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This extravagantly luxurious 7-day steam train rail journey begins in the bustling city of Cape Town, traverses a variety of diverse regions across South Africa, and ends in the wonderfully warm seaside city of Durban.
En route you will travel through the picturesque Cape Winelands, the spectacularly scenic semi-desert Great Karoo region, and the lush subtropical Valley of a Thousand Hills. Enjoy many stops along the way including a visit to the quaint historic village of Matjiesfontein; a tour of the world’s largest man-made excavation in Kimberley; and a leisurely one-night stop-over at an exclusive hotel in the city of Pretoria. Other highlights include a visit to the Ardmore Ceramics Centre in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains and a thrilling safari adventure in the Nambiti Conservancy, an impressive private game reserve, inhabited by the Big-Five as well as over forty other species of game. The journey ends in the seaside town of Durban, known for its sub-tropical climate, decadent cuisine, and stunning beaches.
Once you have settled into your private coach on the Pride of Africa, one of Rovos Rail’s classic luxury trains, you will begin your journey through the lush mountains and valleys of the famously scenic Cape Winelands region towards Worcester.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
The train continues its journey to the strikingly beautiful Great Karoo desert. It is here that the train makes its first stop at the delightful little village of Matjiesfontein, known for its beautifully-restored Victorian architecture and its array of charming tourist sights. These attractions include the Transport Museum, showcasing an impressive array of vintage cars and the Marie Rawdon Museum, containing an astonishing collection of Victoriana, which provides a fascinating glimpse into life at this old colonial outpost in the late 1800s.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
Arrive in Kimberley, a historic mining town renowned for being the site of the world’s largest man-made excavation known as ‘The Big Hole’. The train makes a stop here for guests to enjoy a tour of this enormous hole as well as the Kimberley Mine Museum, featuring a variety of large-scale dioramas and exhibits including a recreation of a nineteenth-century mine shaft and a large vault full of real diamonds. After departing from Kimberley, guests can take in the view of a shallow lake on the left-hand side, which is regularly inhabited by incredibly large flocks of up to 23,000 flamingos. You will then travel through the Highveld region on your way to South Africa’s administrative capital, the city of Pretoria.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
Upon your arrival at the Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria, you will be transported to the Sheraton Hotel. Guests will be treated to a leisurely one-night stay in this luxurious hotel, which serves as an excellent base. Enjoy a tour of Pretoria with lunch included.
Accommodation: Sheraton Hotel
In the morning, guests will be transported back to the Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria, where the train will set off towards the breathtakingly beautiful Drakensberg Mountains. In the afternoon the train climbs Majuba Hill, the site of a battle in which the Boers of the Transvaal regained their independence from the British during the First Boer War. The train then heads to Elandslaagte a farming and coal-mining center, known as the scene of the Battle of Elandslaagte, one of the first battles of the Second Boer War in 1899.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
The sixth day of your journey starts with an early wake-up call followed by some tea, coffee, juice and pastries served in the train’s dining car. Guests will then embark on an exhilarating game drive in the Nambiti Conservancy, a private game reserve set on 20,000 acres of malaria-free bushveld in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province. This impressive expanse of wilderness is inhabited by the ‘Big Five’ - elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and wildebeest - as well as over forty other species of game including cheetah, giraffe, hippo, hyena, impala, eland and zebra.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
In the morning, the train descends the escarpment en route to Lions River, a tiny village in the center of KwaZulu-Natal’s extraordinarily scenic Midlands area. Upon arrival at the Lions River Station, guests will disembark and head for the Ardmore Ceramics Centre, a renowned pottery studio and gallery set on a beautiful farm in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains. You will then return to the train which will set off at noon to travel through the spectacular Valley of a Thousand Hills, before arriving at your journey’s end in the sunny seaside city of Durban.
On your arrival in Durban, you will connect with your onward travel arrangements.
July 25, 2024
Helpful service
Fast response from Keith and helful guidance
May 20, 2024
The gentleman Keith assisting me with…
The gentleman Keith assisting me with my booking was absolutely amazing and patient.
May 17, 2024
Safari booked. SA here I come.
I have never been to SA before, so naturally I was a bit apprehensive about booking a safari on my own. I turned to safari.com for help and I'm so glad I did. Keith was so helpful, patient and saved me money! That's a win, win, win. I would recommend safari.com to anyone planning their trip and their experiences in SA.
Jul 25, 2024
Prompt responses to our queries and…
Prompt responses to our queries and always able to accomodate our requests
Jul 25, 2024
Leigh-Ann was awesome
Leigh-Ann was awesome! She listened to my requests and got it all set! She got my desires and requests Booked and set for my trip.
Jul 25, 2024
Helpful service
Fast response from Keith and helful guidance
Jul 25, 2024
Nicole was so helpful!
Nicole was great to work with! Super responsive and was able to make all the changes requested to accommodate our trip. She answered all my questions, and I wouldn't hesitate to use her for Safari vacations in the future.
Jul 24, 2024
Outstanding and professional performance by Pascal John
Pascal John quickly proved his professionalism as well as his in-depth and experienced knowledge of South Africa safaris. He demonstrated the ability to rapidly understand what I was looking for out of a safari trip and how to make that happen. He added real value to the process with his connections to lodging reservations at various lodges and arranged for an itinerary that is not possible to accomplish by oneself on the internet alone. For example, he was able to negotiate away for me a single supplement. He added immediate value and quickly/painlessly everything came together. This includes booking flights, ground transport, lodging and wildlife drives. I can without reservation recommend working with Pascal John at Safari.com.
Jul 24, 2024
Candis was very patient and helpful
Candis was very patient and helpful. She worked with me on various pricepoints and dates of travel. We were abl to come to a great itin within a number of days.
Jul 24, 2024
Wonderful service and help from Tanya…
Wonderful service and help from Tanya who helped in making the booking.
Jul 23, 2024
It has been a pleasure to work with…
It has been a pleasure to work with your agent Leigh- Ann Croeser, she has been extremely helpful, responsive and if all your representatives are like her your company is in great shape!
Jul 23, 2024
Great service
Mel at Safari.com has been more than helpful helping us to choose the right Safari for our up and coming trip in November. She was very friendly, quick to respond and extremely knowledgeable. I’m sure we will be communicating more nearer our travel date. Thank you Mel!