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Rivos Rail Cape Town – Dar Es Salaam
CAPE TOWN TO DAR ES SALAAM JOURNEY (15 nights)
Travel Dates: Flexible
Price: Price on enquiry
DAY 1: CAPE TOWN
Depart from Cape Town Station. The train travels towards the Hex River Valley.
Dinner is served in the dining cars.
DAY 2: MATJIESFONTEIN
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00. Disembark at Matjiesfontein for an opportunity to stroll through the historic village. Of special interest is the museum on the platform and a collection of historic cars and railway carriages to the right of the Lord Milner Hotel.
The train traverses the Karoo, a vast semi-desert region that was once an enormous inland sea. Over millions of years, volcanic matter was ground down and deposited as silt upon the seabed to form what geologists call the Karoo system.
Lunch is served in the dining cars.
Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
Dinner is served in the dining cars.
DAY 3: KIMBERLEY
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00.
Lunch is served in the dining cars.
Enjoy a tour of Kimberley’s Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole. Capital of the Northern Cape, Kimberley is well known for the discovery of diamonds that led to its establishment in 1871.
Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Klerksdorp.
DAY 4: PRETORIA
Breakfast is served in the dining cars.
Transfer (±60 min) to Pretoria for a city tour followed by lunch on the Rovos Rail Station platform. Enjoy a walking tour of the station and locomotive workshops (weather permitting). Return (±60 min) to the train.
Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Zeerust.
DAY 5: MADIKWE GAME RESERVE
Please pack a small overnight bag for the stay in Madikwe. Tog bags have been placed in your suite for your convenience. See below for inclusions/exclusions. Spa facilities available (own account). Payment in ZAR or by credit card only. Times of meals and activities confirmed on arrival.
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00.
Transfer (±90 min) to a lodge in Madikwe for a two-night stay. Lunch is served on arrival.
Afternoon tea and game drive (approximately 3 hours).
Dinner at the lodge.
Madikwe is a prime malaria-free Big 5 wildlife reserve bordering Botswana. It lies within a transition zone between the North West Province bushveld and Kalahari thornveld with enormous volcanic intrusions, wide open plains and the riverine environment along the Marico River. As a result, the region is host to an incredible diversity of species from both ecosystems with a rich assortment of vegetation and more than 300 resident and migrant bird species.
DAY 6: MADIKWE GAME RESERVE
Early morning game drive (approximately 3 hours).
Breakfast is served at the lodge until 09:30.
Lunch at the lodge.
Afternoon tea and game drive (approximately 3 hours).
Dinner at the lodge.
DAY 7: MADIKWE GAME RESERVE BORDER: KOPFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA / TLOKWENG, BOTSWANA
Early morning game drive (approximately 2 hours).
Breakfast is served until 09:30. Please ensure your bags are ready for collection at 10:00 and proceed to check-out.
Depart the lodge. Transfer to the train at Gaborone in Botswana. Border formalities will take place en route and guests are required to present themselves to the border officials (luggage may be searched).
Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train crosses the Tropic of Capricorn and the eastern edge of the KalahariBasin. Known as ‘Kgalagadi’ in Botswana, the Kalahari (which extends to 900 000km2 and covers much of Botswana, parts of Namibia and South Africa) is not a true desert as it does experience small amounts of rain, with some areas enjoying up to 250mm. The surrounding basin covers over 2 500 000km2 extending farther into Botswana, Namibia and South Africa and encroaching into parts of Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is part desert, part plateau. The only constant river, the Okavango, flows into a delta in the northwest forming marshes that are rich in wildlife.
Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
Dinner is served in the dining cars.
DAY 8: AT LEISURE ON BOARD BORDER: FRANCISTOWN, BOTSWANA / PLUMTREE, ZIMBABWE
Lectures will take place throughout the journey during the morning and/or afternoon in the lounge car. Please consult Lecture Sheets for details. Victoria Falls: If you have decided to book activities through the on-board historian, please ensure you have done so before lunch. Cash accepted.
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00. Border formalities take place.
Lunch is served in the dining cars.
Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Pass Gwaai and Dete along one of Africa’s longest stretches of straight railway line – 114 kilometres – and along the eastern edge of the Hwange National Park.
Dinner is served in the dining cars.
