DESTINATION FOCUS
JOURNEYS IN AFRICA/ ORIENT-EXPRESS HOTELS
Choose from six to eight different packages, ranging from 4-14 days, combining regional flights and private car transfers with hotel stays in Cape Town (Mount Nelson) and/or Johannesburg (Westcliff), all-inclusive lodge stays (Savute Elephant Camp, Khwai River Lodge and Eagle Island Cape) and overnights on the Blue Train. Includes full-day private tours, some meals and, depending on the package, international flights, spa treatments, helicopter tours and hot air balloon rides; suites at the Victoria Hotel in Victoria Falls are also included. Priced from $4,190 per person, sharing.
More info: call 020 7921 4000 or visit
www.orient-express.com.
“There’s a SUPERB COLLECTION of indulgent, all-inclusive digs on PRIVATE GAME RESERVES in Kruger National Park.”
Then it was back to Cape Town to pre- pare for an early departure the next morn- ing on the Blue Train. This time we chose to hang our hats at the One&Only, the city’s newest luxury hotel, and finished our day at Nobu, one of their signature restaurants.
All Aboard The all-inclusive Blue Train is a glamorous and far more intimate alternative to flying between Cape Town and Johannesburg. This 28-hour land-cruise begins with no more than a few dozen passengers and makes one leisurely stop in the historic Victorian village of Matjiesfontein. As expected, our pricey but highly ser- viced ride came with luxurious surround- ings, including a wood-panelled coach outfitted for panoramic viewing while sipping aperitifs and partaking in a very English-style high tea, and a Club Car for enjoying a cognac and, say, Cuban cigars.
98 WORLD OF CRUISING I Winter 2010 / 2011
By day, the Deluxe Suite was an elegant sitting room with large windows (plus a private marbled bathroom with a generous-sized, glassed-in shower). By night, our butler transformed it into a twin- bedded room with eiderdown duvets and pillows. If you prefer a double bed and bathtub, book one of the Luxury Suites. Meals, all prepared by a team of six
chefs, were served inside a 42-seat dining car dressed up in crisp white linens and fine china, and were nothing less than terrific. Breakfasts included made-to-order eggs, cooked-to-perfection breakfast meats, French toast and crepes. At lunchtime, which always includes vegetarian and pas- ta selections, we sampled grilled kingclip, ostrich filets and springbok medallions. For our formal, silver-service dinner (men are required to wear jackets), we ordered Karoo lamb chops, Knysna oys- ters, crayfish and impala – and each was perfectly paired with select South African wines. Desserts, which never disappointed, included a crème brulee infused with car- damom and a rich and a creamy chocolate pot de crème topped with amarula crème.
Safari So Good There’s a superb collection of indulgent all-inclusive digs on private game reserves in and around Kruger National Park, but be prepared for hefty price tags. One of
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