FIRST CLASS on Africa’s SAFARI TRAIN (4 Nights, 88hrs!)

Welcome on board Africa's first class train. Over the next four days and four nights we'll journey into the heart of Africa on the ultimate safari by train. We'll see wildlife and wonders of the world. Along the way we'll eat, drink and sleep on board as we experience the adventure and glamour that makes Rovos Rail a train like no other.

Hello Jet Setters, I'm Jeb Brooks from GreenerGrass.com. Welcome to Africa's luxury train safari. You're coming along. Here's the plan. We'll board the train in Pretoria, just outside Johannesburg, and travel north out of South Africa into Zimbabwe, stopping twice along the way for off-the-train safari adventures ending in Victoria Falls, one of the seven wonders of the world. Rovos operates their own private station here in Pretoria, and that's where we are right now. This has been a train on our bucket list for the longest time. It must be one of the world's most iconic rail journeys. And our celebration begins inside the station,

where we toasted our upcoming adventure overlooking the tracks. Before long, all 66 passengers were invited to do something we'd never seen before on any of our previous rail trips, a behind-the-scenes tour of the rail yard. Everything on this train was built here, from the mattresses and toilet seats to the beautiful woodwork on board. These coaches and engines are also all maintained here. This experience gave us an appreciation for the exquisite craftsmanship, even before we stepped on board.

Our train has two engines and 21 coaches. Our sleeper is the fifth in the consist. And speaking of it, let's go check it out. As the sun set, we were called to board. We were so excited to climb on board this train. And once we did, we were shown to our deluxe room, which will be home for the next four days and four nights of this incredible adventure through the heart of Africa.

This is not a regular train journey.

They actually called it train safari, so we're about to find out what that's all about over the next four nights.

Well, it's 6.15 and we are on our way.

This is gonna be a very comfortable home for the next four nights. This room is gigantic.

We've gotta change clothes. It's a formal train, so it's time to get ready for dinner. And that's easy to do, because our luggage had already been delivered to the room. We just heard the gong, so that means it's time for dinner.

Yeah, and getting ready on a moving train is a little difficult, but I though seats are not reserved, we never had a problem finding a table. We'll talk more about the food on board as we continue, but suffice it to say, this is true world class, fine dining. Also, everything, every meal, every drink, every glass of wine is included in the price

of our ticket.

We're all done with dinner. That is the first meal out of 11

we're gonna be eating on this train. And dinner is quite a show. We're talking four courses. Took about two hours but totally worth it. Everything was really

tasty. Yeah then we just enjoyed a little nightcap and we're gonna turn in pretty

soon I think. It is chilly here. We're traveling in the month of May. I had to give Suzanne my jacket which is okay by me. What a gentleman We're traveling in the month of May. I had to give Suzanne my jacket, which is okay by me. What a gentleman. See you in the morning. Good night. Good morning. It's about 6.15. It was a fantastic night of sleep. We'll cross the border later on today. For now, it's just about getting comfortable and getting the day started. It looks like I'm the only early riser on this train, so I made my way all the way to

the back of the train where I enjoyed my favorite on-board feature, this outdoor viewing platform. It was the perfect place to enjoy this stunning sunrise all to myself. It's easy to see why Rovos Rail is known as the Pride of Africa. With itineraries ranging from two-night trips to ones lasting up to 15, we're excited about our four nights on board. We're hoping it'll give us an opportunity to get settled into a routine and enjoy some

diverse experiences along the way. Eventually I stepped inside where the bright sun had brought more light into the space, showcasing just how beautiful the observation car is. And soon a friendly waiter brought me a cup of coffee and I just read and relaxed for

a while.

Our train had 66 passengers on board from all over the world. There were people from Argentina, South Africa, the UK, US, Canada, Belgium and beyond. And a real highlight of the trip was connecting with people from so many different places. I came across a copy of the breakfast menu available in the Observation Lounge for review. It got me in the mood to head up for breakfast. And you've got to admit, there's no other restaurant on planet Earth with a view like this.

There's always fruit and yogurt to supplement the menu here. I had a delicious, fully loaded omelette.

