From scintillating wildlife sightings and iconic natural wonders to a luxurious rail journey and immersive tours, explore Africa’s greatest treasures on this remarkable holiday.
Your holiday begins in Cape Town, where you’ll discover the beauty of the Cape Peninsula and indulge in a delectable 14-dish “taste safari” dinner before joining the iconic Rovos Rail, travelling from Cape Town to Pretoria. Along the way, you’ll enjoy off-train excursions to fascinating locations, before disembarking and transferring to Pilanesberg National Park for a thrilling three-night stay. Experience exhilarating game drives as you search for Africa’s legendary Big Five*.
Your adventure continues with a flight to Livingstone, where you’ll explore the magnificent Victoria Falls on a guided walking tour and savour a sunset river safari before a final five-star hotel stay in Johannesburg concludes your adventure.
Your Imagine Holiday Includes
3 night all-inclusive luxury Rovos Rail journey from Pretoria to Cape Town with off-train excursions
Lady Livingstone Sunset Cruise
4 night four-star hotel stay in Cape Town at the Southern Sun the Cullinan with breakfast
3 night five-star hotel stay in Pilanesberg National Park at the Ivory Tree Game Lodge with breakfast, lunch and dinner
3 night four-star hotel stay in Livingstone at The David Livingstone Safari Lodge & Spa with breakfast
1 night five-star stay in Johannesburg at the Peermont D’oreale Grande Hotel with breakfast
Auckland departure – regional flights available
Your Journey
Your Itinerary
Your holiday begins as you fly from New Zealand to your destination.
Arriving in Cape Town, your adventure begins with a four-night hotel stay. During time at leisure you could explore historical Robben Island, visit the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens or indulge in the Cape Wineland’s world-class wines.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Overnight: Southern Sun the Cullinan
Today you’ll head out on a tour of the Cape Peninsula, driving along the stunning Adriatic coast past Sea Point and Camps Bay. Visit the fishing village of Hout Bay and seek out wildlife in Cape Point Nature Reserve.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Overnight: Southern Sun the Cullinan
Celebrate your last night in Cape Town with an authentic African dinner experience at Cape Town’s GOLD Restaurant. Get swept away by interactive entertainment like Mali puppetry, djembe drums and traditional storytelling.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner
Overnight: Southern Sun the Cullinan
Board the Rovos Rail for your journey to Pretoria, travelling across the goldfields of the Witwatersrand, the vast wilderness of the Karoo and the scenic winelands of the Cape.
Meals Included: All-Inclusive Board Basis
Overnight: Rovos Rail
Wind your way through the Karoo, a vast semi-desert, before disembarking at Whitehill Siding and walking to Matjiesfontein. Enjoy an off-train excursion in the historic village, with its collection of vintage cars and railway carriages.
Meals Included: All-Inclusive Board Basis
Overnight: Rovos Rail
Stop for a tour of the Kimberley Mine Museum and the Big Hole. It’s a place where up to 50,000 miners once toiled with little more than picks and shovels in their arduous search for the precious gemstone.
Meals Included: All-Inclusive Board Basis
Overnight: Rovos Rail
Today you’ll transfer to Pilanesberg National Park, where your three-night safari lodge stay awaits.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Overnight: Ivory Tree Game Lodge
Take in the sights of this incredible nature reserve and enjoy unforgettable safari game drives, available twice daily, in search of Africa’s iconic Big Five* comprising lions, buffalo, elephants, rhinos and leopards.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Overnight: Ivory Tree Game Lodge
Following a flight, today you’ll transfer to The David Livingstone Safari Lodge & Spa on the banks of the stunning Zambezi River. Blending in with its lush surroundings, this hotel is only five kilometres upstream from Victoria Falls.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Overnight: The David Livingstone Safari Lodge & Spa
Begin your day with an escorted walking tour, followed by a breathtaking river cruise along the glorious Zambezi River. Taki in the African sunset as you glide serenely up to Siloka Island, passing abundant wildlife along the riverbanks.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Overnight: The David Livingstone Safari Lodge & Spa
Relish a quintessential safari experience in Chobe National Park. Come morning, you’ll head out in search of elephants and big cats*. Following a lunch stop, your tour will then continue by boat in the afternoon.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Overnight: The David Livingstone Safari Lodge & Spa
Arriving in Johannesburg, your holiday begins with a one-night hotel stay at the five-star Peermont D’oreale Grande Hotel.
Overnight: Peermont D’oreale Grande Hotel
Your holiday is complete, today you’ll head to the airport for your flight home.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Your Tour Highlights
Rovos Rail
Crossing Africa’s most iconic landscapes in elegant style, this wonderful train and its beautifully restored carriages travel between Pretoria and Cape Town, the wide deserts of Namibia and the powerful tumbling morass of Victoria Falls, the vast plains of the Great Karoo and the battlefields of KwaZulu-Natal.
During the journey you’ll enjoy excursions, game drives and guided tours by historians to further illuminate your journey, as well as bush lunches and suppers under a million-tog duvet of African stars. The fleet of locomotives is rich in history, with even the oldest and smallest engine, called Tiffany, still seeing occasional use. Each carriage, cabin, kitchen car and locomotive has been painstakingly restored, and Rovos Rail now operate four trains across its fabulous choice of journeys.
Life on board Rovos Rail
Travelling on board a Rovos Rail service is like stepping back in time, while keeping the most comfortable technological additions of the 21st century with you.
Carriages
Each train is generally made up of a club lounge, an observation car with vast windows and an open-air platform for enjoying the views, two dining cars and 36 spacious cabin suites, with further upgraded accommodation available. The stunning Edwardian-era carriages have been painstakingly restored to showcase their elegant period details, while adding all the modern comforts that today’s travellers desire on cross-continental journeys. Put simply, it feels like stepping back into a bygone era, but with discreet luxury touches.
