South Africa Zimbabwe Map
The Advantages Of Luxury Train Travel
Luxury train travel is available in South Africa by means of the Rovos rail company which has its head quarters in Pretoria. In its early days Rovos bought Capital Park which had been a functioning old fashioned railway station. Now it is restored as a railway museum.
Enthusiasts and lovers of the steam train era will find much of interest in the Capital Park museum. After the ox wagons, luxury train played a huge part in the economic development of South Africa. They transported goods from the port cities to the gold mining and industrial heartland. Although they have all but disappeared now it is still possible to take a step back in time and enjoy the charm of the era.
From Capital Park restored trains pull out on journeys of remembrance to various corners of Africa. One may book to luxury train travel to intriguing destinations. Within the country there are trips to Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Durban. Across national border one may visit Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe. It is even possible to travel from Cape to Cairo.
There are alternatives to train travel. The most obvious is the motor coach. Modern coaches, like aeroplanes without wings, have hostesses, air conditioning and a tiny toilet tucked into the back of the bus. For all the luxury they remained at the mercy of road congestion, and many stoppages for road repair that interrupt traffic flows. During these waits one can see tourists peering from windows, looking cramped, forlorn and quite often bored.
Another option is to hire a car. Here one has the flexibility to choose out-of-the -way destinations. In a country like South Africa this can be problematic because some destinations are dangerous and tourists who wander in looking lost and laden with expensive cameras are instantly in the eyes of criminal predators.
Another difficulty with hired cars is the actual task of negotiating traffic. On open roads where there are no obvious hazards one will see a pair of cops skulking behind a bush with their up to date speed camera trained on unsuspecting tourists. Notwithstanding this, local drivers behave with complete abandon, especially in cities where the cops are nowhere to be seen. Taxi drivers especially appear to be a law unto themselves. They will only be seen as curiosities from the safety of a train.
Luxury train travel is a possible choice between coach and car. It allows passengers to walk about in some space when not relaxing in the rocking rhythm of a comfortable seat. Viewing can be interspersed with comfortable chats in a bar, or in the restaurant. One is not strapped into a seat, nor is one confined in a cramped space. It is even possible to relax in the observation car with a wide window view of the passing scenery.
Luxury train travel is safe from the dangers of random traffic accidents or hijackings. It is also leisurely as it replays the elegance of previous eras when time moved more deliberately, and people had time to savour sights and scenes.
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