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Richard Holmes discovers that slowing down is the best way to see South Africa
I
t’s not often you get to step back in time — back to an era when travel was still imbued with a sense of glamour. Dressing for dinner was de rigueur and, if you’ll excuse the
cliché, it really was about the journey rather than the destination. But stepping into Capital Park Station, on the outskirts of the
South African capital city of Pretoria, is to be transported back some 80 years. A smiling doorman whisks the luggage from my hand as deſtly as a waitress replaces it with a glass of local sparkling wine. Indoors, the airy lounge is filled with a dazzle of languages; travellers from across the globe here to experience one of the true joys of African travel. Before the platers of cucumber sandwiches are finished,
a bell rings and we’re ushered outside onto the platform. Our cross-country adventure is about to begin.