Au-Pair?
