DESTINATIONS:
Rovos Rail
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Rovos
Rail offers two beautifully built Classic trains each carrying a maximum of 72
passengers
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Rovos
Rail departs from a private station in Pretoria (we’re talking red carpet
treatment from start to finish)
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Golf
Safari packages are also available
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There
are a number of planned routes to choose from including Pretoria to Cape Town,
Pretoria to Mpumalanga, Pretoria to the Victoria Falls and a much-coveted trip
to Dar Es Salaam in East Africa
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Charter
train journeys for groups are also available.
Cape Town - Pretoria
The Old Karoo Pioneering Trail
For many visitors to South Africa, there is no finer way to see the
country than on the popular 48-hour weekly journeys between Pretoria and Cape
Town.
This
1600-kilometre journey is a perfect illustration of South Africa as a world in
one country. Travel the windswept grasslands of the gold rich Highveld to the
haunting barrenness of the Great Karoo, the spectacular mountain ranges and
scenic wine lands of the Cape to the Mother City of South Africa, Cape Town,
cradled by the imposing bulk of Table Mountain, Devils’ Peak and Lions Head.
Highlights
of the north and southbound routes include a visit to the historic village of
Matjiesfontein. This authentic, perfectly preserved Victorian Village, which
was founded by Mr. Logan as a refreshment stop in 1890, also boasts an
impressive museum on the Station platform. A stop is also made in Kimberley
with an opportunity to enjoy a city tour, the Mine Museum and visit the world’s
largest man-made excavation, the ‘Big Hole’.
Durban Train Safari
An Unforgettable Journey Into The Heart Of KwaZulu Natal
Join this three-day safari on the most luxurious train in the world
and experience the splendour of KwaZulu Natal.
Take in the Big Five, a battlefields tour with a
world class historian and unusual African ceramics.
Experience the diversity of the Nambiti Conservancy,
a Big Five private bush 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. The Sundays River flows through
the reserve and has two 40 metre waterfalls with magnificent ravine bush, home
to several rare bird species.
Situated on an expansive game farm, SpionKop Lodge
which adjoins a 11 000 acre nature reserve, is the perfect base for exploring
the berg, bush, birds and battlefields of the region. The turn of the century
farmhouse has been beautifully restored in Natal colonial style and the
converted barn now forms a magnificent dining room that boasts spectacular
views.
Ardmore Ceramic Art 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.
Word of Ardmore has spread far and wide and those
who believe they have the talent arrive at the Ardmore studios either in the
rolling hills of Caversham in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Many have little knowledge
of sculpture and painting and mostly no experience of ceramic art. They learn
quickly however and within a short time develop their own particular style of
sculpting and painting.
The Victoria Falls
A Leisurely Sojourn by Luxury Train through South Africa, Botswana
& Zimbabwe
Your
two-night three day adventure begins with the departure from Rovos Rail’s
gracious station in Capital Park Pretoria.
This
special journey departs in the morning and slowly meanders westwards through
Mafikeng into Botswana and then north towards Mahalapye, crossing the Tropic of
Capricorn just after Gaberone. Once the train has passed through the dry
reaches of Botswana we arrive at Plumtree in the late afternoon for border
formalities with Zimbabwe.
We
continue in a north-westerly direction passing Bulawayo heading towards
Thompson’s Junction and Hwange Game Reserve.
Journeys
end is the incomparable Victoria Falls on the mighty Zambezi River.
Please note that depending upon railways capacity this journey could
be routed northwards through Beitbridge and Zimbabwe.
George
The Scenic Beauty of The Garden Route
This spectacular 550-kilometre 24-hour trip runs between Cape Town and
George during the summer months and is rated one of the most beautiful in the
world.
From
the Mother City the train, with the Hex River Mountains as a backdrop, travels
through the Tulbagh Valley towards Worcester. Grapes are grown in vast
quantities in this area, and apart from several co-operative wine cellars,
there are a number of brandy distilleries. The KWV Brandy Distillery is visited
on the George to Cape Town leg.
The
train continues along the Breë River Valley towards Robertson, home of the
largest brandy distillery in southern Africa, and then onto Ashton, largest
producer in the southern hemisphere of canned fruit, jams and vegetables. On
the Cape Town to George leg a stop is made to sample the wines of a local wine
estate. Then it is on towards the coast passing through stations such as
Merwepoort, and South Africa’s third oldest town, Swellendam.
