Rovos Rail: A Luxury Train Ride
By Pat
Johnson and Regina Fraser
This is a story about our love of trains and the experience of riding one of the world’s most luxurious ones – Rovos Rail. Before we take you on our journey, we want to share how our passion for locomotives was born, during childhood.
We grew up in different parts of the United States – Regina in Los Angeles, and Pat in Chicago. During the 1950s, Regina’s parents took her to Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, where she rode the Children’s Train as it huffed and puffed, with engineers garbed in train worker hats and gingham neck scarves. These rides transported her mind to faraway places and provided a regular getaway for a little girl, her twin brother Rex, and their sister Helena.
Pat’s most memorable childhood experience was a cross-country ride with her family on the City of Los Angeles Train, to attend Disneyland’s opening in 1955. The cozy compartment (maybe a little cramped with five people in a small space!) and the elegant dining car with silver, linen napkins and an extensive menu, provided a once-in-a-lifetime experience for an 11-year old on a fantastic voyage with her parents, brother Ted, age 7, and sister Linda, age 10.
Many Americans, especially those of the baby boomer generation, share similar memories as ours, having traveled on trains big and small during their youth. Whether wealthy, working class, or in between, thousands of people traveled across the country on trains during the first half of the 20th century. Though the privileged in the United States were often transported in well appointed compartments, regarding them as luxury rooms on wheels, standard coach service was prized for the window views, dining cars and observation cars, which were open to all passengers. Today many of us might only experience train travel via a subway or elevated system like that in Chicago. Some who are anxious to ride the high-speed “trains of tomorrow,” such as the Acela launched in 2004 on America’s East Coast, have found it difficult, as these systems are still “getting off the ground” in the States. But trains still reign supreme in Europe and parts of Asia, allowing people to still enjoy the wonders of traveling via rail.
These vivid memories of train travel’s glamorous history provide a context for our excitement in traveling on Rovos Rail fifty years later, in a land far away from the U.S. Midwest and West Coast.
The Pride of Africa 
Regina and I traveled at separate times on Rovos Rail, known as “The Pride of Africa” experiencing deluxe comfort and gracious Old World service. This remarkable train, which is pulled by late 19th century engines, features meticulously restored coaches dating from the 1930s, lined with wood paneling. Dining cars serve haute cuisine on china, with crystal goblets and real silverware. Service is impeccable and the well-trained multi-racial staff seems genuinely happy to be on board. The Rovos is similar to that shown in the movie “Murder on the Orient Express,” minus the stellar actors and gritty crime. It’s the closest thing either of us has had to a fantasy vacation.
Rovos was established more than 15 years ago by Rohan Vos who spared no expense to create a truly world-class travel experience. The journey began for Pat at the departure station outside Pretoria and for Regina in Cape Town. In both cities Mr. Vos welcomed passengers and a concierge retrieved our luggage. Next you are ushered to waitresses who offered chilled champagne and invited us to relax inside a paneled lounge, or in a patio next to the train tracks. The mood was further enhanced by a classical trio playing unobtrusively on the patio. It was like being transported back to another era.
The Departure Drill
Once the train arrived, the passengers are escorted down a red carpet to the suites by a valet, who described the train’s amenities and services. Passengers’ names were posted on the cabin doors. After entering, positioned on a desk was a personalized leather binder, providing a full itinerary and historical information on stops in route. Room amenities included a minibar, a tea cozy with water heater, windows that opened and under-the-floor heating and air conditioning (available as needed). Fluffy robes, slippers, a wonderful toiletry kit (with high end shampoos, lotions and other elixirs) and a pair of plastic safety goggles (to shield the eyes from the dust during excursions) are housed in a small closet. Each suite contained a well appointed, compact bathroom and in our case, a stall shower. The larger suites contain both a claw foot tub and shower.
After unpacking it was time to experience the rest of the train. Attractions included two dining cars; a lounge/library outfitted with cushy lounge chairs, stimulating reading material, an open bar; an observation car; and full kitchen. The lounge was especially enjoyable, as it allowed one to relax with a glass of wine and meet other passengers.
