A few weeks ago Grant and I set off from Pretoria to Cape Town, on Rovos Rail. My first post detailed Life On Board and now the focus is on the actual journey. The Rovos Rail Cape Town journey takes three days and covers 1600-kilometres. This slow meander, down South, is a perfect illustration of the varied landscapes of Southern Africa.
Rovos Rail Cape Town Journey
We departed from Capital Park in Pretoria, on Friday afternoon heading due South towards Cape Town. After a stop at Centurion to change locomotives, we passed through the picturesque village of Irene. About 30kms to the west lies the golden city of Johannesburg. Once a vibrant tented town, Johannesburg is now the capital of Gauteng. Today, Gauteng is a proverbial melting pot of cultures and nationalities.
The train travels overnight towards Kimberley, which is the first scheduled stop on the itinerary. Before arriving in the city, we were told to look out for Kamfers Dam. The dam is home to thousands upon thousands of pink flamingos. The flamingos are a truly spectacularly sight, even if you are not a serious birder.
Kimberley
We arrived in Kimberley shortly after breakfast. Kimberley was a definite highlight of the trip, as neither of us had been to the city before! The first stop once we had disembarked, was the Diamond Mine Museum, next was the world’s largest man-made excavation, the Big Hole.
I found visiting Kimberley very enlightening and seeing those gorgeous gems up close made me realise, diamonds are a girl’s best friend {well mine anyway}!
Leaving the Diamond City, we continued our journey towards De Aar, which is a major railway junction to Namibia and the Northen Cape Line. It was incredible to see the definite change in the landscape, as the grasslands of the gold-rich Highveld, give way to the haunting barrenness of the Great Karoo. The train then proceeds overnight via De Aar and Beaufort West, towards Matjiesfontein.
Matjiesfontein
Another highlight of our trip was the visit to the historic village of Matjiesfontein, yet another first for both of us. Before breakfast, the train stopped approximately 5km outside of Matjiesfontjein, and we were able to jump off and enjoy a brisk walk into town.
The authentically preserved Victorian Village of Matjiesfontjein was founded by Mr Logan as a refreshment stop in 1890.
Matjiesfontjein also boasts an impressive Motor Museum, The Lord Milner Hotel, a quaint coffee shop, as well as the cutest little chapel. It is one of those towns, which although small is utterly enchanting! Grant and I lost track of time exploring and had to run back to the train, not to be left behind!
Cape Town
As we started out of Matjiesfontjein, the landscape once again began to change. The barren landscape giving way to the majestic mountain ranges and scenic Winelands of the Cape.
We even spotted a bit of snow on a few of the mountain peaks – a beautiful sight to behold!
Pulling into Cape Town Station early Sunday evening, we were greeted by the glorious sight of Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head. I thoroughly enjoyed our journey, but I still love the feeling of “coming home”. As you can imagine we received a very enthusiastic welcome from our girls, who had not seen us since Friday morning!
Route Details
Our Rovos Rail experience was magical, and one of my all-time favourite experiences. It is also something that has been on my bucket-list for the longest time, which I can now tick off.
I would travel with Rovos again in a heartbeat! My sights set are on the Namibian Safari, but there is quite a bit of saving that will have to happen first!
To make a reservation or find out more about the journeys available, please visit the Rovos Rail Website or contact Head Office: + 27 (0) 12 315 8242, Cape Town: + 27 (0) 21 421 4020 or via Email.
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