South Africa/Rovos Rail - Bailey Robinson

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A far cry from train journeys as many know them, Rovos Rail is the pride and joy of owner Rohan Vos. The apogee of elegant travel, his immaculately restored period trains are frequently described as the most luxurious in the world, recreating a glamorous bygone era when, to paraphrase Robert Louis Stevenson, ‘To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive…’ and getting there was half the fun, or in the case of Rovos Rail, infinitely more than half the fun. Based at Capital Park, Vos’s atmospheric and privately owned railway station, Rovos Rail transforms the logistics of linking some of Africa’s greatest destinations into the journey of a lifetime. Journeys begin or end in Pretoria, where Champagne, canapés, red carpets and a string duet herald the gleaming green Pride of Africa, a train more akin to a mobile five star hotel than anything else. Uniformed porters take care of luggage, while guests prepare to embark on a magical adventure, roaming the African continent in a gently rocking cocoon of luxury, stopping to explore and admire the fascinating sights en route. Most of the rolling stock dates back to the 1920s and no expense has been spared in recreating that golden age of train travel. The original sleeper coaches have been meticulously converted into luxury suites with private sitting areas and en suite bathrooms. Haute cuisine accompanied by fine South African wines is served in oak-panelled dining cars, while exceptional service has been famously described as, ‘drop a handkerchief and before you realise it is missing, find it picked up, laundered and put back on one’s bed’. Journeys vary from 48 hours to a month, coupling Pretoria with Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Durban, Namibia, Dar es Salaam and Cairo via game reserves, golf courses and constantly changing, spellbinding scenery. It is even possible to charter an entire train that will take guests wherever, within reason, there is a railway line in the Southern African continent. For those who have had the privilege of travelling with Rovos Rail, the recurrent theme is that there is nothing else like it on earth.

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