Luxury Rail Across South Africa

This 1 600-kilometre meander is a perfect illustration of South Africa as a world in one country. Travel the grasslands of the gold-rich Highveld to the haunting barrenness of the Great Karoo; trundle through the spectacular mountain ranges and scenic winelands of the Cape. Journey’s end is Cape Town, the Mother City of South Africa, cradled by the imposing bulk of Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head. Highlights include a visit to the historic village of Matjiesfontein; this authentic perfectly preserved Victorian Village – founded by Mr Logan as a refreshment stop in 1890 – also boasts an impressive museum on the platform. Another stop is made in Kimberley providing an opportunity to enjoy a city tour and a visit to the Diamond Mine Museum and the world’s largest man-made excavation, the Big Hole.  Remember, dinner is an elegant affair and men are requested to wear a jacket and tie and ladies elegant evening wear.

Day 1
15h00        Depart from Rovos Rail Station aboard the Pride of Africa and travel south via Johannesburg                           through the goldfields of the Witwatersrand.
16h30        Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
19h30        Dinner is served in the dining car/s. Overnight on the train.

Day 2
07h00         Breakfast is served until 10h00.
10h00         Arrive in Kimberley. Passengers visit the Big Hole and the Diamond Mine Museum.
12h30         The train departs for Matjiesfontein via De Aar.
13h00         Lunch is served in the dining car/s
16h30         Tea in the lounge and observation cars
19h30         Dinner is served in the dining car/s.

Day 3

07h00         Breakfast is served until 10h00.
08h15         Visit the historical village of Matjiesfontein.
10h30         The train departs for Cape Town via Worcester.
13h00         Lunch is served in the dining car/s.
16h30         Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
18h00         Arrive at Cape Town Station, Platform 24
 

This 1 600-kilometre meander is a perfect illustration of South Africa as a world in one country. Your Journey begins in Cape Town, the Mother City of South Africa, cradled by the imposing bulk of Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head. Trundle through the spectacular mountain ranges and scenic winelands of the Cape, through the barrenness of the Great Karoo. Journeys end through the grasslands of the gold-rich Highveld. Highlights include a visit to the historic village of Matjiesfontein; this authentic perfectly preserved Victorian Village – founded by Mr Logan as a refreshment stop in 1890 – also boasts an impressive museum on the platform. Another stop is made in Kimberley providing an opportunity to enjoy a city tour and a visit to the Diamond Mine Museum and the world’s largest man-made excavation, the Big Hole.  Remember, dinner is an elegant affair and men are requested to wear a jacket and tie and ladies elegant evening wear.
Day 1
11h00     Depart from Platform 23 at Cape Town Station and travel inland through the winelands.
13h00         Lunch is served in the dining car/s.
16h30         Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
18h00         Visit the historical village of Matjiesfontein
19h30        Dinner is served in the dining car/s.

Day 2
07h00         Breakfast is served until 10h00.
13h00         Lunch is served in the dining car/s
14h30         Upon arrival in Kimberley board the bus for a tour of the renowned city, the Diamond Mine                              Museum and the extraordinary Big Hole.
16h30         Tea as the train departs Kimberley.
19h30        Dinner is served in the dining car/s.

Day 3

07h00         Breakfast is served in the dining car/s until 10h00 as the train travels via Krugersdorp and                                  Johannesburg through the goldfields of the Witwatersrand towards Pretoria.
12h00         Arrive at journey’s end at Rovos Rail Station in Capital Park, Pretoria.
 

This three-night adventure begins with the train’s departure from Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria. It then winds its way south through Johannesburg and the goldfields of the Witwatersrand before travelling west alongside the Magaliesberg Mountains. After border formalities at Mafikeng, the train travels north the following day through Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, crosses the Tropic of Capricorn and continues via Francistown to the Zimbabwean border at Plumtree. The next day the train passes through Hwange National Park – a rich and diverse wildlife sanctuary where animals can be spotted from the train and a game drive excursion is enjoyed. After a service stop at Thompsons Junction, the sojourn ends at the incomparable Victoria Falls on the mighty Zambezi River. The surrounding areas offer travellers many recreational opportunities including cruises, whitewater rafting as well as superb game viewing and photo safaris. Depending upon railway capacity, this journey could be routed through Beitbridge and Zim. Remember, dinner is an elegant affair and men are requested to wear a jacket and tie and ladies elegant evening wear.

Day 1
09h30         The train departs Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria.
13h00     Lunch is served in the dining car/s as the train travels through the goldfields of Johannesburg.
19h30     Dinner is served as the train travels to Mafikeng for Botswana border formalities and overnight.

Day 2 
07h00     Breakfast is served as the train travels north through Botswana’s capital city, Gaborone
13h00         Lunch is served as the train traverses Botswana.
16h30         Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
19h30     Dinner en route to Plumtree for Zimbabwe border formalities. Overnight stop at Mpopoma.