Rovos Rail operates two full trains. Each usually transports 20 carriages, with various itineraries lasting from 24 hours to ten days. The train routes link some of Africa’s greatest destinations from Cape Town at Africa’s tip, to Dar-Es-Salaam in Tanzania in northeast Africa. Travelers can experience scenic splendors from game reserves, Victoria Falls and Namibia’s desert landscape, to Kwa-Zulu Natal’s lush cane fields and the Garden Route of South Africa’s South Coast. 
The Pride of Africa is pulled by alternating steam, diesel and electric engines. According to company brochures, there is some shortage of suitable water sources and coal facilities to meet the needs of the Rail. These engine changes took place each day during our trips.
Pat’s journey on The Pride of Africa began at the headquarters of Rovos in a Victorian-style station located in Capital Park, Pretoria, and ended in beautiful Victoria Falls. Regina departed from Cape Town to Pretoria along the Garden Route. Both trips lasted two-and-a-half days, just long enough to absorb some unbelievable scenery, dine on exquisite food, and relax in the most comfortable bedroom suite on tracks anywhere. It also provided a chance to meet some fellow passengers as we admired the views and exchanged travel stories and business cards. Passengers of both of our trips were mainly Europeans and Americans.
Rovos Rail appears to attract an older clientele. Regina and I were surprised that the average age of passengers is probably 50. Although we were told Rovos does attract some honeymooners, we didn’t see anyone under 40 years old. Passengers were uniformly well traveled but most were making their first trip to South Africa.
The Dining Experience 
Ok, let’s cut to some high points of the experience. First of all, everyone must dress for dinner (not breakfast or lunch). This means black tie for men and formal or after-five for women.
The two fully restored Victorian-era dining cars are elegant displays of mahogany wood, polished brass fixtures, high-back upholstered chairs, lovely linen tablecloths, crystal stemware and real silverware. The wait staff, chefs and kitchen staff provided the opportunity to interact with the younger generation. The dining staff was uniformly friendly and informative in describing the menu items. For some of us non-gourmet types, the explanations were needed, as some of the more exotic entrees included ingredients such as warthog and ostrich.
The lunch and dinner menus were basically European with some interesting South African preparations. Wines were South African and uniformly excellent. Regina became a great fan of Pinotage. Travelers were seated four per table, and the four-course dinners usually took an hour and a half. After dinner, degustation was held in the lounge. After all, one couldn’t go straight to bed after such meals. By the way, there was no TV or radio, and cell phones could be used but only in your suite. The drill for each day was just good conversation. 
Sleep
The train spent the nights on the rails; there was no movement each evening for about six hours. Pat had to read herself to sleep the first night, but Regina had no problem. Both agreed the beds were hotel quality and the pillows fluffy down.
The Rovos Experience
The Rovos Rail experience is not confined to the train ride. There are stops with excursions to game reserves, in Pat’s case Kapama, a large reserve near Kruger Park where in addition to a chance to see the Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhino) there is a very special breeding station for cheetahs, which are an endangered species. Pat’s final destination was Victoria Falls, one of the world tallest falls, and itself one of the wonders of the world. The falls straddle Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Regina’s experience included a tour of Kimberly, South Africa, the largest diamond mine in the world and we believe the biggest man-made hole in the world. The excursion included a visit to a mining museum and later a mining town tour. On their way to lunch at an old man’s club they drove by the headquarters of the world-famous DeBeers diamond company.
As the Rovos train chugged its way through a variety of terrain - bush veldt, Drakensburg Mountains, forests and even shanty towns (called informal housing) with tin-roofs, it was possible to see, and at times acutely feel, that our luxurious odyssey was an exceptional and maybe decadent experience in a country that is very poor. Most of South Africa can only dream of such a journey.
Travel at a Price 
Traveling as we did, in grand style, comes at a price. The cost is close to $2,000 USD per person for a two-and-one-half day journey, double occupancy. The rate includes three meals a day, all beverages, off-train excursions, laundry, pressing service and a staff at your beck and call 24 hours a day. Longer itineraries are much more expensive. But for those of you who want a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience, Rovos Rail may just be it!
For more information check out:www.rovos.co.za
Pictures: Courtesy of Rovos Rail Website
This article was recently published in The Trumpet Magazine
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