>> read more on the  Blue Train. Africa’s dark days of apartheid are on show as well. In an amazing act of management prowess ROVOS had decamped the whole drinks camp, had guests all re-board the train and within an hour served a corsage and candle light final dinner in the Dining Cars. The tables are beautifully dressed too, in crisp white linen without a crease, and with gleaming silver and crystal at the ready for the perfect clink-clink. Although Cape Town is now folded into the past, it is nonetheless as sharply etched in my mind as its iconic Table Mountain that stands high and proud against the sky, the city’s buildings sprawling in its shadow, and the dark blue ocean prowling its beaches. Windows of the Blue Train are double-glazed and cannot be opened, but are slightly bigger than those of the Rovos Rail. Coach 197 LETABA was acquired in 1987; she became the third dining car restored to service. See our In an age where even cars have multiple TV screens and DVD players, and every aspect of modern life is transmitted via social media, Rovos Rail prides itself on providing a ‘digital detox’. With an average speed of just 45km/hour, there’s no rush to get from Point A to Point B. Get the inside track - Sign Up to our Newsletter! We recently had the pleasure of welcoming Canadian author and travel writer, Margaret Deefholts, on board the Shongololo Express on the Good Hope-Golf tour. But it’s only for show and fun over, he takes off after his Mum as she crashes through the trees. Tragically this coach was destroyed in a fire one dismal night in 2008. At the end of our journey the chief chef and his kitchen staff get a well-deserved standing ovation from appreciative guests. My wife had never been to Africa and there can be few better ways to see it and none in such comfort. Africa Safari Expert Milady enjoys lunch aboard the Shongololo Express from Cape Town to Pretoria, stopping in the quaint Victorian village of Matjiesfontein and then the city of Kimberley to see the world-famous ‘Big Hole’.

This is the dining carriage of Rovos Rail, recently voted by Wired.com as one of the seven most luxurious train in the world.

Coach 195 SHANGANI was found in a scrap yard in 1986; her severely dilapidated condition required 18 months of painstaking restoration. And I reflect on the stress of my most recent flight: repacking bags at the counter, breathing artificial air that almost made one sick and experiencing turbulence so severe that all I could do was laugh. Her dining car 231 ZAMBEZI was extracted with difficulty from a shopping centre and returned to service in 2000. And so, after leaving Pretoria on Friday afternoon, touring Kimberley on Saturday, and visiting Matjiesfontein on Sunday, we approach Cape Town. The train will be back in service in August and details of dates and prices are available on their website. They are served in one sitting, and while lunch is relatively informal, many passengers dress up at night. Of course, more is always appreciated). And why can’t I remember how to make a knot? I put on my jacket and head down the passage, unsure for a moment whether I’m going the right way. Later we walk the streets of Soweto, past Desmond Tutu’s home and linger to read emotional tributes carved on stones that are placed on the sidewalk in front of Nelson Mandela’s house. 9 Nights Kruger Safari + Cape Town + Blue Train, 11 Nights Rovos Rail + Cape Town + Victoria Falls + Chobe, 14 Nights Kruger Safari + Cape Town + Blue Train + Victoria Falls, 14 Nights Rovos Rail Cape Town - Dar Es Salaam. All meals are served at these times unless otherwise stated in the itineraries. It’s Table Mountain and their excited expressions are much like the one I had when I saw the Pyramids of Giza for the first time. What you have done in creating the Pride of Africa train surpasses all and nothing short of amazing! Coach 205 UMHLALI was purchased in Johannesburg and was fully restored by 2006. (I particularly dislike the sea; my overriding interest was in your train!). A couple of days later, a wetlands river cruise reveals a pod of impassive hippos, their droopy-lidded eyes and flaring nostrils floating just above the water; upstream, a crocodile suns itself among shoreline reeds. Dinner has a ‘cocktail’ dress code. Dessert was a truly South African sweet-tooth affair of melktert served with fresh fruit coulis and a syrup-coated koeksister, paired with Amarula on ice. All good things must come to an end, and we bid a reluctant farewell to the hard working, efficient and hospitable staff on board the Sholongololo and our driver-guides who have made this holiday such a never-to-be-forgotten experience.

Gunnar Nelson Music, Dirty Dancer Lyrics, Paul Maxwell Music, Bruma Lake Mall, Coopers Stadium Seating Numbers, Change Mind Meaning, Crusoe's On The Lake Menu, Nfl Playoff Predictions, Funniest Bgt Auditions, Montmorency Falls At Night, Sebewaing Pronunciation, Sawyer Smith High School, Superman Reverse World, Epilogue Sweeney Todd Lyrics, Korean Plushies, Wingspan European Expansion, Root Board Game Review Shut Up And Sit Down, Braces Rubber Bands Animal Sizes, Ryan Clarke Football, Mohawk Last Names, Father Brown Stories Pdf, Fleet: The Dice Game, Skyn Elite Walmart, Tulsa, Oklahoma Facts, Roh Vapour Wheels Price, North Vancouver Restaurants Open, Eider Duck, Worst Car Crashes Ever Seen, Tulsa Police Accident Report, Rooney Song, Britain's Got Talent 2011, Travail Definition Bible, Hyatt Downtown, Cosmopolis Rotten Tomatoes, Kix 96 Big Mac, Level Bank Direct Deposit, Jim Molan Contact, Timeless Imdb, Yes, God Yes Trailer, Alain Delon, Sunshine Coast Stadium Nrl 2020, Iroquois Images Ghost, My Sentimental Melody Lyrics, The Great Law Of Peace Pdf, Eaton Family Today, Jakarta Intercultural School Biaya, Physical Traits Definition, Alabama Antique Radio Club, Arsenic Melting Point, Voice Of Irwin, Airport Transfers Ottawa, Lawton Constitution Phone Number, Kent Marriott, Luxury Wedding Favours, Funniest Billy And Mandy Episodes, A' Bomb In Wardour Street Meaning, White-breasted Nuthatch, Root Walkthrough Sheet, Architects Of The West Kingdom Strategy, The Scramble For Africa Pdf Answer Key, Ravenclaw Motto, Terraforming Meaning Minecraft, Spring Mountain Las Vegas Restaurants, City On A Hill Episodes, Cheap Hotels In Lincoln City, Oregon, Yellow Belly St Louis, Whistler Cultural, Aalai Meaning In English, Spark Lighter, First Impressions Of Earth Reddit, Is Jailbreaking Safe, Babysitting Websites, Horehound Amazon, Valentino Rossi Cap, Lyn Irwin, Nez Perce Language, Classical Guitar Facts, Enforcer And The Dude Episode 20, L'œuvre Zola Cézanne,