And with breakfast behind us, this is the perfect time to take a stroll back to our room to show you around. There are three types of rooms on our train, ranging from the smallest Pullman, which has bunk beds, to the largest Royal Suite, which takes up half a coach each. They even have bathtubs. We're in the middle category. Welcome to our deluxe suite on board Rovos Rail. Every room on this train has a name. We're in the Refugee Room. It's named for a river in Tanzania. These twin beds stay fixed all day, which is actually a good thing

because it means we can easily nap in the middle of the day. Another interesting aspect of this room is just how tall the ceilings are. It's a hundred eight square feet, but the ceilings are. It's 108 square feet, but the ceilings are massively tall and that means there's plenty of room up here for luggage storage, which is good. This is a formal train so I think passengers tend to travel with more luggage than they would otherwise, and so there's plenty of

space for that. There are two plugs in the room. One is a European style and the other South African, so bring your converters to my fellow American friends. On so many trains, we've struggled with controlling the temperature. It's either too hot or too cold, particularly in your own room. But here, they've got a built-in air conditioning that you control just for your own space. This is tremendous, especially in the heat of summer or the cold of winter.

Suzanne operates the air con for us. I don't know how to work. There goes. Suzanne just nodded proudly. There's also a phone we can call for help if we need anything from our hostess, who by the way will transform this space at every night into an even more comfortable place to sleep. I want to show you this closet space over here though too. There's plenty of room for all of your formal

wear that of course you'll have to bring over here, too. There's plenty of room for all of your formal wear that, of course, you'll have to bring along with a coat. There's even an amenity kit that contains just about everything you might need while on board. And this table is a great place to sit, relax, maybe play some cards or even have room service. And underneath, there's a mini bar that is stocked with whatever you want. It's all included, whether that's Coca-Cola, beer, water, whatever you want. There are also these little tags we can hang on the

door to communicate with the hostess if we want to change the linens or have the bed made up. And like all of the rooms in this train, ours has an en-suite. There's a huge shower, a toilet, a sink, everything you'd expect, along with even more storage right here. As nice as the suite is, we decided to head back to the observation car because we're getting closer to some of the best landscapes of the trip. This is the Saltpensburg, meaning Saltpan Mountain in Afrikaans.

It's named for the salt flat at the western edge and was truly beautiful. The region we passed through is known as the Sand River Gorge and gorgeous it was. This landscape looks older than time itself. Rovos Rail has a rich history of its own. Founded in 1989 by Rohan Voss out of a sheer love of locomotives, he dreamed of owning a few carriages, hitching them behind a South African Railways train, and enjoying family holidays. But to make a long story short, his dream has blossomed into a company that now employs more than

400 people and operates routes all over Southern Africa. The landscape flattened out as we made our way closer to the border with Zimbabwe. Securing space here on the Rovos Rail can be challenging. The train often sells out, finding the dates or the cabin type you want is difficult. That's why we turned to the folks over at Railbookers to help plan this trip. Not only did they secure the space for us on this train, but they also planned an epic, unforgettable 10-day African adventure. We went on safari, we had hotels and transfers, everything was taken care of. We didn't

have to worry about a thing. As always, we paid our own way. But the folks at Railbookers are also able to help you plan your own adventure too. So if you head to railbookers.com slash greener grass or give them a call, they'll be able to customize your own adventure, whether it's here in Africa on Rovos Rail, anywhere else in the world. We'll share a little bit more about Rovos Rail pricing in just a bit, but for now, it's time to get back to this rail adventure. And that means it's time for lunch. Another impressive experience. Now each lunch and dinner is a four-course extravaganza.

There are two options for main courses at each meal. One primary offering and a vegetarian one too. However, if you have dietary restrictions or don't care for the protein being served, you of course can always choose the vegetarian option. Or they're happy to prepare an alternate protein too. Despite skipping cheese and dessert for this particular lunch,

we were still full and decided to take a nap, figuring we'd be in Zimbabwe by the time we woke up.

Lunch is coming on, afternoon tea is coming on, and we are still in South Africa.

Zimbabwe is coming up next.

We should be over

the border crossing soon. We've been pretty stationary since about 2.30. They told us yesterday is that four hours late they consider on time. But we have a nice dinner. We know we are on time to get to that because it's about three cars that way. True. But will our clothes

be on time? We sent them in for pressing this morning. Pressing and laundry is included. They have not come back yet though so Jeb might be in a t-shirt and a tie. With that unfortunate image running through

my mind the train started moving again and that was a good sign we could enter Zimbabwe. Now about those clothes. Well we've made it to Zimbabwe and we still are waiting for our clothes so hopefully they'll come through sometime soon but I think you'll agree Suzanne is looking great.

