South Africa offers tourists a whole range of train safaris, narrow gauge steam trains and luxury tourist trains. This list of train safaris in South Africa is lets you the tourist decide what's on offer. Merl at Amakhulu Central Reservations specialises in South Africa train Safaris and would be glad to assist you in booking any steam train or luxury train journey that this country has to offer.
ROVOS
RAIL
Also known as the "Pride of Africa", it is South Africa's
version of the legendary Orient Express. Luxury, ambience and nostalgia
are the hallmarks of a 1920's steam train that has been lovingly restored
by Rohan Vos (Rovos) who once was rich and now claims to owning only a
great train set. Routes: Its scheduled routes in both directions
are: Pretoria-Cape Town; Pretoria-Kruger Park-Maputo; Pretoria-Vic Falls.
But you can also charter the whole train and request you own route. Duration
of journey: 22 hours to 4 days
OUTENIQUA
CHOO-TJOE
Named after the mountain range along the Garden Route, the Outeniqua
Choo-Tjoe will steam you through stunning landscapes of the Garden Route. Route:
between George and Knysna. Duration: 3 to 6 hours
BANANA
EXPRESS
Take a train from the coast of KwaZulu-Natal into the interior, by
steaming through rolling hills and banana and sugarcane plantations. Enjoy
a braai (barbecue) at the end of the line. Route: between Port
Shepstone and Istotsha, Thursday and Saturdays. Duration:
2.5 hours
MAGALIESBERG
EXPRESS
This steam train should be chartered for your group, as its scheduled
departures are too infrequent. It takes you from Johannesburg into the
local mountain range of Magaliesberg. Route: Johannesburg to
Magaliesberg. Duration: One day trip.
APPLE
EXPRESS
This is an old narrow-gauge train that used to transport the famous
"Cape" apples from the orchards to the harbour of Port
Elizabeth. Route: between Port Elizabeth and Loerie. Duration: 3 or 6 hours.
BLUE
TRAIN
This 5-star hotel on wheels hardly needs an introduction, having become
one of South Africa's best known icons. Suffice it to say that it was
recently refurbished and brought up to speed for the new millennium. Its
main destinations are Cape Town and the Kruger National Park. Routes:
Pretoria-Cape Town and Pretoria-Nelspruit (and vice versa). Duration: Pretoria-Cape Town: 24 hours; Pretoria-Nelspruit: 6.5
hours.
Enquire about luxury and steam train journeys in South Africa