Africa is one of the most visited continents world over. The reason simply being that the continent has a lot to offer. Talk of incredible scenery from Cape to Cairo, ancient cities and buildings, vast tracts of plains housing all sorts of species plus the warm hearts of the African people among many others. Attracted by diverse attractions, many people flock to Africa including other Africans travelling around the continent.
They say that when it comes to travelling, it’s the journey that matters most rather than the destination and as such, an increasing number of visitors to Africa and from Africa now prefer travelling via train. This is because a train takes its time moving from point A to point B in the process giving visitors ample time to enjoy all that Africa has in store.
Below we highlight some of the most popular train travels in Africa.
Rovos Rail (Around Africa)
Rovos Rail is regarded by some to be the best train travel in Africa. Rovos Rail service two routes i.e. the Cape Town to Dar es Salaam route and the Cape to Cairo route. The first route takes 14 days and visitors get to explore four countries starting with South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and then Tanzania. On some occasions, visitors can also be afforded the time to enter Zambia and see the majestic Victoria Falls from the Zambian side (this allows visitors to get a better and more beautiful view of the Devils’ Pool along the Victoria Falls). The second route takes 28 days and visitors get to explore a number of African countries all the way south from South Africa up north to Egypt. However, the Cape to Cairo route occurs only once every couple of years.
Blue Train (South Africa)
The Blue Train is one of Africa’s most popular train travels. The train got its name from its colours i.e. an indigo hue which strikes across the train’s sides. Blue Train serve the Durban to Pretoria route and it takes 27 hours to arrive at its destination. Inside the train, visitors enjoy spectacular views of the South African savannah in the process getting glimpses of common wildlife popular in this part of the world. The train has some top chefs so visitors can expect to be served with the best in terms of wine and food.
Zimbabwe Rail (Zimbabwe)
To relive life in the 1950s and thereabouts, visitors can get on board Zimbabwe Rail. The train serves the Victoria Falls to Bulawayo route. This is a night journey which sees the train depart Victoria Falls around 8 pm and arriving in Bulawayo the next morning around 9 am. The beauty of boarding Zimbabwe Rail is that visitors get to travel overnight in a 1950s era British built coach. Not just this but visitors get to wake up to the sights of baboons, monkeys, and other animals common in this part of the world.
