Off The Grid: What I Learned Crossing South Africa By Train
Photo: Lindsey Snow
Africa has changed how I want to travel. After a 13-day adventure across the continent’s most industrialized country, I no longer want to be a predictable, if not “fly on the wall” visitor.
I want to embrace uncomfortable situations because they speed our learning. I want to experience lesser-known countries (i.e. usually more affordable) first and more popular ones (i.e. usually more expensive) later. I want to eat with my hands instead of utensils. I want to follow more guides to better discovery. And I want to learn the Zulu foot stomp.
When I booked passage on one of the world’s best trains, I was expecting a luxurious and relaxing chug-a-chug through the cradle of mankind. But in between excursions, extended stops in eight different cities and memorable conversations with really good company, I got all that and more. Considerably more than I bargained for. This is what I learned.
The “Most Luxurious Train” Lives Up To Its Billing
Photo: Rovos Rail
If you’ve ever read Murder On The Orient-Express, like being waited on hand and foot, and don’t mind dressing to the nines for dinner, you’ll feel like a really big deal on Rovos Rail, “the most luxurious train in the world.” Better yet, the all-inclusive trips are half of what they were just two years ago. The three-day Durban Safari, for instance, starts at $1100 per person and includes seven multi-course gourmet meals, two safaris, two more sightseeing excursions, unlimited wine tastings, all the alcohol you can handle and more tea, snacks and desserts than you can shake a stick at. Admittedly, the clientele is mostly retirees. But if you can overcome gerontophobia, you might end up forging lasting friendships with four Scots, two South Africans, two Finns, one German and one Swiss. I did.
The Best Things To Do
Photo: Lindsey Snow
At the conclusion of our itinerary, my traveling companion, wife and trip catalyst turned to me and said, “About the only thing we didn’t do were winter sports.” That’s no exaggeration. In Durban, we saw the Indian Ocean for the first time and listened to a rolling African thunderstorm from our hotel balcony. In Midland, we memorialized the act that eventually unified the country. In Ladysmith, we saw the “king of the jungle” and three of his four biggest contemporaries not giving a damn at the Nambiti (5/5 stars) and Spioenkop (4/5 stars) safaris. P.S.: the warthogs were adorable.
In Soweto, friendly locals taught me how to eat traditional pap (corn-flour porridge) and savory meats with my hands. I taught them how to fist bump. In Johannesburg, we heard a first-hand account of what killed an American tourist at the controversial but extraordinary Lion Park and were wowed by the tribal dancers at Lesedi Village, especially the Zulus. Overlooking the city, I was overcome by the most diverse tree landscape I’ve ever laid eyes on, just as the Jacaranda began painting the town purple. In Cape Town, we summited Table Mountain, and I body surfed with a sea lion at Clifton Beach. In Bo-Kaap, we cooked curry and falooda with Faldela before concluding our journey at Cape Point, the end of the world.
Guides Are The Way To Go
