The Pride of Africa Express is comprised of fully ensuite Deluxe and Pullman class sleeping cars, which feature state-of-the-art amenities. The Deluxe Suites (10 sq metres plus) accommodate two passengers in either twins or a double bed and have a lounge area and ensuite bathroom with shower. The wood-panelled rebuilt sleeper coaches, remodelled and refurbished to mint condition, offer every modern convenience and comfort. The Pullman Suites (7 sq metres plus) are equipped with a comfortable sofa-seat during the day, with a conversion to a double or twin beds for the evening, and also have an ensuite bathroom with shower. A particular delight of The Pride of Africa is the beautifully appointed restaurant car, where the chefs serve carefully prepared meals using wherever possible local ingredients. The meals are complemented by South African wines. Yet the social hearts of our train are the lounge and observation cars, great places to relax and settle into the unhurried pace of life on board. Unwind in comfortable surroundings and watch the world go by as you get to know your fellow passengers.
Warren Brown AM is an Australian cartoonist and television presenter. He has been an editorial newspaper cartoonist since 1986. He is currently cartoonist for Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph, for which he also writes a weekly motoring column. In May 2005, Brown participated in a recreation of the 1907 Peking to Paris race using five 100-year-old cars. He also presented a four-part documentary series about the event. Since 2006, he has acted as the overnight MC at Gallipoli on Anzac Day and the pre-service MC at the Australian War Cemetery at Lone Pine. In 2008, he was selected to be one of the presenters of Top Gear Australia on SBS TV, and continued on in Season 2 (2009). Brown is a keen classic car enthusiast. Warren was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2023 honours list. His friendly personality and passion for classic cars and history make him the ideal person to lead the tour.
VIEW ITINERARYDAY 1 Saturday 9 March, 2024 Departure
We depart Australia today for our flights to Johannesburg, South Africa.
DAY 2 Sunday 10 March, 2024 Victoria Falls
On arrival into Johannesburg we connect with our connecting flight to Victoria Falls. On arrival into Victoria Falls we will be transferred to our hotel.
DAY 3 Monday 11 March, 2024 Victoria Falls
This morning Warren will take us on a sightseeing tour of one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World: Victoria Falls. It is among the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. The Zambezi River, which is more than 2 km wide at this point, plunges noisily down a series of basalt gorges and raises an iridescent mist that can be seen more than 20 km away. This evening we have a welcome dinner to celebrate our arrival into Africa.
DAY 4 Tuesday 12 March, 2024 Victoria Falls
A free day to explore Victoria Falls. Perhaps take a helicopter ride over the falls for spectacular views. This evening enjoy a dinner cruise on the Zambezi River and admire the wildlife and sunset.
DAY 5 Wednesday 13 March, 2024 Windhoek/Walvis Bay
Today we fly to Windhoek the capital of Namibia. On arrival we are transferred to the coast and the town of Walvis Bay. We then check into our hotel.
DAY 6 Thursday 14 March, 2024 Walvis Bay
Today Warren will take us on a dune tour to see the local desert scenery end experience the amazing Namid desert We then return to the hotel and the rest of the afternoon will be free.
DAY 7 Friday 15 March, 2024 Walvis Bay
This morning we board our luxury Rovos Rail train. Explore your luxurious suites before joining fellow travellers in the lounge car or observation car at the rear of the train as we head for Otjiwarongo. Lunch and dinner is served in the dining cars. The Namib Desert stretches for more than 2000km along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia and South Africa. The name is of Khoekhoegowab origin and means “vast place”. Having endured arid or semi-arid conditions for roughly 55-80 million years, the Namib may be the oldest desert in the world. The geology consists of sand seas near the coast while gravel plains and scattered mountain outcrops occur further inland.
DAY 8 Saturday 16 March, 2024 Cheetah Conservation Project
This morning after breakfast we visit the cheetah conservation project in Otjiwarongo. Founded in Namibia in 1990, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. Lunch is served in the dining cars en route to Tsumeb. Dinner is served in the dining cars.