Might wear this robe to dinner.

As we crossed the Limpopo River we officially entered Zimbabwe. You see, we never had to get off the train. The staff took care of our visas and all the formalities while we stayed comfortably on board. Suddenly though, a knock came at the door.

With about an hour to spare, our clothes are back. No problem. We'll be ready for dinner.

So the dress code at night is pretty formal. Right now, gentlemen are required to wear, at the bare minimum, a collared shirt with a tie. Jackets are optional. I've decided to go all out with a suit, because why not? And for ladies it is cocktail dresses or separates. During the day it's pretty casual. We've seen people wearing all kinds of things,

whatever's comfortable really. Why don't we head to the lounge, grab a drink before dinner. It'll come as no surprise that they celebrate South African wines on board. Now you can order whatever you'd like but you're better off leaving it up to the sommelier who offers a thoughtful wine pairing for each course for both lunch and dinner. And if you haven't realized it by now,

dinner on Rovos Rail is a marathon, not a sprint. There's an appetizer, followed by the main course, cheese, and dessert. The food is rich and voluminous. It's okay to skip courses, which we frequently did.

So that's dinner, Clocking in at just about

two hours. We made it through all four courses. It was a lot of food. Tomorrow is gonna be an epic day too. We're gonna get off the train for the first time on this journey. Can't wait to show you that, but for now it's time for sleep. Good night. Good morning. That was another phenomenal night of sleep. We stopped from about midnight to 5am, which gave us all the chance to sleep even better. It's time to start another day here on Rovus Rail. We're traveling in late May. It's winter in the southern hemisphere.

Average temperatures were in the 40s in the morning, climbing up to the low 70s during the afternoons. Mornings here on Rovvos Rail are just so nice. It's crisp and cold, the air is just fresh. I'm really surprised I'm the only one out here. It seems like this is a late rising train. And being the only one out here

means I'm also the only one who spotted this oddity. If you know the story of this discarded coach, let me know in the comments below. I think it's become a house. At 3 feet 6 inches, these tracks are narrower than most and are known as Cape Gage. In the mid-19th century, it became the standard across the British Empire, but today,

this unique width is one of the primary reasons why Rovos Rail has to manufacture everything for themselves back in Pretoria. The bush gave way as we entered the town of Guanda with its nearly 27,000 residents. And soon, I even had company. A real highlight each morning were the baked goods. After breakfast, we made our way back to the observation car, where we toasted with mimosas and Suzanne has a confession to make.

I have to admit, having the train stopped for a good portion of the night helps us sleep. Now, am I like kind of a wuss for wanting the train to be stopped at night?

Maybe. I think it's kind of a gentle rocking. Being parallel to the tracks in this room with the beds laid out the way they are is conducive I think to sleep when the trains moving but it is better when it's stopped. I'm

just not one of those people who are rocked to sleep by the train. Sorry. Shout

out to our buddy Alan. He's the pigeon guy. That's a deep cut for long-term viewers right there. I'm weak. Sorry. I've talked to a number of people on the train I think everybody slept better last night than the night before because of that. Stopping at night also cuts down on the noise. This is not the quietest experience we've ever had. But enough of the symphony by Rovos Rail.

Let's take a train tour. And this is a long one. There are a total of 21 cars and two engines, but let's start at the back. We've already spent a fair amount of time back here in the observation car,

and it's without a doubt our favorite place to pass time, but it can get busy during the day. In addition to the outdoor viewing platform, there's also a bar inside. It's staffed from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. You'll notice the train is empty. Well, it's not really empty. It's nearly full, as a matter

of fact. We just go out of our way to film these public spaces at times when they're empty to respect other passengers' privacy.

This is the smoking lounge on board.

