The romance of bygone era

Published Feb 25, 2014

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Cape Town - Like most South Africans train trips don’t excite me as my only experience has been either on a crowded commute on Metrorail or the occasional scenic trip along the False Bay Coast.

Luxury train travel has certainly never factored into holiday plans, partly due to the fact that I usually try to get to my destination at speed whereas train travel is all about the journey. But, a trip on Rovos Rail’s flagship train – the Pride of Africa – changed my opinion of this bygone era of slow and elegant travel.

Rohan Vos has always been fascinated with trains and the idea of having a private family carriage or two was the starting point for his venture which has remained a family business since the service began in 1989. The train of lavishly enhanced historic coaches was then hauled by Rovos Rail’s own steam locomotives, but the difficulty of operating them over long distances prompted an acceptance of diesel and electric traction. Today, the Rovos fleet of locomotives and coaches, all painstakingly restored, is the biggest private collection in the world.

Billed as the “most luxurious train in the world”, it lived up to this reputation. Our trip was a two-night journey from Pretoria to Cape Town. Champers and canapés were served at Capital Park – Rovos’s colonial-style private station in Pretoria. There were soft leather couches in an air-conditioned lounge and a shop to buy mementos as we eagerly awaited the whistle that signalled the arrival of the train.

There was a quick welcome and orientation by the owner’s daughter, Brenda Vos (unusual as Rohan Vos prides himself at seeing every passenger off and welcoming them at the final destination) and we were escorted to our suite, “Cheetah”. There is no compromise on comfort and quality. The suite included a mini bar, coffee and tea, easy chairs and a table as well as bathroom with shower.

Although air conditioned, our windows opened, apparently rare on trains. Nifty hidey-holes and clever use of space made unpacking a breeze, especially to hang up cocktail dresses.

Guests are asked to dress up for dinner – men in a jacket and tie. As with any top hotel, there is a turn-down service, complete with mini bottles of sparkling wine, flowers and chocolates.

We settled in and then made our way to the lounge and bar coach – which are oak, mahogany and cherry panelled with antique fixtures, comfy leather chairs and historic prints – at the rear of the train, which boasts an open-air observation deck seating 32.

This mellow spot was to become a firm favourite for the next two days. There’s something mesmerising about sitting and watching the countryside pass by with the hypnotic sound of the clickety clack along the railway tracks.

A gong signalled dinner and we duly made our way through to the Victorian-style dining car. It was like stepping on to the set of Downton Abbey – soft lighting, fresh flowers, crisp linen, silver cutlery and monogrammed china added to the hushed ambience as we were served a delicious and beautifully presented four-course meal, paired with awarding-winning South African wines. Given the space constraints of the galley, the ease with which gourmet meals are prepared and served is astounding. On offer were grilled queen scallops with lemon-scented hollandaise sauce (Pecan Stream Chenin Blanc); slow roasted Karoo lamb shank served deboned with mashed potato, a green bean parcel and mushrooms (Meerlust Rubicon); bleu and blanc Camembert style cheese with a blue vein, served with melon preserve, chives and water biscuits (Meerlust Rubicon); oven-baked sago pudding glazed with jam and topped with Turkish apricots (Van Der Hum Liqueur); and a selection of teas and Kenyan coffee.

We retired to the observation deck for a nightcap under a diamond studded sky of stars and then to bed. The slight rocking motion of the train made slumber soothing and for those who find it slightly noisy, earplugs are provided. The public areas of the train hold a timeless tranquility that soothes the most jagged nerves as there are no television sets or radios and the use of cellphones and laptops is confined to your suites.

After breakfast, we were greeted by the amazing sight of thousands of pink flamingos on the Kamfers Dam – one of only six breeding sites. Still wrapped in this hue of pink, we pulled into Kimberley station for a tour of the Big Hole, the former mine and diamond museum. We learned interesting facts about where and how these little gems were discovered, graded and sold on the international diamond market.

The hole is 768m deep and was dug by hand with picks and shovels and the water surface is bigger than five soccer fields. We ended our excursion with a visit to a vault guarding what must be one of the finest and most valuable collection of diamonds in the world. I felt the allure of “a girl’s best friend”, but resisted temptation although two of our fellow travellers couldn’t and went home with something new and sparkly.

Lunch was another four-course culinary delight which then called for an afternoon nap before sundowners on the observation deck. Given the cost of the trip and the pace of the travel, most were retired couples and foreigners, but it was interesting to meet a couple of locals and also chat to two young couples from Germany and another from Poland. Before we knew it, the sun had set and we were back in the dining car for dinner and, once again, everyone had made the most of the rare opportunity to dress up.

On Sunday, we continued our reflection on history with an excursion to the olde world town of Matjiesfontein. The beautiful Lord Milner Hotel presides over the town, but there is also a public house, shop, post office and other accommodation.

It’s a place that takes you back to the days when South African writer Olive Schreiner penned The Story of an African Farm, and it is possible to rent her beautifully restored home.

During our meanderings, we met John, a third generation local, who took us on a tour that included an impromptu sing-a-long at the pub and peek into the hotel room that is said to be haunted by a ghost.

Back on the train, the final leg of our journey snaked through the beautiful Hex River Mountains – the highest in the Western Cape – into the Valley with its 175 grape-producing farms through Worcester and Paarl before setting eyes on Table Mountain.

Rohan Vos was at Cape Town station to welcome us and the staff lined up to bid us farewell. My fabulous journey back to the grace and style of the olden days had sadly come to an end.

I now have a better understanding of Vos’s life-long passion for train travel and can only endorse their credo that Rovos Rail recaptures “the romance and atmosphere of a bygone era”.

l Watt was a guest of Rovos Rail.

Rovos Rail offers a number of unique train safaris throughout Africa including the Garden Route, up to the Victoria Falls and all the way from Cape to Cairo. See www.rovos.com. - Weekend Argus

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