Leaving
the coast behind the train passes near Mossel Bay, a commercial seaport that
enjoyed a boom in the 1990’s due to the discovery of offshore oil. George is a
quiet inland town, founded in 1811 and named after King George 111.
Golf Safari
April, September and December 2010
Pretoria ? Phalaborwa ? Swaziland ? Durban ? Ladysmith ? Sun City ? Pretoria
Rovos
Rail has designed a delightful nine-day Golf Safari to entertain the most
discerning player. At all venues, there are optional excursions for the
entertainment of non-playing guests.
This
special journey commences in Pretoria and travels east towards the spectacular
Drakensberg escarpment en route to Nelspruit. Play at Hans Merensky Golf Estate
or enjoy a game drive in the world famous Kruger Park followed by lunch. Tee
off at the Royal Swazi Golf Club, near Manzini in Swaziland, while non-golfers
visit the Ngwenya Glass Factory, lunch at Malendelas followed by a game drive
in the Mkhaya Game Reserve. Then it’s on to Zululand for game viewing in the
Hluhluwe Game Reserve.
Play
one of South Africa’s finest courses, the Durban Beachwood Country Club, while
non-playing guests enjoy a city tour of Durban followed by lunch at the Golf
Club. In the foothills of the imposing Drakensberg Mountains 18-holes await at
the Champagne Sports Resort, with a guided tour of the Battlefields a further
highlight for non-golfers.
Relax
as the train travels north towards the magnificent resort of Sun City in the
Pilanesberg Mountains. A full day is spent at this world-famous facility before
departing for Pretoria where this memorable journey ends.
‘The African Collage’ 2010
The Most Scenic Route in Africa
Pretoria • Malelane • Hluhluwe • Durban • Port Elizabeth • Oudtshoorn
• Knysna • Cape Town
Rovos Rail will once again run this annual journey starting 20th May
2010. This panoramic nine-day sojourn commences at the Rovos Rail Station at
Capital Park in Pretoria. The first leg of the journey takes the train through
Witbank and Middleburg and then traverses the majestic Drakensberg escarpment
en route to the lowveld of Mpumalanga. The following morning you will receive
an early wake up call to join a game drive through the famous Kruger Park.
Brunch will be served in the dining car while the train winds its way southwards
to Swaziland in time for an afternoon game drive in the Mkhaya Reserve. During
the night the train will continue south to the village of Hluhluwe in Zululand.
Starting early once again, a wide variety of game can be seen on an early
morning game drive through the scenic Hluhluwe Game Reserve. The Pride of
Africa departs mid morning and makes its way south through the lush cane fields
and rolling hills of Kwazulu Natal, arriving in Durban late afternoon.
After
an evening in Durban the train steadily ascends the scenic escarpment through
Pietermaritzburg and The Valley of a Thousand Hills en route to Ladysmith and
Bethlehem. This route takes the train past Lesotho and the highest mountains in
the Drakensberg range at 3 482 metres. During the night we continue onto
Bloemfontein, the Free State capital, with a morning tour of the city. The
journey continues southwards overnight to the coastal capital of the Eastern
Cape, Port Elizabeth, where we will enjoy a morning visit to the Addo Elephant
Park.
An early
morning departure from Willowmore takes the Pride of Africa into Oudtshoorn for
a visit to the Highgate Ostrich farm followed by another spectacular rail
descent down the Montagu pass into George. A morning visit to Knysna and the
surrounding attractions will complete the visit to this natural paradise. The
train sets off at midday from George travelling along the scenic Garden Route
through Mossel Bay and Riversdale. The next morning, after a short visit to the
KWV Brandy Distillery in Worcester, the Pride of Africa ends its magnificent
collage in the Mother City of Cape Town.
The ‘Pride of Africa’ in Namibia
May 2010
Pretoria ? Kimberley ? Fish River Canyon ? Windhoek ? Etosha Pan ? Swakopmund
From its home at Capital Park, Pretoria, Rovos Rail invites you on a
journey of discovery through some of the most historic and scenic areas of
Southern Africa. For seven days and six nights, the train will carry you in
world-class style and comfort from the savannahs of the Highveld to the
Atlantic Ocean, reuniting by rail the republics of South Africa and Namibia,
formerly South West Africa.
