world luxury | DAILY | Issue 45 |
CATERING Continental or full English breakfast are served at your leisure. Lunch and dinner menus feature a selection of local cuisine from Karoo lamb and ostrich fillet to Knysna oysters, accompanied by award-winning cultivars from the Cape winelands. Prepared from the freshest produce and ingredients, artfully presented in the finest Silver Service tradition, The Blue Train's legendary cuisine is an irresistible tribute to culinary mastery. The Blue Train is fully equipped to accommodate vegetarian, Halaal, Kosher or other special dietary requirements, which should be specified when you make your reservation. Join us at one of two dinnertime siings, or savour your meal in the comfort of your suite. A Continental or full English breakfast is served at your leisure. BLUE TRAIN ITINERARIES The real star of this journey is the African landscape, hence only one stop on the northbound journey and one stop on the southbound journey. CAPE TOWN TO PRETORIA Matjiesfontein (Northbound journey) Founded by an immigrant Scotsman at a minor railway stop in 1884, Matjiesfontein became a fashionable oasis for the rich and privileged, renowned for a climate beneficial for chest complaints. Visited by Lord Randolph Churchill and Rudyard Kipling alike, it was also home to Olive Schreiner, one of South Africa's first feminist writers.
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PRETORIA TO CAPE TOWN Kimberley (Southbound journey): Following departure from Pretoria and aer brunch and high tea, the Blue Train arrives at Kimberley Station. Guests visit the railway museum, followed by an old tram for a ride down to the Open Mine Museum and a tour of the mine. The tour includes a chance to win a diamond. Guests are taken onto an enclosed ramp on the edge of the Kimberley hole. Guests then return to the train for dinner, overnight and the remainder of the journey to Cape Town. Route & Map This is a 27-hour journey of 1,600 kilometres (994 miles) each way, through some of the most diverse and spectacular scenery offered by the African sub-continent. Southbound, the Blue Train departs Pretoria at 08:30 and arrives Cape Town at 13:00 the following day. En route to Cape Town there is an excursion in Kimberley, where we take a step back in time to the days of the diamond rush. Northbound, the Blue Train leaves Cape Town at 08.30 and arrives Pretoria at 13:30 the next day. It stops at the historic town Matjiesfontein, where guests can visit the famous Lord Milner Hotel and the old car museum. Guests must check in at least 1 hour before departure at The Blue Train lounges in Pretoria and Cape Town. www.bluetrain.co.za