It has the only television we found on the entire train, as well as a pretty impressive ventilation system. With three lounge cars on the train like this one, it's never a problem to find a comfortable place to sit and have a cup of coffee or a drink. Just relax. Throughout the public spaces, including the observation car and here in the lounge car,

you'll find snacks, water, and even games. Also, you can review the menu for whatever meal is next. There are a total of 11 sleeper cars on this train. One even has a small shop that was open during the day. There are two dining cars on the train that offer different interior design. If you're hungry, be sure to sit in the one closest to the kitchen as they serve that

car first. Bathrooms are never far away. They're found at the ends of most of the coaches. And again, it's amazing what can come out of this small kitchen. There are also two staff cars, a guard car, and two engines. On our last day, pulling into Victoria Falls, those engines will be put back at the observation

car, in effect turning the train around. Before long, it was time for another lunch. It's early today because we're getting off the train, about 1.30. It was still an impressive experience and, despite my lack of class and coordination, we enjoyed every bite. Just like all the food and drinks, the excursions are included in the price of your ticket. Now we don't have a choice of what to do,

all 66 of us did the same things, but if you want to stay on board, of course you can. We boarded a coach, most of the crew came out to wave goodbye, and 45 minutes later we arrived in the Motobo National Park

where we were escorted into safari vehicles vehicles for an adventure in Zimbabwe's oldest national park. What we didn't expect was getting up close and personal with a mother rhino and her young calf. As I mentioned earlier we'd spent several days before this trip on safari in South Africa and as much fun as that was this was the first time we'd ever been out of the safari car with rhinos and seeing as they're so endangered it really is special to be this close. But their armed guards were keeping a close eye on us. It's great to get off the train and explore a bit. It makes me really glad that we had the

chance to go on that full-on safari, which I'd recommend to you if you come this far. You've got to do that kind of have that kind of experience. It's fantastic. The team at Railbookers planned a phenomenal safari for the few days before Rovo's Rail. We had an unforgettable experience seeing so many animals and staying in an incredibly luxurious camp. If you decide to book a trip on Rovo's, we definitely encourage you to add a safari

like this. Meanwhile, back in Motobo National Park in Zimbabwe, we were treated to sundowners and a few stories of Cecil John Rhodes, the founder of legendary diamond company De Beers. We were invited to climb to the top of this nearby granite outcropping where Rhodes is buried. The sunset from this mystical place is truly special. Rhodes leaves a complicated legacy and is remembered today for many reasons,

one of which is because his estate continues to fund the Rhodes Scholar Program. How incredible is that sunset? Amazing. One of which is because his estate continues to fund the Rhodes Scholar Program. How incredible is that sunset?

Amazing.

Unbelievable. And about five hours after leaving, we were back on the train. That was a really cool experience. We were eye to eye with a rhino. We saw a beautiful sunset.

Suzanne even did some shopping while we were out. So all in a wonderful afternoon. But now it's time to turn around. We've got to change clothes for dinner. Just like that we've gone from National Park sunset to formal dinner on a train. That is the Rovos Railway I guess. Greater Cross here. Rewear is not a dirty word. Huge shout out by the way from me to Sam at Suit Supply in Georgetown. Thank you. About a week before we left I realized I needed a suit and

you hooked me up. So if you're looking for one, he's your guy. He's a jet setter we

met way back last summer at Boston Logan Airport. So if you ever see us around, say hi.

We've got to head to dinner. It's time. Again there's more to South African wine than Pinotage. Tonight's appetizer was smoked kudu carpaccio, and after seeing kudus on safari, Suzanne wasn't too excited to try it. And of course, it was no problem swapping for the vegetarian option. As for me though, I enjoyed the light and delicate flavors here. And the stuffed chicken breast was equally delicious.

It has taken me until night number three to realize this knob here controls a heated blanket. I thought I controlled the volume of announcements like on Amtrak, but nope, it's a heated blanket.

I'm in heaven.

Good morning from Sawmills, Zimbabwe. The train stopped about midnight or so, and we have been here ever since. It's about 6.15 in the morning. We should be on our way again at about 8 o'clock this morning. It's just about getting the day started with this beautiful, fresh day here on Robus Rail. I settled in with my book until right at 8 o'clock. We left

sawmills behind to make our way toward Hwangae National Park, Zimbabwe's largest. And soon after that, Suzanne and I met for breakfast. Breakfast is available each day from 7am to 10am. But we didn't linger today. Instead, we made our way to the observation car. Now we're only covering about 870 miles over these four days. And part of the reason is, of course, because we've been stopped overnight. But it's not like we're in any rush traveling at relatively slow speeds,

which is even more surprising given that this is one of the world's longest stretches of straight track. It's also worth noting, there's no Wi-Fi on board, at least for now, and cell phone service is extremely limited in Zimbabwe, so plan to be off the grid.

