Go ahead, kick up your heels, lean back with cocktail in hand and watch the African countryside pass by inside your luxury rail car. Luxury train company Rovos Rail takes guests back to a simpler time, a time when railways ruled the travel industry and romantic locomotives regularly transported guests from location to location.
Since 1989, Rovos has been moving its patrons across Africa in remodeled and refurbished wood-paneled coaches. During a time when travel is a rushed experience necessary simply for getting from point A to point B, the trains recall a time when the journey was just as important as the end destination. Even rider attire is more formal than a typical travel wardrobe, with a smart-casual dress code in place. Lasting from 48 hours to month-long escapes, the journeys are laid out in eight options and a few special packages that combine destinations.
All of the trains are either hauled by diesel, steam or electric locomotives and are made up of a generator car, staff car, guest sleepers, a non-smoking lounge, 42-seat dining cars, kitchen car, guest sleepers, smoking lounge and an observation car. With a maximum of 72 passengers allowed aboard, the 36 guestrooms are more spacious and designed for the ultimate comfort. The 118-square-foot Deluxe Suites accommodate two passengers and offer a lounge area inside a chic wood-paneled sleeper coach. While the interiors have been refurbished, the en-suite bathrooms still use their original fittings but have been updated with modern amenities. The Royal Suites take up half a carriage, ensuring patrons won’t feel crowded in their rooms. Each comes with full bathrooms, Victorian bath tubs and classic Edwardian period features.
