Namibia & South Africa – Adventures with Rovos Rail

Our grand journey begins as we transfer from the airport in Walvis Bay to nearby Swakopmund and the Strand Hotel. Meet your fellow guests and Tour Host Team this evening during our Welcome Dinner.   

Cruise the South Atlantic’s waters today, keeping watch for whales, dolphins, seals, leatherback turtles, and sunfish. On returning to shore, join a 4x4 expedition across the dunes of the Namib Desert to reach Sandwich Harbour, where sand and sea meet in mesmerising fashion. We dine at our hotel this evening.  

At Walvis Bay Station, we board the famous carriages of Rovos Rail. Acquaint yourself with your comfortable suite before joining your fellow guests in the lounge car. A gong rings out, heralding the serving of lunch, and we adjourn to the train’s dining cars. The train reaches further into Namibia’s vast interior, on its way to Otjiwarongo, as we enjoy locally inspired dishes this evening in the dining car.  

Today, we visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Research and Education Centre in Otjiwarongo. The staff here engage in the rehabilitation and release of injured and orphaned cheetahs, as well as habitat restoration and environmental education programs. Returning to our train, we continue to Tsumeb. 

Disembark at Tsumeb Station for the transfer to Etosha National Park. Arriving along the edge of the park, we check into our convenient lodge accommodation. This afternoon, our hosts take us out on a game drive. In addition to four of the ‘Big Five’ wildlife species, we also have the chance to see giraffes, ostriches and oryx. Dinner is served at our lodge’s restaurant this evening.  

Following breakfast at our lodge, another game drive presents further opportunities to witness Etosha National Park’s extraordinary wildlife. By mid-morning, we check out and return to Tsumeb Station, where we meet back up with our train. Now heading south, we enjoy the train’s amenities once more, while making our gradual return to the Namib Desert via Kranzberg. 

Today, we disembark in the Namibian capital and board light aircraft for the flight to Sossusvlei. Welcomed to Sossusvlei Lodge, our residence for the evening, we absorb this rare desert setting during lunch and an afternoon at leisure. Then head out for a drive across the expansive desert landscape and watch as the sun makes its dramatic retreat beyond the horizon. In these remarkable surroundings, a special bush dinner rounds out our day.  

Rise early this morning for another drive across the desert. Stop for breakfast and appreciate our place within this most remote environment. Upon returning to our lodge, we check out and rejoin light aircraft for the return flight to Windhk. On touching down, lunch is served at Windhk Country Club, followed by a tour of the city. See the exhibits at the Trans-Namib Transport Museum; learn about Namibia’s struggle against colonialism at the Independence Memorial Museum; stand before the striking Evangelical Lutheran Church; and visit the Namibia Craft Centre, which provides a platform for the local community to display their diverse projects. On returning to the train, we continue toward Mariental.

Explore the remote town of Keetmanshoop, as well as Garas Park, which is home to Al dichotoma, also known as the quiver tree. The distinctive forked branches of these plants can reach five metres in height and make for arresting photographic models. Back aboard Rovos Rail, we continue to the village of Aus.  

Alight the train and transfer to Kolmanskop. Bear witness to this extraordinary ghost town, whose abandoned homes have disappeared beneath relentless desert sands. We then make our approach to the Atlantic coast and Lüderitz, where we pause for lunch. Much of the former German colony’s architecture has been painted in various vivid tints. We manage to tear our eyes away from this mesmerising sight just long enough to keep watch for some of the resident wildlife, which includes seals, penguins, flamingos and ostriches. There is also a chance of sighting a few of the wild horses known to roam the desert here. Returning inland, our train then follows the route to Holoog.    

A coach transfer takes us to Fish River Canyon this morning. On arrival, you would be forgiven for thinking  you had been transplanted to the United States; the enormous canyon bears a striking resemblance to Arizona’s Grand Canyon. Millions of years of geological history stretches out before us. Cast your gaze across the vast expanse for staggering views. While here, we may cross paths with baboons, rock hyraxes, ground squirrels and klipspringers.  

Having crossed the border, we make a brief stop in the city of Upington. Take a walking tour and enjoy a cruise of the Orange River, South Africa’s longest. Hear stories of the notorious ‘Orange River Pirates’, a gang of marauding 19th-century bandits and cattle rustlers. Shortly after rejoining our train, we convene for an African-themed dinner. 

Once a featureless hill, the discovery of diamonds  in 1866 drew a rush of speculators to Kimberley. When mining ended in 1914, what remained was one of the largest craters ever dug by hand. It is now called the Big Hole, and we pause here to marvel at its sheer scale. We also take a tour of the onsite museum. Back aboard the train, we continue toward Pretoria. As is custom, the gong sounds for dinner.   

On our final day aboard Rovos Rail, make the most of the captivating scenery passing by the windows of the lounge and observation cars. Late this afternoon, our train pulls into the station at Pretoria, where we disembark for the final time. We farewell Rovos Rail and take the road south to Johannesburg. Check into Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa, within Johannesburg’s financial district of Sandton, then enjoy the dishes of your choice of local restaurants this evening. 

After breakfast, we take a drive across town for a visit to the Apartheid Museum. Through several exhibits, we see how segregation and racial discrimination shaped South Africa during this oppressive period. After our visit, we adjourn to a local restaurant for lunch. Our day continues at Mandela House. Dedicated to providing insight into the life of Nelson Mandela, the home of the anti-apartheid activist and former president contains a wealth of historic artefacts. Nearby, we also visit the Hector Pieterson Museum, a memorial to the South African schoolboy shot and killed by South African police during the Soweto Uprising of 1976. The drive back to our luxurious residence is one of contrasts, as we depart historic Soweto for the bright lights and bustling city of Sandton. Tonight we celebrate our journey during a Farewell Dinner.   

Our discoveries of Namibia and South Africa conclude this morning, as you join your airport transfer.