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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 stopover 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 subtropical 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 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.
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November 7, 2024
Keith Chideme is fantastic!
If you’re looking for someone to help you plan the trip of a lifetime, look no further than Keith Chideme. Keith has been nothing short of extraordinary in helping me create a month-long dream trip to South Africa for myself and 11 family members. His patience, kindness, and thoughtfulness throughout the entire process have been remarkable. Keith went above and beyond, engaging in countless conversations to make sure every detail of our six-destination itinerary was just right. He worked tirelessly to balance my budget with my desire for an unforgettable experience, finding deals and creative solutions that I would never have managed on my own. His dedication and expertise gave me complete confidence that this trip will be everything I’ve dreamed of and more. One of my favorite aspects of working with Keith was the personal touch he brought to every interaction. Whether through voice messages, phone calls, or texts, he was always patient, thorough, and thoughtful in explaining every aspect of the itinerary. I never once felt rushed or overlooked—he truly cared about making this trip perfect for us. I can’t imagine planning this trip without Keith. Knowing he has my back has been such a comfort, and I feel completely at ease knowing we are in such capable hands. My entire family is incredibly excited about this incredible adventure, and I know I’ll be contacting Keith for all my future travel plans. He is an absolute gem and a true professional. Thank you, Keith, for everything!
October 25, 2024
Keith was amazing
Keith was amazing! We spent a lot of time on the phone and he was so helpful to curate the perfect honeymoon for my husband and I. Thank you Keith!
October 25, 2024
My travel consultant was Keith Chideme…
My travel consultant was Keith Chideme and he was great to work with. Keith was always available to answer questions and very responsive. My trip was easy to book and pay through safari.com and everything worked out perfectly. I would use them again in future.
Dec 13, 2024
Leigh-Ann Croeser from Safari.com was fantastic
Leigh-Ann from Safari.com was great to work with to plan our group safari trip. She was able to get me on the priority waitlist for a lodge that I liked, which ended up working out for our group during my preferred dates. Leigh-Ann was responsive and provided various tour recommendations for us to decide on the best option for us. There were a few email and name typos from Leigh-Ann that I had to correct, but other than that, I had a great experience.
Dec 12, 2024
Dolan was terrific
Dolan was terrific. He got back to us immediately to answer all of our questions. And was so nice to hold a room for a couple of days because of my moms passing. It gave us time to finalize her arrangements and time to book our trip. I would highly recommend using him to book your trip!!
Dec 12, 2024
Great support and communication
I had great support from Lana, she has been helping to book the dream trip to Bostwana in a very efficient way. Great communication, very responsive and precise, could not wish for more. Highly recommend her.
Dec 12, 2024
Anja Is A Fabulous Travel Consultant
Anja Mayer was extremely knowledgeable, patient, prompt with her responses to questions, and always very helpful. She was also a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend to anyone that asks that Anja is the right person to contact if they are interested in travelling to South Africa or Botswana.
Dec 12, 2024
Anja did a fabulous job!
Anja was knowledgeble, patient prompt with her responses to questions and always very helpful. In addition, it was a pleasure working with her. I would recommend her to anyone without any reservation.
Dec 10, 2024
Mel du Toit was the perfect person to…
Mel du Toit was the perfect person to arrange and organize our trip!! She was on the ball, made sure everything was in place and travel arrangements secured! I highly recommend her!!
Dec 9, 2024
Great support from Shann
Shann made the booking experience seamless - provided very helpful information to ensure we fully understood what the experience would be like and made sure we felt safe with experiences we have booked.
Dec 9, 2024
Quick & efficient
Very fast response, polite - impressive
Dec 7, 2024
Went through Newmarket travel and Hays…
Went through Newmarket travel and Hays travel ..information about flight changes hard to get..but on arrival the holiday was taken over Safari.com..amazing ..experience everything was fine tuned and the staff ..guides drivers fabulous and friendly ..lots of knowledge..lots of fun and the surprises they did was so lovely ...loved every minute ..Paris our guide was amazing..10/10 and Eric driver ..the waiters and waitress every and everyone in the hotels .smiling and friendly..Best holiday of my life
