12-Day Rovos Rail Namibia to South Africa Safari

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Itinerary

Day 1: Departure from Walvis Bay Station, Namibia

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Embarking from Walvis Bay Station, the journey begins with a departure for Otjiwarongo. Guests are invited to freshen up in their suites before mingling in the lounge or observation car located at the rear of the train.

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Lunch is served in the dining cars as the train traverses the expansive Namib Desert toward Otjiwarongo. Enjoy tea in the lounge and observation cars throughout the afternoon. Dinner is later served in the dining cars with a formal dress code. 

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The Namib Desert stretches over 2000 kilometers along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa, characterized by sand seas near the coast and gravel plains further inland. This ancient desert, enduring arid conditions for 55-80 million years, derives its name from the Khoekhoegowab language, meaning "vast place."

Accommodation: Rovos Rail

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Day 2: Cheetah Conservation Project

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Breakfast is available until departure in the dining cars. Transfer 60 minutes to the cheetah conservation project in Otjiwarongo, founded in Namibia in 1990 by the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) to protect wild cheetah populations.

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Enjoy lunch in the dining cars en route to Tsumeb. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars, located at the train's rear. Dinner follows in the dining cars, with a formal dress code.

Accommodation: Rovos Rail

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Day 3: Etosha National Park

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Prepare a small overnight bag for the stay in Etosha

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Breakfast is served until 10:00 in the dining cars. Transfer 60 minutes to a lodge within Etosha for check-in and lunch. An afternoon game drive of three hours offers the chance to spot diverse wildlife in Etosha National Park.

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Dinner and overnight accommodations at the lodge are casual in attire. Etosha National Park spans 22,270 square kilometers, renowned for its extensive game viewing opportunities and the vast Etosha pan, a prominent salt pan within the Kalahari basin.

Accommodation: Etosha Lodge

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Day 4: Further Exploration of Etosha National Park

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Ensure your overnight bag is prepared and collected by 10:45 for the next destination.

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Enjoy breakfast at the lodge followed by a morning game drive in Etosha National Park. Return to the lodge to freshen up and check-out by 10:45. Transfer 60 minutes to Tsumeb Station where lunch is served in the dining cars.

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Tea is available in the lounge and observation cars as the journey continues towards Kranzberg. Dinner in the dining cars maintains a formal dress code.

Accommodation: Rovos Rail

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Day 5: Sossusvlei Experience

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Prepare a small overnight bag for the upcoming stay in Sossusvlei

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Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00 while en route to Windhoek. Transfer to the airstrip for a one-hour flight to a lodge in Sossusvlei. After check-in, lunch is served at the lodge's restaurant.

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An afternoon desert drive and bush dinner follow at sunset. Overnight accommodations at the lodge are casual in attire. The red sand dunes of Sossusvlei, shaped by wind over millions of years, display varying hues throughout the day due to their iron-oxide content and star-shaped formations.

Accommodation: Sossusvlei Accommodation

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Day 6: Exploration of Sossusvlei and Flight to Windhoek

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Ensure your overnight bag is ready for collection before the morning drive

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Begin with an early wake-up call and enjoy a desert drive with breakfast in the vlei. Return to the lodge to utilize facilities, check-out, and transfer to the airstrip. Depart Sossusvlei by light aircraft for a one-hour flight to Windhoek.

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Lunch at Windhoek Country Club is followed by a city tour, including visits to the Trans-Namib Transport Museum, Independence Memorial Museum, Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Namibia Craft Centre. The train then heads south through the Kalahari Desert. Dinner in the dining cars is formal in dress code.

Accommodation: Rovos Rail

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Day 7: Adventure in Keetmanshoop and Garas Park

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Breakfast is served until 10:00, followed by lunch in the dining cars. Visit Keetmanshoop and Garas Park to observe 300 specimens of the Aloe dichotomy, known as quiver trees.

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Tea is offered in the lounge and observation cars before departing for Aus. Dinner is served in the dining cars, with a formal dress code.

Accommodation: Rovos Rail

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Day 8: Exploration of Luderitz and Kolmanskop

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Enjoy breakfast in the dining cars before transferring 60 minutes to the ghost town of Kolmanskop for exploration. Lunch is served in Lüderitz, known for its museum, colonial architecture, and diverse wildlife.

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Return to Holoog via the observation car, leading the train until after dinner. Dinner attire is themed "Africa" or smart casual.

Accommodation: Rovos Rail

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Day 9: Visit to the Fish River Canyon

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Enjoy breakfast until departure in the dining cars. Transfer 60 minutes to the Fish River Canyon. Lunch is served in the dining cars, followed by tea in the lounge and observation cars. Border formalities with South Africa are conducted before dinner in the dining cars en route to Upington, with a formal dress code.

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The Fish River Canyon, second in size only to Arizona's Grand Canyon, impresses with its vast cliffs spanning 161 kilometers in length, up to 27 kilometers in width, and nearly 550 meters in depth.

Accommodation: Rovos Rail

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Day 10: Upington Exploration and Sundowners on The Orange River

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Start the day with breakfast in the dining cars, followed by a walking tour of Upington (optional) and a cruise on the Orange River. Travel through the Karoo, a vast semi-desert region that once formed a vast inland sea.

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Lunch is served in the dining cars, with tea available in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served en route to Kimberley, with a formal dress code. The observation car leads the train until breakfast.

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The Orange River, South Africa's longest at 2432 kilometers, originates in the Drakensberg Mountains and flows westward through the country, forming borders with Lesotho and Namibia.

Accommodation: Rovos Rail

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Day 11: Diamond Mine Museum in Kimberley

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Enjoy breakfast until departure in the dining cars. Embark on a tour of Kimberley's Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole, commemorating the city's diamond discovery in 1871.

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Lunch is served in the dining cars as the train heads back towards Pretoria. Tea in the lounge and observation cars is followed by dinner in the dining cars. Dress for dinner can either be a "1920s" theme or smart casual.

Accommodation: Rovos Rail

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Day 12: Depart Pretoria, South Africa

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Ensure luggage is ready for collection 15 minutes prior to departure and have your passport ready.

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Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00 while traveling through the goldfields of the Witwatersrand. Lunch is served in the dining cars before arriving at Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria, marking the end of this extraordinary journey.

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Please Note: Limited departure dates available

Itinerary available in reverse on certain dates.