Even more beautiful are the pre-1940s dining cars, which were also restored into service with the addition of button-trimmed leather seats, wooden marquetry and other added embellishments. When the train was expanded from 42 to 72 guests, the addition of a lounge car provided a convivial space to come together and share stories of the day’s adventures over fine beverages. Today, the lounge cars still have comfortable wingback chairs and deep sofas for prime afternoon snoozing, and a small gift shop. Some of the train windows can be opened to let in the sights, sounds and smells of Africa in.
Food
All meals on board are served over one sitting in the dining cars; it’s a sociable time of the day when all the guests come together to celebrate the diversity of dining across the continent, sampling delicious cuisine complemented by fine South African wines. A fleet of experienced chefs is tasked with creating innovative and beautifully presented meals for the maximum of 72 guests on board, with a focus on fresh, local ingredients including speciality game.
Breakfast is a leisurely affair and served until 10am, with lunch at 1pm, afternoon tea served in the late afternoon and your formal dinner service at 7.30pm. The bar service runs until 1am, but you might want to get an early night if you’re taking a game drive the following day. What’s certain on board Rovos Rail journeys is that you’ll never go hungry. That, and that every lunch and dinner service is announced with the sounding of a gong.
Cabins
There are three cabin types on board, each one a luxurious suite with en suite facilities that is adorned in ornate wood panelling and period Edwardian features – you’ll find a writing area and personal safe, and amenity bags which are replenished on your request. For your comfort, there’s 24-hour room service and slippers and gowns in the suite.
Pullman Suites Prices from $15,499pp
Beginning at 7sqm, the Pullman Suites are fitted with a sofa-seat during the day, which converts to either a double or twin bed at night. They also have an en suite bathroom with a shower. A dedicated host or hostess is always available and services the suites daily.
- Double or twin beds
- Upper and/or lower bunk
- Daytime sofa setting
- En-suite with shower, toilet and basin
- Fold-up writing desk
- Luggage shelf
- Cupboards
- Safe
- Air conditioning
Deluxe Suite Prices from $17,499pp
More luxurious still, the 11sqm Deluxe Suites have a separate lounge area and an en suite bathroom. A dedicated host or hostess is always available and services the suites daily. A bar fridge is filled with the on-board beverages of the passengers’ choice.
- Double or twin beds
- En-suite with shower, toilet and basin
- Small lounge area
- Writing desk
- Luggage shelf
- Cupboards
- Safe
- Air conditioning
Royal Suite Sold Out
The most luxurious option is the Royal Suites, of which there are four on board each service, with each taking up half a carriage. These offer 16sqm of space and have a private lounge area and a full en suite bathroom with a shower and Victorian claw-footed bathtub. With wood panelling and period Edwardian features, these air-conditioned suites are the epitome of elegance, where the original fittings combine with the addition of modern technology such as hairdryers and plugs. A dedicated host or hostess is available at all times and services the suites daily. A bar fridge is filled with the on-board beverages of the passengers’ choice.
- Double or twin beds
- En-suite with bath, shower, toilet and basin
- Small lounge area
- Writing desk
- Luggage shelf
- Cupboards
- Safe
- Air conditioning
- Fridge
Your Hotel Stays
Cape Town
The Commodore Hotel (Or Similar)
The Commodore Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa, offers a luxurious stay near the V&A Waterfront. With elegant accommodations and stunning views of Table Mountain and the harbour, it’s an ideal base for exploration. Enjoy world-class dining and unwind at the spa or pool. The hotel’s central location grants easy access to attractions like Robben Island and the Cape Town Stadium. Whether relishing the city’s beauty or venturing into its vibrant culture, The Commodore Hotel promises a memorable and indulgent experience.
Pilanesberg National Park
Ivory Tree Game Lodge (Or Similar)
The five-star Ivory Tree Game Lodge offers a safari experience all with modern amenities for a home away from home. Situated in the crater of a long-extinct volcano, the Ivory Tree Lodge is the perfect location for a monumental safari experience. Rooms are tastefully decorated with African décor and offer spectacular views of the three concentric rings of hills across the Pilanesberg reserve.
Ivory Tree Lodge’s Amani Spa has been the Winner of 4 prestigious awards since its inception in 2006.
Livingstone
The David Livingstone Safari Lodge & Spa (Or Similar)
Blending perfectly within the lush surroundings of the Zambezi River bank, the David Livingstone Safari Lodge and Spa offers accommodation close to Victoria Falls, an impressive natural wonder of the world. Named after the first European explorer to see Victoria Falls, the hotel is in easy reach of all the activities associated with this glorious naturescape, from microlight tours to elephant-back safaris. The hotel boasts river-facing rooms, ensuring each guest enjoys the same views. Visit the spa to indulge in a wide selection of exquisite treatments, savour delicious dishes in The Kalai Restaurant, a traditionally styled eatery with buffet and a la carte options, and enjoy an array of South African and international wine in the bar.
Johannesburg
Peermont D’oreale Grande Hotel (Or Similar)
Unsurpassed luxury paired with state-of-the-art facilities make the five-star Peermont D’oreale Grande Hotel the perfect choice for those seeking supreme comfort and lavish indulgence. All guest rooms have been superbly decorated with warm tones and stunning golden touches, and have been finely furnished, as well as featuring modern conveniences including complimentary Wi-Fi. Dine on sumptuous Afroperial (a classical fusion of imperial Roman tradition blended with modern African cuisine) in Aurelia’s, awaken your senses in the opulent Octavia’s Day Spa and sip a delicious cocktail to the views of the setting African sun at Neptune’s Pool Bar.
