Pretoria to Durban: 2-Nights
$2329 $2199 per person
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*prices are CAD per person, based on 2 people sharing in a Pullman Suite; Single Supplement +50% on all Suites
Upgrades for 2022 Departures:
Deluxe: +$1100 pp
Royal: +$2260 pp
This three-day safari between Pretoria and Durban departs during the summer months and includes game drives, a battlefields tour with a world-class historian and a look at unusual African ceramics. Experience the Nambiti Conservancy – a Big Five private retreat set on 20 000 acres of malaria-free bushveld in KwaZulu-Natal. It has an incredible biodiversity including savannah, grasslands, thornveld and tall acacia trees. Situated on an expansive game farm, Spionkop Lodge – which adjoins an 11 000- acre nature reserve – is the perfect base for exploring the mountains, bush, birds and battlefields of the region. Ardmore Ceramics is a story about the Zulu people whose sense of rhythm, colour, dance and song, as well as the spirit of the African imagination, is exerting its influence on the other continents of the world. Visit this charming centre in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands before travelling the Valley of a Thousand Hills to Durban.
What’s Included: Accommodation; all meals; all alcoholic and other beverages; 24-hour full room service and bar facilities;
limited laundry service; guided excursions (where applicable); entrance fees as per itinerary; government tax; on-board historian
*MEMBER BENEFIT: 5% Savings Off All Published Rates. Discounted rate showing includes the 5% Member Benefit savings.
Call for assistance: 1-800-481-9739 ext 0
Mention Promo Code for Savings: rvrtrip
Departure Dates
*All Departure Dates shown below are $2199 CAD per person based on twin share in a Pullman Suite
January 14, 17*
February 1, 21*
March 11,14*
April 8, 11*
August 12, 15*
September 23, 26*
*Operates in the reverse direction
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Destination
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Arrival City
Pretoria, South Africa -
Departure City
Durban, South Africa -
Passenger Limit
N/A
From Our Gallery
Be our guest and see it for yourself
DAY 1: PRETORIA
- 10h00 - The Pride of Africa departs from Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria and travels southeast over the gold-rich mining areas of Gauteng towards Heidelberg (1903m/6243ft). Guests may freshen up in their suites before joining fellow travellers in the midway lounge car or observation car at the rear of the train.
- 13h00 - Lunch is served in the dining car/s as the Drakensberg Mountains come into view. They were first named by the Voortrekkers who thought the unbroken chain of heavily weathered peaks reminded them of the spines on a dragon’s back, hence the name ‘Dragon Mountain’ or Drakensberg in Afrikaans.
- 16h30 - Tea in the lounge car or observation car. The train climbs to Majuba Hill (2146m/7040ft) – site of the decisive battle that ended the First Anglo Boer War – then on to Newcastle where the Indian population has erected what is reputed to be the largest domed Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere.
- 19h30 - Dinner is served in the dining car/s as the train passes Glencoe, site of the first battle of the Anglo Boer War and now the centre of the province’s coalfields. Overnight on the train at Elandslaagte.
DAY 2: NAMBITI & SPIONKOP
- 06h00 - An early wake-up call for a game drive in the Nambiti Reserve, a private Big Five bush retreat set on 20,000 acres of malaria-free bushveld with incredible biodiversity. Please dress warmly as it can be cool. Hats and sun protection are also advised as it can warm up considerably. Rain capes are also available.
- 06h15 - A continental breakfast is served in the dining car/s until departure at 07h00.
- 11h00 - Brunch is served in the dining car/s as the train travels towards Ladysmith. The railway line passes Chieveley Siding where, on the left of the track, stands a memorial to Winston Churchill who was captured here in November 1899 while trying to free an armoured train trapped by a Boer ambush.
- 14h00 - Disembark for the 50-minute drive to Spionkop Lodge. A choice of two excursions is available: 1. An escorted tour of the historic battlefields OR 2. A game drive in the 11 000-acre Spionkop Reserve. Hats and sun protection are advised as the weather can be very warm. It can cool down considerably too so please take warm clothing. Rain capes are available if required.
- 17h45 - Rejoin the vehicles and return to the train.
- 19h30 - Dinner is served in the dining car/s as the train heads towards Estcourt. Overnight on the train.
DAY 3: ARDMORE CERAMICS
- 07h00 - Breakfast is served in the dining car/s until 10h00 as the train descends the escarpment to Lions River.
- 10h00 - Disembark for a visit to the famous Ardmore Ceramics Gallery and enjoy tea overlooking the river.
- 12h00 - The train departs for Pietermaritzburg, the provincial capital of KwaZulu-Natal.
- 13h00 - Lunch is served in the dining car/s as the train traverses the spectacular Valley of a Thousand Hills.
- 16h00 - Arrive at journey’s end in Durban where a number of museums and cultural sights, the beautiful botanical gardens and the superb shark-protected beaches are but a few of the city’s many charms.
Tour Location
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Deluxe Suites - 10 Square Metres (3 Configurations) Bathroom with Shower, Air Conditioning, Luggage Shelf, Cupboards and Safe, Mini-Bar Facilities Crosswise DoubleL-Shaped Twin
Lengthways Double
Pullman Suites - 7 Square Metres (3 Configurations) Bathroom with Shower, Air- Conditioning, Luggage Shelf, Cupboards with Safe, Mini- Bar Facilities Daytime Sofa Couch
Night-time Double Bed
Royal Suite - 16 Square Metres Lounge Area and Mini-Bar Facilities, Air-Conditioning, Bathroom with Bath and Showerr, Luggage Shelf, Cupboard and Safe, Double Be or Twin Beds