DAY 9: VICTORIA FALLS
Please pack a small overnight bag for the stay at Victoria Falls Hotel. See below for inclusions/exclusions.
Meals are taken at the Victoria Falls Hotel. Currency exchange is available at the hotel (passports not required); there is a business centre and WiFi available throughout. If you are crossing the border into Zambia during your stay, please obtain your passport from the Train Manager or Administration Deputy.
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00.
Arrive at the incomparable Victoria Falls. Disembark with an overnight bag and walk across to the hotel.
Welcome address on the lawn followed by lunch at Jungle Junction. Luggage will be delivered to the rooms.
15:45 WINTER / 16:15 SUMMER Meet in the hotel foyer before departure for the sunset cruise on the Zambezi.
Dinner at the Livingstone Room, Victoria Falls Hotel. Dress: Smart Casual (strictly no safari-wear, shorts, sandals or sneakers)
DAY 10: VICTORIA FALLS BORDER: VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE / LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA
Check-out time is normally at 10:00 (to be advised). If you have organised morning activities, please ensure you have checked out. Luggage storage at reception is complimentary until afternoon departure. Please call the front desk and they will send a porter to collect your luggage.
Breakfast is served at the Jungle Junction Restaurant until 10:00. Day at leisure in the Victoria Falls.
Lunch at Jungle Junction.
Meet on station platform for departure to Zambia.
Cross the Victoria Falls Bridge. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Border formalities take place.
Dinner is served in the dining cars.
DAY 11: AT LEISURE ON BOARD
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00. After breakfast, the train travels across the Kafue Railway Bridge –a 477-metre long steel girder truss bridge of 13 spans each at 33 metres supported on concrete piers.
Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train passes through Zambia’s capital, Lusaka.
Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Kapiri Mposhi.
DAY 12: AT LEISURE ON BOARD
Breakfast is served until 10:00. The train travels the TAZARA railway line, an engineering tour de force and one of Africa’s best-kept secrets as it passes through remote territory.
Lunch is served in the dining cars.
Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Kasama.
DAY 13: CHISIMBA FALLS BORDER: NAKONDE, ZAMBIA / TUNDUMA, TANZANIA
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
Enjoy a visit to Chisimba Falls where guests can take a pleasant walk down to the rock pools at the base of the falls or admire them from various viewpoints.
The train climbs to the border, almost exactly the midpoint between Africa’s two Great Rift Valley lakes.
Lunch is served in the dining cars.
Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Border formalities take place.
Dinner is served. The train passes Baobab forests and descends the Rift Valley towards Mbeya.
DAY 14: MAKAMBAKO (optional)
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00.
Arrive at Makambako and enjoy a stroll through the town (time permitting).
The train travels towards the jungled Udzungwa Mountains and negotiates the dramatic switchbacks, viaducts and tunnels of the escarpment.
Lunch is served in the dining cars.
Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal
DAY 15: SELOUS GAME RESERVE
Continental breakfast is served in the dining cars until 08:00. The train descends into the highlands and traverses the fertile lands of Tanzania towards the Selous.
Brunch is served in the dining cars until 11:45.
Enjoy a game visit in the Selous Game Reserve, the largest in Africa at 55 000km2 (time permitting).
Return to the train.
Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Gwata. Dress: “1920s” Theme or Smart Casual
DAY 16: DAR ES SALAAM
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00. Travel in an easterly direction towards the coast.
Arrive at journey’s end at Tazara Station in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Package Includes
One way per person sharing
Accommodation
All meals
All beverages on board
Room service
Limited laundry service
Guided excursions
Entrance fees as per itinerary
Government tax
Package Excludes
Off-train beverages
International sparkling wine
Gratuities
Personal expenses
Visas
Travel insurance
Pre- and post-tour accommodation
Flights and transfers
SUITE FACILITIES
Double or twin beds
En-suite with bath, shower, toilet and basin
Small lounge area
Writing desk
Luggage shelf
Cupboards
Safe
Air conditioning
Fridge
Tea facilities
Bespoke amenities
Robes and slippers
Hairdryer (fixed or plug-in)
Shaver plugs (2-pin)
USB ports
Safety glasses
Emergency torch
Fire extinguisher
Laundry bag
Shoe bag
Internal telephone system
Room service
