GOOD HOPE
PRETORIA - CAPE TOWN (3900 km)
15 DAGAR
DAY 1 ARRIVAL IN PRETORIA WITH A TOUR OF THE CITY & SOWETO
08:00 Check-in at Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria.
09:00 Full-day tour of Pretoria & Soweto.
15:30 Return to Rovos Rail Station. The train departs for Waterval Boven.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge and observation car.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.
SOWETO & PRETORIA Soweto comprises one-million people and was made famous by the Apartheid laws. Pass the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (the largest hospital in the Southern Hemisphere) and drive past the only street in Africa that once housed two Nobel Peace laureates, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela.
DAY 2 PANORAMA TOUR
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
09:00 Full-day tour of historical areas Pilgrim’s Rest, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and Wonderview.
16:30 Return to the train in Nelspruit (140km). Depart for Malelane.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.
PANORAMA ROUTE Pilgrim’s Rest is a living museum and declared a National Monument. Gold was discovered in this area in 1873 attracting 1500 prospectors. Today many of the restored miner’s houses serve as shops and restaurants. Visit Bourke’s Luck Potholes, which are strange deep
cylindrical cavities formed by river erosion and floodwater. Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve has the most spectacular viewpoints with astonishing views over South Africa’s Lowveld (so-named because it is much lower than the high escarpment along which the Panorama Route runs).
DAY 3 KRUGER PARK
08:30 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
07:00 Full-day game viewing in the Kruger Park.
16:00 Return to the train.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge and observation car.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train departs for Mpaka, Swaziland.
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK The world-renowned Kruger National Park has 2-million hectares of an unrivalled diversity in life forms. It is a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and home to an impressive number of species, e.g. 336 species of trees, 49 species of fish, 34 species of amphibians, 114 species of reptiles, 507 species of birds and 147 species of mammals including the Big Five.
DAY 4 SWAZILAND
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
08:30 Depart in vehicles for Swazi Candles (90 minutes)
13:45 Return to the train (75 minutes).
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge and observation car. Depart for Golela
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.
SWAZILAND This tiny kingdom covers only 17 000m2 making it the second smallest country in Africa. Experience Swazi Candles: a hive of activity displaying decorative candles, skillfully crafted woodcarvings, colourful textiles and superb basketwork for which Swazis are renowned. Continue
through the Ezulwini Valley passing the Ludzidzini Royal residence en route to Mantenga Cultural Village, a living museum of old traditions representing a classical Swazi lifestyle during the 1850s
DAY 5 HLUHLUWE
05:30 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
07:00 Game drives in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park.
16:00 Return to the train. Depart for Empangeni.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge and observation car.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.
HLUHLUWE-IMFOLOZI PARK As the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa, Hluhluwe consists 960km² of hilly topography 280km north of Durban in central Zululand and is known for its rich wildlife and conservation efforts. The park is the only state-run park in KwaZulu-Natal with all the Big Five game animals. Due to conservation efforts, the park now has the largest population of white rhino in the world. It is also one of the world’s top spots for viewing Nyala and is a prime birding destination for 340 species.
DAY 6 ST LUCIA WETLAND PARK
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
08:30 Transfer (75 minutes) to the world-heritage site.
Enjoy a two-hour boat cruise with lunch (own account) in St Lucia town.
15:00 Return to the train.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge and observation car. Depart for Durban.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.
ST LUCIA (ISIMANGALISO) WETLAND PARK iSimangaliso Wetland Park covers over 2400km² from St Lucia in the south to the Mozambique border in the north and has spectacular diversity. Declared a World Heritage site in 1999, the park covers a mosaic of landforms that have created a vast array of biomes to support a wide variety of animals, plants and birds. The park
boasts the highest bird count in all of Africa, the southern-most breeding spots for turtles in Africa, Africa’s tallest forested dunes, the largest remaining stands of sand forest and the biggest peat beds in the Southern Hemisphere.
DAY 7 DURBAN
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
09:00 Disembark for a Durban city tour
16:30 Return to the train. Depart for Ladysmith.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.
DURBAN Durban is the third largest city in South Africa and enjoys great importance due to its industry and very large port. Drive along the ‘Golden Mile’ promenade where numerous hotels and restaurants are situated. Visit the botanical gardens and uShaka Marine World – Africa’s largest marine theme park.