DAY 9 Sunday 17 March, 2024 Etosha National Park
After breakfast we transfer to the Etosha National park. Please pack a small overnight bag ready for the stay at Etosha. After lunch enjoy a game drive of approximately 3 hours to spot wildlife. Etosha National Park (22270km2) offers great game viewing with many species of mammals, birds and reptiles. It gets its name from the Etosha pan (4760km2), which almost entirely lies within the park. Etosha is a large salt pan forming part of the Kalahari basin and means ‘Great White Place’. Dinner and overnight will be at the lodge.
DAY 10 Monday 18 March, 2024 Etosha National Park
This morning Warren will take us on a game drive in the Etosha National Park. We return to the lodge for a late breakfast and check-out. We then transfer to the Tsumeb Station to re-board the train. Lunch is served in the dining cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Kranzberg.
DAY 11 Tuesday 19 March, 2024 Sossusvlei
On arrival into Windhoek after breakfast we are transferred to the airstrip. We fly in a light aircraft for a one-hour flight to a Sossusvlei lodge for an overnight stay. After check-in, we enjoy lunch at the restaurant. This afternoon we take a desert drive and then have a bush dinner after sunset. The dunes of the Namib Desert were created by sand carried by the wind from the coast of Namibia. The sand here is over five million years old and is red in colour due to its iron-oxide content. As the light changes during the day, so does the appearance of the dunes’ characteristic colour allowing for interesting photographs at any time. The wind in the Sossusvlei area blows from all directions causing the sand to form a star shape with multiple arms, hence the name “star dunes”.
DAY 12 Wednesday 20 March, 2024 Sossusvlei and Windhoek
This morning Warren will take us on a desert drive with breakfast in the vlei. We then return to the lodge to use the facilities, check-out and transfer to the airstrip for our flight back to Windhoek. We have lunch at Windhoek Country Club followed by a city tour. We visit the Trans-Namib Transport Museum, the Independence Memorial Museum, the Evangelical Lutheran Church (a striking landmark) and the Namibia Craft Centre in the old Breweries Building. Situated in Namibia’s central highlands, Windhoek is an attractive city surrounded by clusters of hills and the impressive Auas and Eros Mountains. The Trans-Namib Transport Museum outlines Namibian transport history, particularly that of the railway. The Independence Memorial Museum focuses on the anti-colonial resistance and the national liberation struggle of Namibia. We the re-board the train and travel south through the Kalahari Desert. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Mariental.
DAY 13 Thursday 21 March, 2024 Keetmanshoop and Gras Park
Today we visit Keetmanshoop and Garas Park, home to roughly 300 specimens of Quiver Trees of the Aloe dichotomy. The prehistoric trees have forked branches that reach up to 5m making for great photographic opportunities. Lunch and Dinner is served in the dining cars.
DAY 14 Friday 22 March, 2024 Luderitz and Kolmanskop
After breakfast we visit the ghost town of Kolmanskop for a visit followed by lunch in Lüderitz. Lüderitz is known for its museum, colonial architecture and wildlife including seals, penguins, flamingos and ostriches. Look out for the illusive legendary horses rumoured to roam the Namib. Later this afternoon we depart for Holoog. The observation car will be leading the train until after dinner. Dinner is served in the dining cars.
DAY 15 Saturday 23 March, 2024 Fish River Canyon
After breakfast Warren will take us on a visit to the Fish River Canyon. The Fish River rises in the centre of the country before flowing south into the Orange River on Namibia’s border with South Africa. It has formed the great Fish River Canyon – the largest canyon in the southern hemisphere and probably only second to Arizona’s Grand Canyon in terms of size. The vast rocky landscape breaks up into a series of spectacular cliffs. Its size is impressive: 161km long, up to 27km wide and almost 550m at its deepest. We then continue to the border with South Africa. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Upington.