Welcome to Hwange National Park. This is a safari from bed. We are truly on Africa's safari train. There will be animal sightings just right outside our window.

You're telling me animals aren't going to be scared away by this train?

We'll see.

And see we did. Warthogs. And giraffes. But the good stuff, the really good stuff, will come a little later when we hop off the train for a true safari. I mean this is unbelievable. Sparkling wine in our room watching Huangge National Park go by. I don't know if it gets better than this. I should mention the sparkling wine is included in our room. It was in our

mini bar right here. And to that point, all of the food, all of the drinks are included on this on this train. So it is a luxury experience. Pretty exciting. We enjoyed the view from the room, but before long it was time to leave. After another four-course lunch, it's time to head out on our second excursion this trip. We're doing a safari here in Whangae National Park. We climbed into safari vehicles and struck out.

A key difference to keep in mind when it comes to most African safaris is that if you're in a national park like we are now, you'll generally have to stick to defined roadways. However, road here is a relative term. On the other hand, if you're in a private reserve, like we were in South Africa, the drivers can leave the roadways. That means in general, sightings in private reserves are usually better than in national

parks. But not here today. Despite being limited in where we could go, we saw so much, including more elephants than we could count, my favorite bird in Africa, the red-billed hornbill, and best of all, this majestic leopard. Before long though, it was time for sundowners and a campfire. It was a wonderful game drive with lots of great sightings. You never

know what you're gonna see and that's the fun part of it, but what we know we're about to see is another amazing dinner. It is time to change yet again for another four-course extravaganza.

It's the big finale.

And since it is the final dinner on board, I decided to dress up a bit more. No clip-ons here. We had a drink before dinner and reviewed the menu for the night. It's definitely even a step above what we've seen so far. The candle added a touch of class too. Now all the food on board has been truly remarkable. It's perhaps a bit more formal than we prefer to eat normally,

but it's never stuffy and formal food is a large part of what this train is about. With multiple courses for every lunch and dinner, you'll certainly never leave hungry. The onboard service has also been phenomenal. Everyone we met was professional, friendly, and seemed genuinely excited about the journey. These are long days and difficult working environments, and offering first class service throughout is tough, but they deliver every time.

Good night.

And there's still one more day to go. Good morning, it's six o'clock. That was another phenomenal night of sleep. It's time to go check out the observation car. The engines have been put up on that side of the train,

so we're gonna go see that.

As we speed toward Victoria Falls, let's talk price. This four night itinerary from Pretoria to Victoria Falls, let's talk price. This four-night itinerary from Pretoria to Victoria Falls in the Deluxe Suite cost $4,700 per person, that's $9,400 for two. But coming all this way and only taking the train seems like a missed opportunity. So we booked our Rovos trip as part of a 10-night custom package we planned with the team at Railbookers.

It included all of our accommodation, that's three nights at an all-inclusive luxury safari camp, and four on the train, along with internal flights, activities, and transfers. That was $11,000 each. And after 88 hours, we arrived right on time, and we're sorry to say goodbye to this train. It truly felt like home after four days. There can be no doubt. Rovos Rail operates some of the world's best luxury trains, but it's more than that. The added sense of adventure here makes this a one-of-a-kind experience. And this is why you take Rovos Rail to

Victoria Falls. What an amazing view. Between now and the next time, see you on the rails. Say you want Coca-Cola, they'll bring it. Say you want still water? They'll bring it. You want a beer? They'll bring it. And dinner is quite a show. We're talking 11 courses. Hello, Jet Setters. We're about to banter. I'm not gonna say it's a great place to get some work done anymore because apparently I said that too much. Okay, banter. Banter action. Banter round two. Banter take two. Action. It's a river in Tanzania. Tanzania. Tanzania. We're in the refugee... we're in the refugee river.

No. Show us the color. It's like a grape green.

Oh, that's really good. It's like a Girl Scout Thinbit.

Sayonara! Sayonara!

So there's another train.