The 3
400-km journey takes the Pride of Africa from Pretoria to Kimberley, centre of
one of the world’s most famous diamond rushes, where there’s an opportunity to
visit the Big Hole and experience the atmosphere of the 1870’s.
Then
it’s on through stark vistas of the arid Northern Cape into Namibia at
Ariamsvlei. There is an excursion to the spectacular Fish River Canyon – second
in size and splendour to the Grand Canyon – and then across the Kalahari Desert
to Windhoek, a lively, cosmopolitan city with a strong German flavour. After a
city tour and an afternoon game drive the train continues overnight to Tsumeb
and the game rich Etosha National Park. A night is spent in the Mokuti Game
Lodge on the eastern edge of the Park and the journey continues on to
Swakopmund, a perfectly preserved 19th-Century German Hansa town set between
the dunes of the Namib desert and the roaring Atlantic Ocean. It is an
unforgettable end to a remarkable journey.
Cape Town to Dar es Salaam 2010
An Authentic African Adventure
(Via Botswana)
Rovos Rail invites you to travel on the most luxurious train in the
world. This epic 14-day journey travels through South Africa, Botswana,
Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania and has become one of the most famous train
journeys in the world. This is the ultimate African safari, designed for
travellers who wish to re-live true adventure and romance in complete luxury,
comfort and security.
The Blue Train
The Blue Train has an aura of mystique about
it. Kings and presidents have travelled on this magnificent moving five-star
hotel. Its very name has become synonymous with the ultimate in luxury and
personal service.
The routes of The Blue Train - both scheduled
and chartered - take guests through some of the most breathtaking countryside
to be found anywhere in the world.
As the ever-changing scenery flashes past the
windows, guests can savour exquisite meals freshly prepared on board by top
chefs. Our meals are complemented by the best wines South Africa has to offer.
The suites on The Blue Train live up to its
reputation for magnificence and splendour. The finest bed linen, marble tiles
and gold fittings in the bathrooms and sheer opulence all ensure that guests
will never forget the time they spend on The Blue Train.
When you choose to travel on The Blue Train,
you choose to travel in a world of grace, elegance and romance.
Scheduled Routes
Pretoria - Cape Town - Pretoria
The route between Pretoria and Cape Town is a
27-hour journey of 1 600 kilometres (994 miles), through some of the most
diverse and spectacular scenery offered by the African sub-continent.
On the southbound trip, the train departs from
Pretoria main train station at 8:50 and arrives in Cape Town train station at
12:00 the following day.
En route to Cape Town there is a stopover and excursion
in Kimberley, where we take a step back in time to the days of the diamond
rush.
On the northbound journey, the train leaves
Cape Town at 08:50 and arrives in Pretoria at 12:30, in time for high tea the
following day. It stops at Matjiesfontein for an off-the-train excursion.
On arrival at Matjiesfontein guests are invited
for a glass of sherry at the bar.
The Victorian buildings and original nineteenth century London lampposts impart
to the traveller, the uncanny sense of entering a colonial time warp – an oasis
suspended in a different age.
Guests are reminded that they must be at the
station an hour before the departure time.
Special Packaged Routes
Mantis Madness Blue Train Experience
This is pure Mantis madness - we are giving
away 3 FREE nights stay at The Constantia and 1 FREE night at the Sheraton
Pretoria Hotel with this 1 night on The Blue Train offer!
Pretoria - Durban route
The Durban route takes guests from Pretoria to Zimbali Lodge
in Durban. The package includes two nights' accommodation on The Blue Train and
two nights at Zimbali Lodge. Zimbali Lodge, home to a spectacular 18-hole golf
course, is the golfer's ideal retreat. It boasts indigenous trees, natural
streams and ponds which create a dramatic and beautiful setting.
Guests who are not interested in golf are
treated to leisurely days being pampered with health spa treatments. On the
last day, guests are transferred to Durban Station where the train departs for
Pretoria.
The Blue Train Bakubung Game Lodge Bonanza
This route takes guests from Pretoria to Bakubung Game Lodge for an
unforgettable two night stay, with daily game drives accompanied by qualified
rangers and trackers.
Charter and Conference
Why not charter The Blue Train
for business or pleasure? We host a range of events including:
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product
launches,
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VIP
breakfasts, lunches or dinner parties,
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business
meetings,
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small
conferences,
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Wedding
receptions and more.