- NIghts 2
- Days 3
- Safari Nambiti Conservancy
- Dates Yearly Schedules
This exclusive experience includes an exhilarating game drive, a captivating battlefield tale narrated by a world-class historian, and a chance to explore the unique African ceramics.
Get ready to discover the Nambiti Conservancy, a private Big Five retreat located on a vast 20,000-acre malaria-free bushveld in KwaZulu-Natal. The conservancy boasts an incredible range of biodiversity, including savannah, grasslands, thornveld, and tall acacia trees. Situated on an expansive game farm, Spionkop Lodge is the perfect base for exploring the mountains, bush, birds and battlefields of the region, nestled amidst an expansive game farm that adjoins an 11,000-acre nature reserve.
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit Ardmore Ceramics, a charming centre in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, where you can learn about the Zulu people and their unique sense of rhythm, color, dance, and song. The spirit of African imagination is alive in Ardmore Ceramics, and its influence is spreading to other continents around the world.
Before concluding your adventure, travel through the Valley of a Thousand Hills to Durban, and enjoy the breathtaking scenery along the way.
We are happy to offer many dates and destination options aboard the Rovos Rail.
Please be sure to speak to your Safari by Distincte travel specialist for more details.
Dates & Prices
Prices are in USD, per person, based on double occupancy. Many date options available in 2024 & 2025
| Package Options | Starting From | Single Occupancy |
| Pullman Suite | $1,560.00 | $2,339.00 |
| Deluxe Suite | $2,325.00 | $3,488.00 |
| Royal Suite | $4,725.00 | $7,088.00 |
| Package Options | Starting From | Single Occupancy |
| Pullman Suite | $1,700.00 | $2,550.00 |
| Deluxe Suite | $2,525.00 | $3,788.00 |
| Royal Suite | $3,400.00 | $5,100.00 |
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Terms & Conditions
Itinerary
- 10:00am: Depart Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria. Travel southeast across the Highveld and the goldfields of the Witwatersrand towards Heidelberg, site of the first Rand gold strike, and Balfour, a small mining town in Mpumalanga.
- Guests may freshen up in their suites before joining fellow travellers in the lounge car and observation car.
- 1:00pm: Lunch is served in the dining cars. The Drakensberg Mountains were first named by the Voortrekkers who thought the unbroken chain of heavily weathered peaks reminded them of the spines on a dragon’s back, hence the name ‘Dragon Mountain’ or Drakensberg in Afrikaans.
- 4:30pm: Tea in the lounge and observation cars. The train climbs to Majuba Hill – site of the decisive battle that ended the First Anglo Boer War – then passes Newcastle, which has what is reputed to be the largest cella-dome Hindu temple in the southern hemisphere.
- 6:30pm: Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Elandslaagte. Dress: Formal Pass Glencoe, site of the first battle of the Anglo Boer War and now the centre of the province’s coalfields.
- 5:30am: Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
- Enjoy a game drive in the Nambiti Reserve, a private Big Five bush retreat set on 20 000 acres of malariafree bushveld with incredible biodiversity including savannah, grasslands, thornveld and tall acacia trees.
- 11:00am: Brunch is served in the dining cars.
- Transfer (±30 min) to Spionkop Lodge for the afternoon. A choice of two excursions is available:
- 1. Hear the historic tale of the Battle of Spionkop
- 2. Enjoy a game drive in the 11 000-acre reserve.
- 6:30pm: Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Estcourt.
- Dress: Formal
- Interesting Sight – Shortly after Chieveley, on the right of the track, stands a memorial to Winston Churchill who was captured here in November 1899 while trying to free an armoured train trapped by a Boer ambush.
- 7:00am: Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00.
- The train descends the escarpment to Lions River.
- Visit the famous Ardmore Ceramics Gallery. Here, artists are encouraged to express their imagination based on nature and Zulu folklore and tradition.
- 1:00pm: Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train traverses the spectacular Valley of a Thousand Hills.
- 4:00pm: Arrive at journey’s end at Durban Station. A number of museums and cultural sights, the beautiful botanical gardens and the superb shark-protected beaches are but a few of the city’s many charms.
PRE or POST TRIP EXTENSIONS:
Speak with your Safari by Distincte travel specialist about combining this experience with some of Africa’s boundless options.
Accommodations
Things To Do
Pretoria, South Africa
Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, is a city of culture. Known for its jacaranda-lined streets, Pretoria boasts a serene atmosphere that belies its bustling urban life. Visitors... More
Drakensberg Mountains
The Drakensberg is the name given to the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation in... More
Nambiti Reserve
Nambiti Private Game Reserve is set in KwaZulu-Natal on 23 000 magnificent acres near the town of Ladysmith, conveniently close to Johannesburg/Pretoria (3.5-4 hours) and Durban (2.5 hours). Nambiti... More
Spion Kop Lodge
Relax by the pool situated on an expansive 700 hectare game farm, Spion Kop Lodge is the perfect base from which you are able to explore battlefields, berg, bush... More
Ardmore Ceramics Gallery
The story of Ardmore began in 1985 when Fèe Halstead-Berning lived on Ardmore Farm in the Champagne Valley under the shadow of the Drakensberg Mountains. Her passion for ceramic... More
Durban, South Africa
Situated along the sun-kissed shores of the Indian Ocean, Durban is a vibrant coastal city in South Africa that pulses with energy and diversity. Known for its golden beaches,... More
Pretoria, South Africa
Pretoria, South Africa
Drakensberg Mountains
Drakensberg, Lesotho
Nambiti Reserve
Nambiti Big 5 Private Game Reserve, Kwazulu Natal, Ladysmith, South Africa
Spion Kop Lodge
R600, South Africa
Ardmore Ceramics Gallery
Ardmore Ceramic Art, Caversham Rd, Lidgetton, South Africa
Durban, South Africa
Durban, South Africa
Included
- 2x Nights onboard the Rovos Rail
- Safari at Nambiti Conservancy
- All excursions with a qualified guide (where applicable) as per itinerary
- All entrance fees as per itinerary
- All meals and beverages within the timeframe of the trip
- Room service & limited laundry service
- All local taxes and service fees
- Services of your Golf by Distincte On-site Team
Not Included
- All flights both local and international
- All portage and tips for drivers & guides
- All off-train beverages; international sparkling wine
- Visas, travel insurance
- Pre- and post-tour transfers or accommodations
- All meals, drinks not mentioned in itinerary
- All items of a personal nature
Photos
Before You Travel
- