# Zimbabwe's stunning 80km safari train

By [lang](https://paragraph.com/@lang) · 2022-11-29

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We rattled out of Dete Station towards the north-eastern boundary of Zimbabwe's [Hwange National Park](https://www.zimparks.org.zw/places-to-visit/hwange-national-park/), an eager dozen – nine tourists, two engineers and one safari guide – en route from [Victoria Falls](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/509/) to the Ngamo Plains, an elephant-laden grassland where dwindling acacia forests meet the arid sprawl of the Kalahari sands.

I squinted into the midday sun and sipped a gin and tonic, balancing on one foot and leaning out of the side of our purpose-built, private railcar, hoping for a better view of a vibrant bird perched atop a wire. A fellow passenger had his camera zoomed in all the way. We caught glimpses of electric blue, a longish beak, a large head, but the light made certain identification difficult.

As the train picked up speed, leaving our target behind, we continued the debate. Was it a kingfisher? Some sort of woodpecker? Hearing our fruitless and futile pondering, one of the railroad engineers identified the bird as a lilac-breasted roller. Relieved to have an answer, I added the bird to my running list and settled into my seat.

A single-car train that seats up to 22 people, the [Elephant Express](https://www.victoriafalls-guide.net/elephant-express.html) seems an unlikely safari vehicle, but it offers an utterly unique safari experience. Rather than searching for the great beasts in a 4x4 or on foot, passengers happen upon them randomly, adding a sense of serendipity to the wonder.

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*Originally published on [lang](https://paragraph.com/@lang/zimbabwe-s-stunning-80km-safari-train)*