DAY 16 Sunday 24 March, 2024 Upington and the Orange River
After breakfast we enjoy a walking tour of Upington with a cruise on the Orange River. The Orange River is the longest river in South Africa (2432km/1511mi). It rises in the Drakensberg Mountains in Lesotho and flows westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. It forms part of the borders between South Africa and Lesotho and South Africa and Namibia. Except for Upington, it does not pass through any major cities. Attorney General of the Cape, Sir Thomas Upington was principally responsible for liquidating the business activities of all the Orange River pirates and capturing their leader, Klaas Lucas. When the desperadoes were finally chased away in 1884, the town was founded on the banks of the Orange River and named in his honour. We then travel through the Karoo, a vast semi-desert region that was once an enormous inland sea. Over millions of years, volcanic matter was ground down and deposited as silt upon the seabed to form what geologists call the Karoo system. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Kimberley.
DAY 17 Monday 25 March, 2024 Kimberley
Today we visit Kimberley and Warren will take us on a tour of Kimberley’s Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole. Capital of the Northern Cape, Kimberley is well known for the discovery of diamonds that led to its establishment in 1871. The train continues its climb to Pretoria. Dinner is served in the dining cars.
DAY 18 Tuesday 26 March, 2024 Pretoria
This morning we arrive into the Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria. After boarding our coach we have an orientation tour of Pretoria before we transfer to our hotel in Johannesburg.
DAY 19 Wednesday 27 March, 2024 Johannesburg
Today we have a tour of Soweto, the black township near Johannesburg. We see where Nelson and Winnie Mandela lived and visit Nelson Mandela’s house. We visit the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial and the Apartheid Museum before returning to our hotel.
DAY 20 Thursday 28 March, 2024 Departure
We are transferred to the airport for our flight back to Australia.
DAY 21 Friday 29 March, 2024 Arrival
We arrive back into Australia today and the tour concludes.
| Suites | Twin-share | Single Fare |
|---|---|---|
| Pullman Gold Suites | $20,725 | $28,280 |
| Deluxe Suites | $24,325 | $34,595 |
| Royal Suites | $27,995 | $39,250 |
Visas for Zimbabwe are required and available on arrival.
We will be travelling through Africa in the dry season, an ideal time to travel, as we do not experience the extreme heat of summer or the rains of the wet season.
International touring can involve a considerable amount of walking and stair climbing in the places visited and it is important that all tour participants have a level of physical fitness that allows them to take part in this activity without the need of assistance from others.
Tour Operator: Travelrite International Pty Ltd (ABN 64 005 817 078) is the tour organiser. All passengers must complete and sign a Travelrite International booking form.
Deposit and Payment: A deposit of $1200 per passenger should be sent with a completed Travelrite International booking. As soon as the booking is confirmed, (usually within 24 hours), a confirmation advice will be posted to the client. A second deposit of $1500 per person is due within three weeks of receiving confirmation. Final payments are due to be paid to Travelrite International 90 days prior to the commencement of the 2024 luxury Nambia Rail Journey. A 1.5% administration fee will be added to payments by Visa, Mastercard and AMEX.
Cancellation Charges:
Cancellations outside of 120 days
prior to departure will result in the loss of the deposit. Cancellations
between 120 and 91 days will result in the loss of 50% of the fare.
Cancellations 90 days or less before departure will result in the loss
of all monies paid.
Refunds:
The tour is based on arrangements that do not allow
for any refunds in respect to sightseeing, accommodation, meals,
airfare or other services not utilized after the tour has commenced.
Travel Documents:
All passengers will require a valid
passport. A visa for Zimbabwe is required which can be obtained on
arrival for Australian passport holders. If you hold another passport
please check with Travelrite.
Travel Insurance: Adequate travel insurance is highly recommended to cover tour members for the consequences of unforeseen events during the tour and for cancellation fees which could result from events such as illness, accident, death etc.
Baggage: Passengers qualify for a 30kg free baggage allowance on Singapore Airways flights.