DAY 8 LADYSMITH BATTLEFIELDS
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
09:00 Transfer (45 minutes) to Spionkop Lodge
12:30 Return to the lodge for lunch.
14:00 Afternoon game drive OR relax at the lodge.
16:00 Return to the train. Depart for Kroonstad.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.
BATTLEFIELDS Walk in the footsteps of three great leaders Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi and General Louis Botha – a story on which the sun never sets. Britain marched into the South African war in the spring of 1899, confident that it “would all be over by Christmas!” It lasted three years and was to become the costliest Britain had ever fought. *Lunch provided; beverages for own account.
DAY 9 BLOEMFONTEIN
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 09:00.
12:00 Tour of Bloemfontein
17:00 Return to the train. Depart for Kimberley.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.
BLOEMFONTEIN Bloemfontein is the seat of the South African judicial system. At the end of the 19th century it was also the capital of the old Boer Republic of The Orange Free State. Bloemfontein is capital of the Free State Province and also known as the Rose City. Loch Logan Waterfront, next to the city’s newly renovated stadium, was one of the venues during the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The Women’s Memorial at the Anglo Boer War Museum is a reminder of life in the concentration camps and commemorates the 27 000 women and children who died in these camps. The Museum itself is a graphic depiction of the hardship endured by all during the war and relates the history of South Africa from 1652.
DAY 10 KIMBERLEY
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
09:00 Visit to the Big Hole, Diamond Mine Museum, Noord-Kaap Mall mm.
16:00 Return to the train.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge. Depart for Noupoort.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.
KIMBERLEY Capital of the Northern Cape, Kimberley is well known for the discovery of diamonds that led to its establishment in 1871.
DAY 11 DAY AT LEISURE ON BOARD
Enjoy a day at leisure on board as the train travels to Willowmore.
All meals enjoyed on board.
DAY 12 CANGO CAVES AND OSTRICH FARM
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
09:15 Transfer (60 minutes) to the Cango Caves and an ostrich farm.
16:15 Return to the train (90 minutes).
18:30 Transfer to Fancourt Golf Estate for dinner.
OUDTSHOORN AND CANGO CAVES Surrounded by the natural beauty of this semi-desert region, Oudtshoorn is situated at the foot of the majestic Swartberg Mountain Range. Many rivers, streams and falls have their origins in the Swartberg, Outeniqua and Kammanassie mountains here.
Oudtshoorn is regarded as the centre of the Klein Karoo and is world-renowned for its Cango Caves and the breeding of ostriches. The great natural wonder of the Cango Caves has colourful underground chambers with breathtaking limestone formations. Oudtshoorn is famous for
feathering the world in the time of the boa and grand hats. The ostrich boom of the early 20th century turned out many millionaires who, in turn, created elaborate lifestyles in this remote part of Africa.
*Dinner and one pre-dinner beverage (wine, G&T, beer, soda or juice) included
DAY 13 KNYSNA
06:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
07:45 Transfer to Knysna for a lagoon ferry ride.
13:00 Return to the train. Enjoy lunch on board. Depart for Voorbaai.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge and observation car.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars. Depart for Buffeljagsrivier.
GEORGE AND KNYSNA Drive along the coast from George, situated in the heart of the Garden Route. The town itself sits on a 10km plateau between the majestic Outeniqua Mountains to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south. The Knysna Heads – two sandstone cliffs guarding the mouth of
the lagoon connecting the estuary with the sea – is a dramatic viewpoint.
DAY 14 HERMANUS
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
09:00 Drive the scenic route to Hermanus (140km) for a visit.
13:00 Transfer to a wine estate in Worcester for a tasting.
16:00 Return to the train at Worcester. Depart for Cape Town.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge and observation car
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.
HERMANUS Travel over the Rooihoogte and Floorshoogte passes via the Overberg to Hermanus, once a renowned fish market and whaling station. The whale hunts were stopped by international treaty in 1935. The WWF includes Hermanus in its list of 12 best whale-viewing sites in the world but it tops the list when it comes to land-based whale-watching from the town’s natural cliffs. In season (normally between July and November) whales can be seen from as close as 5m away.
DAY 15 ARRIVAL IN CAPE TOWN WITH A TOUR OF THE CITY
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 09:00.
10:00 Arrive at Cape Town Station. Check out of the train. Luggage will be stored at our private lounge at the station.
10:30 Full-day tour of Cape Town.
16:00 Return to Cape Town Station where your Shongololo adventure ends