Day 3
07h00     Breakfast is served. The train departs Mpopoma.
13h00     Lunch is served. Travel along the eastern edge of Hwange Park along one of Africa’s longest stretches of straight railway line – 114km
15h00     Arrive Kennedy for a game drive at The Hide.
19h30    Dinner is served in the dining car/s en route to Thompsons Junction for the overnight stop.

Day 4
07h00     Depart Thompsons. Breakfast until 09h30.
10h00     Arrive at journey’s end in Victoria Falls.

ay 1
17h00     Depart Victoria Falls Station and travel in a south easterley direction towards Zimbabwe’s largest reserve, the Hwange National Park.
19h30         Dinner is served in the dining car/s en route to Kennedy Siding for the overnight stop. 

Remember, dinner is an elegant affair and men are requested to wear a jacket and tie and ladies elegant evening wear.

Day 2 
05h00     Early wake-up call with a continental breakfast. 
06h00     Disembark for a game drive at The Hide.
11h00         Brunch is served in the dining car/s.
16h30         Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
19h30         Dinner is served as the train heads towards Plumtree for Botswana border formalities.

Day 3
07h00     Breakfast is served en route to the border via Botswana’s capital city, Gaborone.
12h00     S.A. border formalities at Ramatlabama. 
13h00     Lunch is served as the train travels through the farmlands of the Marico Valley

19h30.     Dinner is served as the train traverses the Magaliesberg Range. Overnight Krugersdorp.

Day 4
07h00     Breakfast is served until 09h30.
10h00     Arrive at journey’s end in Pretoria.

This three-day safari between Pretoria and Durban includes game drives, a battlefields tour with a world-class historian and a look at unusual African ceramics. Experience the Nambiti Conservancy – a Big Five private retreat set on 20 000 acres of malaria-free bushveld in KwaZulu-Natal. It has an incredible biodiversity including savannah, grasslands, thornveld and tall acacia trees. Situated on an expansive game farm, Spionkop Lodge – which adjoins an 11 000-acre nature reserve – is the perfect base for exploring the mountains, bush, birds and battlefields of the region. Ardmore Ceramics is a story about the Zulu people whose sense of rhythm, colour, dance and song, as well as the spirit of the African imagination, is exerting its influence on the other continents of the world. Visit this charming centre in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands before travelling the Valley of a Thousand Hills to Durban. Remember, dinner is an elegant affair and men are requested to wear a jacket and tie and ladies elegant evening wear.

Day 1: 
10:00     Depart Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria. Travel southeast across the gold-rich mining areas of Gauteng. Guests may freshen up in their suites before joining fellow travellers in the lounge car or observation car at the rear of the train. 
13:00    Lunch is served in the dining cars. Coming into view are the Drakensberg Mountains, first named by the Voortrekke who thought the unbroken chain of heavily weathered peaks reminded them of the spines on a dragon’s back, hence the name ‘Dragon Mountain’ or Drakensberg in Afrikaans.

16:30    Tea in the lounge car or observation car. The train climbs to Majuba Hill – site of the decisive battle that ended the First Anglo Boer War – then on to Newcastle where the Indian population has erected what is reputed to be the largest domed Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere.

19:30    Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train passes Glencoe, site of the first battle of the Anglo Boer War and now the centre of the province’s coalfields. Overnight on board en route to Elandslaagte. Dress: Formal

Day 2: 
06:15    A continental breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
07:00    Enjoy a game drive in the Nambiti Reserve, a private Big Five bush retreat set on 20 000 acres of malaria-free bushveld with incredible biodiversity.
11:00    Brunch is served in the dining cars. The train passes Chieveley Siding where, on the left of the track, stands a  memorial to Winston Churchill who was captured here in November 1899 while trying to free an armoured train trapped by a Boer ambush.
14:00     Transfer (50 minutes) to Spionkop Lodge. A choice of two excursions is available:
·An escorted tour of the historic battlefields 
OR 
·A game drive in the 11 000-acre Spionkop Reserve.
17:45     Return to the train.
19:30    Dinner is served in the dining cars. Overnight on board. Dress: Formal

Day 3:
07:00    Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00. The train descends the escarpment to Lions River.
10:00    Visit the famous Ardmore Ceramics Gallery. Here, artists are encouraged to express their imagination based on nature and Zulu folklore and tradition.
12:00    Depart for Pietermaritzburg, the provincial capital of KwaZulu-Natal.
13:00    Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train traverses the spectacular Valley of a Thousand Hills.
16:00     Arrive at journey’s end in Durban. A number of museums and cultural sights, the beautiful botanical gardens

Please dress accordingly for game drives/excursions: mornings can be cool then warm up considerably; afternoons can be warm then cool down considerably. Warm clothing, hats and sun protection are advised (season dependent). Rain capes are available.

Experience Cape Town’s highlights, from built landmarks to the city’s famous natural features (private and group tour).

•South African Museum and the Company Gardens
•Parliament buildings
•City Hall and Castle of Good Hope
•Malay Quarter/Bo-Kaap
•Green Market Square
•Signal Hill
•Camps Bay and Clifton
•Short diamond factory tour (optional)