Minimum Tour Numbers & Conditions: The tour has been priced on the basis of a minimum number of passengers having booked 90 days prior to departure. Travelrite reserves the right to cancel the tour, giving a full refund of all monies paid or offer arrangements to proceed with the tour at a modified cost. Travelrite reserves the right to change advertised entrances if necessary for the smooth operation of the tour.
TOUR PARTICIPATION:
Children under 5 years of age are ineligible on coach & cruise tours. Children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Passengers with disabilities are welcome on Travelrite & Cruise Offers tours provided they are accompanied by a companion capable of providing all necessary assistance, and do not require special assistance from Travelrite & Cruise Offers personnel. Travelrite and Cruise Offers reserves the right to refuse to carry anyone if it is felt the individual cannot cope with the requirements of coach & cruise tour travel and who may require services and facilities that Travelrite & Cruise Offers cannot guarantee will be available. You agree to not hold the Travelrite & Cruise Offers responsible for any decision made by any of them or any service provider to refuse to carry you, provide any facilities or accommodation to you or to provide any service to you.
Responsibilities: Travelrite International Pty Ltd. is the tour organiser. Travelrite acts only as an agent in the making of arrangements for hotels, transportation, restaurants or any other service and does not assume any liability whatsoever for any injury, damage, death, loss, accident or delay to person or property due to an act of negligence or a default of any hotel, carrier restaurant company or person rendering any services included in the tour, or by act of God. Further no responsibilities are accepted for any damage or delay due to sickness, pilferage, labour disputes, machinery break-down, quarantine, government restraints, weather, terrorism or other causes beyond their control. No responsibility is accepted for any additional expense, omission, delays, re-routing or acts of any government authority. The passage contract between the carriers concerned, when issued, shall constitute the sole contract between the carriers and the purchasers of this tour and/or the passengers. The right is reserved to withdraw any tour and/or make such changes in the tour as may be found desirable or necessary for the convenience of the parties and the proper carrying out of the tour. This contract shall be construed in accordance of the laws of the State of Victoria, Australia and any legal action must be undertaken in the State of Victoria.
DELAYS AND UNFORESEEN EVENTS:
You engage Travelrite
International to book this tour on your behalf and you
acknowledge that Travelrite International acts as your agent for
the purpose of making contracts between you and the various
providers of accommodation, transportation and other services
that comprise the tour. Travelrite may without reference to you
provide or make available to you, or may as your agent engage
any third party to provide or make available to you, any good or
service which Travelrite reasonably believes is necessary for your
benefit to maintain the tour itinerary, repatriate you or otherwise accommodate, transport or sustain you in circumstances in which
the tour itinerary fails wholly or partly for any reason. You appoint
Travelrite International your attorney for this purpose. You agree
to pay Travelrite any cost thereof and you indemnify Travelrite in
respect of any cost it incurs in this regard. Travelrite advises you to
obtain travel insurance generally including in respect of the risk that
any such good or service may become required.
How to Book: Bookings can be made by sending full names and addresses of intending tour members with a deposit of $1200 per person for the Africa Rail Journey.
Travelrite International Pty Ltd
423 Whitehorse Road Balwyn, Victoria 3103
Further information can be obtained by telephoning
Toll Free: 1800 630 343
Telephone (03) 8803 6868
Email sales@travelrite.com.au
https://www.travelrite.com.au/
About Travelrite International: Travelrite International Pty Ltd (ABN 64 005 817 078) is a well-established family-owned business that’s been operating in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs for more than 35 years. Travelrite International is a full member of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA), is fully Accredited with ATAS (A10538) and IATA. As such they directly represent the major airlines of the world and all major domestic and international hotel, tour and transport operators.
“Being part of an organised tour was a new and enjoyable experience for us. We could relax because the Tour Manager had everything organised.”
“The Tairei Gorge out of Dunedin was our favourite – it had great scenery, bridges and tunnels!”
