African Rail Journeys

South Africa by train — next stop Cape Town
The Telegraph
January 17, 2010

Rovos Rail offers several train journeys in southern Africa. All trips can be booked through UK tour operators such as African Pride (01904 781500; www.african-pride.co.uk): the two-day Pretoria-Cape Town trip (or vice versa) costs from £940 [2010 price] per person inclusive, and can be booked as a one-off or part of a longer tailor-made African trip. Other Rovos trips can be linked to this tour, including a three-day trip to Victoria Falls. Four, seven, nine and 14-day train journeys are also available.

Great Rail Journeys (01904 521936) has a 15-day tour around South Africa, including game drives and visits to three of the country's major cities aboard the Pride of Africa, run by Rovos Rail, and with luxury suites and regional cuisine in the train's restaurant. The itinerary includes Johannesburg and Durban, ending in Cape Town, with trips to Table Mountain and Robben Island. The price is £4,475 [2010 price] and includes excursions, flights and accommodation.

Page and Moy (0800 567 7400) also has a trip through South Africa aboard the Rovos Rail train, which begins in Cape Town and travels via De Aar and Kimberley to Johannesburg. The 11-day trip costs from £3,502 [2010 price].

Premier Classe trains are a direct, affordable way to travel around South Africa, with deluxe trains that link the major South African cities and run once or twice a week. Prices are from £65, depending on the route, including meals from the train buffet.

Trailfinders (0845 050 5903) offers a journey between Cape Town and Pretoria on board the five‑star Blue Train, known for its service and impressive carriages. The nine-day trip includes tours of Cape Town and Johannesburg, and ends with three days at a safari lodge in the Kruger National Park. Prices start from £2,849 [2010 price], including hotel accommodation and full board on the Blue Train, but not flights.

Travelsphere (0800 567 7372) offers a trip aboard "The Marrakech Express", an eight-day tour of Morocco with three train journeys through the mountains and wine regions of the country. Sightseeing tours and overnight stays in Casablanca, Fez, Rabat and Marrakesh are also included. Prices start from £1,152 [2010 price], including flights from Heathrow and half board.

2 by 2 Holidays (01582 766122) offers a trip on Rovos rail's longest route, from Dar es Salaam to Cape Town. This 19-day journey takes you across four countries, from Tanzania south down the Great Rift Valley to Zambia and the Victoria Falls. In Zimbabwe there is a stop at Bulawayo before the train crosses into South Africa at the Beit Bridge, with travel via Kruger National Park, Pretoria and Kimberley to Cape Town. Prices start from £5,550 [2010 price], including full board but not flights.

Source: Telegraph, January 17, 2010

Africa Tours

There are lots of organized tour companies for Africa, from basic hiking and bus tours with tent or simple safari camps for accommodation (such as Dragoman and Oasis Overland), up to luxury tours by jeep or rail, and very luxurious safari lodges. 

Kensington Tours has a large number of tours throughout southern Africa.

Wilderness Destinations can create custom tours of all regions.

I will be investigating them all for quality and value, especially looking for reviews by past users.

An article in the May 2019 issue of International Living looks at overland tours in Africa. A good article, and the author noted Oasis Overland and Acacia Africa as starting points for investigating the numerous tour companies available.

GoAhead Tours (out of Toronto) has a 16 day tour of Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa for $11,298 not including airfare but before single supplement.

Tanzania

My first interest is in sites in Tanzania, particularly the Serengeti and  the Ngorongoro area.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Speke Bay Lodge, on Lake Victoria

Serengeti Sopa Lodge, overlooking Serengeti National Park

Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Tarangire Sopa Lodge, located in Tarangire National Park

Africa travel

A site for travel plans and resources for travel in Africa, specifically equatorial and farther south. (For north Africa I will look separately at Morocco and Egypt.) I'll be looking into travel methods, accommodations and tours.

There are lots of safari companies for wildlife excursions in places like Kenya and Tanzania.

I discovered that there are lots of guides available through a website I've just discovered called "Tours by Locals". It has information on private guides all over the world, not just Africa, including reviews by users.

E-sim cards for traveling in SA are available from Nomad, SimOptions and Airalo.