African Rail Adventure

We land in Johannesburg, where our waiting coach will take us to the delightful Irene Country Lodge, Pretoria. The day is ours to relax in the beautiful surroundings of our hotel.

Following breakfast, we transfer to Rovos Rail’s private railway station, with its leather chesterfield sofas and glamorous decor, where we complete our check-in formalities and meet fellow guests for our forthcoming rail adventure. Settle into our suites as our journey on the majestic Rovos Rail begins. Enjoy lunch in the dining cars and become acquainted with our surroundings. This evening, after donning our finest attire, enjoy exquisite cuisine accompanied by fine South African wines in the elegant surroundings of the dining car.

Enjoy breakfast prior to today’s exploration of the spectacular Panorama Route. Beginning our day at Pilgrim’s Rest, we visit the area where gold was discovered in 1873. Once a lively town full of prospectors, Pilgrim’s Rest has been wonderfully preserved. Next on our route is Bourke’s Luck Potholes, in the Blyde River Canyon. Viewed via bridges and walkways, these wonderful geological cavities were formed by eddy-erosion from the Blyde and Treur Rivers. Our lunch stop is in Graskop, where we descend in a viewing lift to the forest, taking in the spectacular views of the gorge as we go. Once in the forest, wooden walkways will guide us along a 600 metre trail. We continue to Mbombela, where our luxury train will be waiting.

We awake to find ourselves in Mozambique, on Africa’s east coast. With a heady mix of African, Portuguese and early colonial architecture, Maputo is the country’s capital and a city of contrasts. Enjoy a tour of the city to discover the influences of Maputo’s past as we explore the Catholic churches, Victorian mansions and mosques sitting side by side. We take lunch in Maputo and return to the train later in the afternoon and journey towards the tiny Kingdom of eSwatini (formerly Swaziland).

A day of discovery in the Kingdom of eSwatini (meaning “place of the Swazi”) lies ahead. Our first stop is Swazi Candles, where we have the opportunity to see beautiful candle-making alongside wood carvings, textiles and basketwork from local craftspeople and artists. We continue to Mantenga Cultural Village for an insight into the Swazi way of life and its traditions dating back to the 1800s. This living museum has a number of fascinating traditional artefacts on display. Our lunch is taken at Mantenga Lodge before we return to the comfortable surrounds of our waiting train. Take time to relax in the lounge with a refreshing cocktail, or witness the ever-changing landscapes from the observation car as we return to South Africa.

We depart early for our game drive in the Kapama Private Game Reserve. Situated in South Africa’s province of Limpopo, and spanning over 15,000 hectares of African bush, over 40 different species of mammals, including the Big Five, and 350 species of bird can be found here, in their natural habitat. We round off our morning with a visit to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre. This unique African wildlife facility focuses on conservation and sustainability of rare, vulnerable and threatened species. We return to our train where we spend an afternoon relaxing and enjoying the elegant and atmospheric surroundings onboard one the finest trains in the world.

A leisurely day to relax and unwind onboard, as we traverse the Limpopo Province towards Zimbabwe. From the comfort and convenience of the train, we enjoy the beautiful scenery of the province including semi-desert, bush, tropical forests and spectacular mountains.

Today, we travel to the Great Zimbabwe Monument, an imposing former city, built between the 11th and 15th century, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We explore the remains of this ancient city as we learn about the history of the Rozwi people who lived here. We return to the train late in the afternoon and continue our journey through Zimbabwe.

After a restful night’s sleep and a sumptuous breakfast, we take a coach to spend our day in Antelope Park – home to many species of animals and birds, as well as the African Lion and Environmental Research Trust (ALERT), which introduces the offspring of lions bred in captivity back into the wild. During our free time, there is a selection of optional activities available including canoeing, bird-watching cruises, game drives and elephant interaction to make our visit here even more memorable. Back on board Rovos, enjoy a cocktail in the lounge as we await the call of the evening gong.

Located in southwest Zimbabwe, Matobo National Park is best known for the Matobo Hills, a region of spectacular granite rock formations created around two billion years ago! It is at Matobo Hills that Cecil John Rhodes is buried in a granite tomb overlooking the beautiful Matopos region. His resting place is aptly named ‘World’s View’ and it was personally chosen as he loved the view from the top of the outcrop. The park is also home to many animals including endangered black and white rhinos and birds such as the black eagle. We also visit bushman’s cave to view its impressive rock paintings and carvings.

Today’s excursion takes us to Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s largest national park, boasting the highest diversity of mammals of any park in Africa – so get your cameras ready! Following our full day of game viewing we return to our train for our final night onboard Rovos Rail. Once the traditional evening dinner gong is struck throughout the carriages for the final time, enjoy and reflect on some of the most incredible experiences of the past week and a half, over a wonderful dinner accompanied with fine wines and, of course, new-found friends.

Rovos Rail rolls into Victoria Falls Railway Station, bringing an end to our spectacular rail journey. Our waiting guide takes us on a walking tour of the town followed by a visit to the spectacular Victoria Falls. This awe-inspiring natural wonder, made up of five separate waterfalls, spans 1.7km across Zimbabwe and Zambia. We finish our day with a sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi River, where we hopefully catch a glimpse of the crocodiles, hippos and elephants which live along this beautiful river. We spend our final two nights at the wonderful Ilala Lodge Hotel.

A Freedom Day in Victoria Falls to spend as you please. Embark on a Game Drive in Chobe National Park, offering an opportunity to explore the magnificent Chobe River, famous for its huge herds of elephants. Perhaps enjoy a wonderful insight into Zimbabwean rural life with an excursion to a local village. Or alternatively, relax in the surroundings of your hotel.

Following our spectacular journey traversing the African continent aboard the elegant Rovos Rail, we travel to the airport midmorning for our flight to Johannesburg. Our onward flight to London Heathrow departs this evening.

Our direct British Airways flight from Johannesburg arrives into London this morning and our African Rail Adventure comes to an end. Connecting flights to regional UK airports will connect at London Heathrow.