Roll on Rovos
By Ilse Zietsman Ilse is a freelance journalist, photographer and language specialist who lives in the winelands of South Africa. She is passionate about traveling and food and has travelled to 54 countries all over the world. Her favourite destinations are Morocco, Slovenia and Montenegro; she has a special affinity for Eastern Europe including the Baltics. She is not happy unless there is a plane ticket in her safe at home.
Choo, choo! Chug, chug! Chuff, chuff! These are the most beautiful – and soothing – sounds for a rail buff or train spotter.
On a Rovos Rail train journey you’ll find not only railway enthusiasts but also couples celebrating their anniversary, friends taking a break from everyday life to be pampered and spoiled and tourists keen on seeing the countryside from a train window.
On a Rovos Rail train journey you’ll find not only railway enthusiasts but also couples celebrating their anniversary, friends taking a break from everyday life to be pampered and spoiled and tourists keen on seeing the countryside from a train window.
On a South African Rovos journey from Pretoria to Cape Town (also available in reverse) passengers rediscover the old pioneering trail of the Karoo. Over 3 nights and 1,600 km the train meanders through a kaleidoscope of landscapes from the grasslands of the Highveld in the Gauteng and Free State provinces to the beautiful barrenness of the semidesert of the Great Karoo (look out for the landmark Three Sisters, a trio of koppies or hillocks), followed by spectacular mountain ranges and, just before you trundle into Cape Town, the world-renowned vineyards of the Winelands of the Cape. As the locals say, the world in one country.
Speaking of vineyards, this brings us to the wine served on Rovos Rail Journeys. Lunches and dinners are four-course affairs paired with exquisite wines. Should you feel like a different tipple, you need but to lift a finger and your friendly waiter will grant your wine wish.
As for the food, I had the best bocconcini ever – with melon, Parma ham, rocket and a balsamic reduction. Local ingredients rule and fellow guests from all over the world raved about the smoked snoek tart, the roast ostrich (with dukkah on roasted vegetable quinoa and a port wine jus) and Karoo lamb (with sautéed potatoes, broccoli spears, glazed carrots and a red wine reduction). Not everyone was brave enough to try the millefeuille of smoked crocodile and avocado mousse but this delicate taste experience got a huge thumbs-up from me.
As for the food, I had the best bocconcini ever – with melon, Parma ham, rocket and a balsamic reduction. Local ingredients rule and fellow guests from all over the world raved about the smoked snoek tart, the roast ostrich (with dukkah on roasted vegetable quinoa and a port wine jus) and Karoo lamb (with sautéed potatoes, broccoli spears, glazed carrots and a red wine reduction). Not everyone was brave enough to try the millefeuille of smoked crocodile and avocado mousse but this delicate taste experience got a huge thumbs-up from me.
There are some things you need to know before you board Rovos Rail.
Dress-up for dinner is a must, a hark back to the glamorous days of a few decades ago. It creates delightful feelings of nostalgia and style. Add to that the fact that there is no wi-fi and an insistence that devices are only to be used in your compartment, and you’ll find a wonderful sense of camaraderie amongst train travelers. Old-fashion conversation abounds, only interrupted by shouts of glee when spotting springbok or springbuck (Antidorcas marsupialis), blesbuck, a type of bontebok antelope (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi), and what looked like a genet, a small cat-like carnivore, running in the veld. I must admit I had my doubts when a couple next to us claimed to have spotted camels somewhere in the Highveld!
Dress-up for dinner is a must, a hark back to the glamorous days of a few decades ago. It creates delightful feelings of nostalgia and style. Add to that the fact that there is no wi-fi and an insistence that devices are only to be used in your compartment, and you’ll find a wonderful sense of camaraderie amongst train travelers. Old-fashion conversation abounds, only interrupted by shouts of glee when spotting springbok or springbuck (Antidorcas marsupialis), blesbuck, a type of bontebok antelope (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi), and what looked like a genet, a small cat-like carnivore, running in the veld. I must admit I had my doubts when a couple next to us claimed to have spotted camels somewhere in the Highveld!
It should be noted that Rovos Rail is reliant on the traction and railway services along the way. Sometimes services fail whether it’s the locomotives, signals, overhead power cables or electricity outages, and this might cause delays at times.
Thus, it is advised not to book same-day air travel on departure/arrival days. But hey, if you have the opportunity to visit Cape Town, especially, voted fourth in the ranking of Best Big Cities around the globe by Conde Nast Traveller’s Readers’ Choice Awards, why would you want to hurry home?
But, before you get to Cape Town – you can’t mistake the city approach as everyone rushes to the windows to take photos of Table Mountain, rejoicing in or bemoaning the ‘table cloth’ or cloud cover when it’s there – there are some excursions to partake in on the Cape Town-Pretoria (or the northbound route) Rovos Rail Journey.
Thus, it is advised not to book same-day air travel on departure/arrival days. But hey, if you have the opportunity to visit Cape Town, especially, voted fourth in the ranking of Best Big Cities around the globe by Conde Nast Traveller’s Readers’ Choice Awards, why would you want to hurry home?
But, before you get to Cape Town – you can’t mistake the city approach as everyone rushes to the windows to take photos of Table Mountain, rejoicing in or bemoaning the ‘table cloth’ or cloud cover when it’s there – there are some excursions to partake in on the Cape Town-Pretoria (or the northbound route) Rovos Rail Journey.
The first scheduled stop is made in Kimberley to visit the world’s largest man-made hole aptly named The Big Hole, formerly known as Kimberley Mine, where nearly 3 tons of diamonds have been excavated, and the Diamond Mine Museum.
The second excursion is to the quaint historical village of Matjiesfontein, straight out of the Victorian era and founded as a refreshment stop in the late 1800s. It includes a museum visit and enough time to explore the atmospheric train platform and station.
Other routes that can be taken with Rovos Rail on their Great Southern African Train Adventures include a safari to Durban or Namibia, a trip to Vic Falls in Zimbabwe, and multi-night panoramic journeys through South Africa, eSwatini, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola, the Republic of Congo and Tanzania.
The second excursion is to the quaint historical village of Matjiesfontein, straight out of the Victorian era and founded as a refreshment stop in the late 1800s. It includes a museum visit and enough time to explore the atmospheric train platform and station.
Other routes that can be taken with Rovos Rail on their Great Southern African Train Adventures include a safari to Durban or Namibia, a trip to Vic Falls in Zimbabwe, and multi-night panoramic journeys through South Africa, eSwatini, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola, the Republic of Congo and Tanzania.
Exploring sub-Saharan Africa with Rovos Rail, is definitely not only for ferroequinologists i.e. a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems, and presumably likes the melodic sounds of rumbling wheels and a rhythmic chugging. On Rovos Rail you experience the epitome of sophisticated (train) travel – in vintage wood-panelled carriages (choose between the Royal, Deluxe or Pullman – have a look online) whilst making new friends with a plethora of travel stories and tips to share.
All you need to know can be found on www.rovos.com
All you need to know can be found on www.rovos.com
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