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KwaZulu Natal Holidays Tours South Africa Zulu Battlefields Durban Safari

Rovos Rail Train, Durban, South Africa: Luxury Safari Holiday & Vacation

Rovos Rail Train: Pretoria to North Coast + Zululand Safari
Rovos Rail Train Durban South Africa Luxury Safari Holiday Vacation
10 NIGHTS FROM:
$3,520
Per person sharing
Scheduled flights quoted separately
9SYC10J
• South Africa, Luxury Safari
• Pretoria
• Rovos Rail Train, Durban
• KwaZulu Natal
• Ladysmith
• Spionkop Boer Battlefield
• Nambiti Game Reserve
• Durban South Africa Vacation
• North Coast Beaches
• Luxury Safari Holiday & Vacation

Travel on the Rovos Rail Train to Durban in South Africa on this luxury safari holiday, passing through scenic KwaZulu Natal. Disembark at Ladysmith for a visit to the Boer War battlefield at Spioenkop & relax in Durban. Complete your vacation with a thrilling Big-5 safari in Zululand. Six departures per year in each direction (Pullman, Deluxe or Royal cabin). All game drives, sightseeing & transfers included.

Day 1
You will be met at Johannesburg Airport and transferred 1-hour to Pretoria (now called Tshwane).
 
This city is the administrative capital of South Africa and is renowned for its jacaranda trees that flower from September to November.
Day 2
This morning enjoy a half day private tour of the highlights of Pretoria.
 
We visit the Voortrekker Monument and historic Church Square, where we visit the home of Paul Kruger who was the president of the old Transvaal Republic at the time of the Anglo Boer War. We also drive past the City Hall and stop for photos at the beautiful Union Buildings - the official residence of the South African president, designed by Sir Herbert Baker. Here there is an impressive statue of Nelson Mandela.
Day 3
Transfer from your hotel to Capital Park Station arriving by 09.00, in good time to board the luxury Rovos Rail Pride of Africa departing 10.00 for Durban.
 
Relax and enjoy the elegance of luxury 5-star train travel of a bygone age, as you settle in to your wood-panelled coach for your 48-hour rail journey to Durban, enjoying fine cuisine and outstanding personal service, as you travel nearly 1,000 miles through beautiful mountains and grassland scenery to enjoy the history and wildlife of this wonderful continent.
 
Travel past Heidelberg, Vooruitsig and Majuba Hill in the direction of Ladysmith for overnight.
 
Note: Dress code on the train during the day is smart casual, with comfortable walking shoes for the off-train excursion. Evenings are generally more formal, with most guests enjoying the opportunity to dress up (gentlemen are asked to wear a collar & tie, but jackets are optional).
 
Please be aware you may experience delays on your journey, due to issues with the local railway network. Rovos Rail will do its best to mitigate these, but they do sometimes occur. For this reason you should not book your flight home on the day your journey ends.
Day 4
Early morning 05.00 wake up call today to disembark at Elandslaagte for a game drive in the malaria free Nambiti Private Game Reserve, which is home to all the Big Five as well as many other bird and animal species.
 
After returning to the train for brunch, we continue through beautiful scenery to Estcourt where we disembark for your choice of excursion - either an open top game drive in Spioenkop Game Reserve or an escorted tour of the famous Spioenkop Battlefield, where one of the bloodiest battles of the South African War (Anglo Boer War) of 1900 took place in efforts to relieve Ladysmith, which was besieged for 118 days. Visit the mass graves atop Spioenkop Hill and see for yourself how poor military decisions affected the outcome of this battle.
 
Incredibly three future world leaders were in the area at the time this battle took place - Winston Churchill as a young newspaper correspondent, the future Mahatma Gandhi as a stretcher bearer, and Louis Botha as the Boer general who would go on to become the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa.
 
Afterwards we return to the train for dinner.
 
Recommended Reading:
Boer War – Thomas Pakenham
Day 5
After winding through the rolling hills of the KwaZulu Natal Midlands, we disembark at Lions River Station for an excursion to the Ardmore Ceramics Gallery, including a dressage display and tea. Ardmore features the sculpure and painting of local Zulu artists whose sense of colour, rhythm, dance and song have become world renowned.
 
We re-board the train and continue southwards towards Pietermaritzburg. After enjoying a final day of luxury train travel, arrive at Durban Station at 16h00 and transfer to your hotel.
Day 6
This morning we recommend an optional half day shared sightseeing tour of the highlights of Durban.
 
We start with a drive along the Golden Mile, the beachfront promenade with its colourful street markets, and through the Point Waterfront. We continue past the beautiful old City Hall to the small craft harbour at Wilson's Wharf and drive past huge sugar terminals and busy harbour warehouses to the University of Natal campus, which has lovely views over the harbour.
 
Then we visit the bustling African/Indian Markets at Warwick Triangle – home to 9 different markets developed around Durban’s largest public transport interchange, where over 6,000 street vendors ply their trade – an authentic cultural experience. We then visit the peaceful Durban Botanic Gardens, founded in 1849 and home to a magnificent orchid house and many massive trees from Asia, Africa and America.
 
Our tour ends with a visit to the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium that was built for the 2010 World Cup. Here there is the option of taking a cable car ride to the top of the stadium for a phenomenal view over Durban and its coastline (pay locally).
 
Afterwards you will be dropped off at uShaka Marine World, situated in the old harbour area that is being extensively re-developed. Here you can view large indigenous sharks of the Indian Ocean and a wide variety of marine animals - including turtles, dolphins, seals and penguins. There are snorkelling ponds with over 5,000 fish, the Wet n Wild Water Park and a lovely beach. At the end of the day you will be transferred back to your hotel.
 
Note: Moses Mabhida Stadium is closed on Saturdays and any other match day.
Day 7
At leisure to relax on the warm golden beaches of the Durban North Coast.
 
Many optional activities are available such as a marine cruise to search for dolphins, turtles, sharks, whales (in season) and other fascinating sea life. Championship golf, horse riding and deep sea game fishing are also available.
Day 8
Today transfer 4-hours to your private Zululand Game Reserve, renowned for its outstanding wildlife.
  
After checking in to your lodge, game viewing opportunities should present themselves almost immediately and hopefully you will see several species of antelope, zebra, wildebeest and maybe even giraffe - as well as several of the Big 5 - before dining under the stars in the atmosphere that only the African bushveld can provide.
Days 9 To 10
Rise at dawn to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day and enjoy a thrilling shared open-top game viewing safari with your lodge ranger in your Zululand Game Reserve which is home to all the Big Five - lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino. Hope to see many other interesting species too, before returning to your lodge for breakfast.
 
The rest of the morning is free to relax by the lodge swimming pool, before setting out again in the late afternoon for another game drive. Hope to see cheetah, giraffe, hippo, kudu, crocodiles, sable antelope, waterbuck, warthogs, baboons and many other interesting animals. With over 500 different bird species, bird watching is also outstanding.
 
After a beautiful African sunset, enjoy the balmy evening and pristine stars of the Milky Way as you have never seen them before – as well as the spectacular Southern Cross.
 
Note: children < 6 are not allowed on open top game drives
Day 11
Enjoy some final early morning game viewing, before your 4-hour transfer to Durban Airport for your flight home.