ROV05 - 9 Day African Golf Collage Luxury Rail Tour

Travel South Africa from north to south. Train travel in South Africa has never been so luxurious. This panoramic nine-day sojourn commences at the Rovos Rail Station at Capital Park in Pretoria. The first leg of the journey takes the train through Witbank and Middelburg and then traverses the majestic Drakensberg escarpment en route to the lowveld of Mpumalanga. The following morning you will receive an early wake up call to either tee-off at Leopard Creek Golf Course or enjoy an early morning game drive through the famous Kruger Park. The train will take the non-golfing guests south towards Mpaka in Swaziland where they will be joined by the golfers for an afternoon game drive in Mkhaya Reserve.

During the evening the train will continue south to the village of Hluhluwe in Zululand. Starting early once again, a wide variety of game can be seen on an early morning game drive through the scenic Hluhluwe Game Reserve. The Pride of Africa departs mid morning and makes its way south through the lush cane fields of KwaZulu-Natal, arriving in Empangeni after brunch where the golfers will disembark for 18 holes at Zimbali Country Club. The non-golfing guests continue on the train for a late afternoon arrival in Durban where they will be rejoined by the golfers. An early morning tee-off at Durban Country Club Beachwood Course for the golfing enthusiasts is followed by a scenic drive through Pietermaritzburg and the Valley of a Thousand Hills en route to Lions River to join the train. The train meanwhile stops at Lions River for a morning visit to the Ardmore Ceramics Gallery. Lunch and an afternoon of leisure is enjoyed by all as the route to Bethlehem takes the train past Lesotho and the highest mountains in the Drakensberg range at 3482 metres. During the night we continue onto Bloemfontein, the Free State capital, with a morning tour of the city planned for the non-golfers while the golfers enjoy a morning game of golf at the 115 year old Bloemfontein Golf Club.

The journey continues southwards overnight to the coastal capital of the Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth, where the non-golfers make the most of a morning visit to Addo Elephant Park. The golfers take on the challenge of the Humewood Golf Club links layout, rejoining the train in the early afternoon. An early morning departure from Willowmore takes the Pride of Africa into Oudtshoorn for a visit to the Highgate Ostrich Farm followed by another spectacular rail descent down the Montagu pass into George for an afternoon at leisure. Dinner will be savoured at the Fancourt Hotel & Golf Estate. A morning visit to Knysna and the surrounding attractions will complete the visit to this natural paradiise for our non-golfing guests. The golfers will relish the challenge of the spectacular Ernie Els designed Oubaai Golf Course, the first Ernie Els signature course on the Garden Route or play at the world famous Fancourt Golf Estate in George. The train sets off at midday from George travelling along the scenic Garden Route through Mossel Bay and Riversdale. The next morning, after a short visit to the KWV Brandy Distillery in Worcester, the Pride of Africa ends its magnificent collage in the Mother City of Cape Town.

Rovos Rail travelling through the Swartberg Mountains near Oudtshoorn.

Day 1 of the tour
10:00     Depart Rovos Rail’s private station in Capital Park, Pretoria.
18:30     Arrive at Waterval Onder.

Day 2 of the tour
05:00     Wake up call for game drive in the Kruger National Park in open vehicles (non-golfers).
07:00     Eighteen holes of golf at Leopard Creek Country Club (golfers).
11:00     Brunch in the dining car while we travel through Komtipoort to the Swaziland border (non-golfers).
12:30     After a light lunch board the vehicles for a 1 and a half hour drive to rejoin the train at Mpaka in Swaziland (golfers).
15:00     Arrive at Mkhaya Game Reserve for an afternoon game drive (golfers and non-golfers).

Day 3 of the tour
05:00     Wake up call for a game drive in the Hluhluwe Game Reserve (golfers and non-golfers).
10:30     The train departs Hluhluwe for Durban
11:00     Brunch is served in the Dining Car.
12:10     Disembark the train at Empangeni for a 1 hour transfer to Zimbali Country Club. Tee-off at 13:30 (golfers).
17:00     Transfer to the train in Durban where we will overnight (golfers).

Day 4 of the tour
06:00     Depart Durban en route to Kroonstad (non-golfers).
06:00     Transfer to Durban Country Club Beachwood Course for a 07:00 tee-off (golfers).
10:00     Disembark the train for a visit to the famous Ardmore Ceramics Gallery (non-golfers).
12:00     Enjoy an hour's scenic drive through The Valley of a Thousand Hills to join the train in Lions River (golfers).
12:30     Return to the train for lunch and depart for Kroonstad (non-golfers).
13:00     Enjoy lunch on board the train as travel towards Kroonstad (golfers). Overnight in Kroonstad.

Day 5 of the tour
08:00     Disembark the train at Theunissen for a 50 minute transfer to the Bloemfontein Golf Club for a 09:15 tee-off 
              (golfers).
10:00     Enjoy a tour of Bloemfontein (non-golfers).
12:30     Return to the train for lunch (non-golfers).
13:00     Depart Bloemfontein en route to Port Elizabeth.
13:30     After a light lunch transfer to Krugers to rejoin the train at 14:30 (non-golfers)

Day 6 of the tour
07:50     After breakfast board the vehicle for a 1 hour transfer from Alicedale to the Humewood Golf Club in Port Elizabeth. 
              Tee-off at 09:30 (golfers).
09:00     Tour of Addo Elephant National Park near Port Elizabeth (non-golfers).
12:45     Return to the train for lunch at Coernry siding (non-golfers).
14:30     Rejoin the train in Port Elizabeth (golfers).
16:00     The train departs Port Elizabeth for Oudtshoorn.

Day 7 of the tour
10:00     Arrive in Oudtshoorn for an Ostrich Farm visit.
12:00     The train departs for George. An afternoon at leisure in George.
18:00     Depart for dinner at the Fancourt Golf Estate. Overnight in George

Day 8 of the tour
06:15     Transfer to the Ernie Els Oubaai Golf Estate or Fancourt Golf Estate in George for a 07:00 tee-off (golfers).
09:15     Disembark the train for a morning tour of Knysna (non-golfers).
12:30     Return to the train in George (golfers and non-golfers).
13:00     Lunch is served in the Dining Car.
13:30     Depart George.

Day 9 of the tour
11:00     Arrive in Worcester for a tour of the KWV Brandy Distillery.
17:00     Arrive in Cape Town.

This journey is also available in reverse from Cape Town to Pretoria. 
 

Please Note

• This tour is operated as a Scheduled Tour. Please take note of the Departure Dates above.
• Passengers are advised to take anti-malarial precautions as might be prescribed.
• Please feel free to add on to this tour with any of the other possible tours we offer in Pretoria before the train journey or in Cape Town after the train journey.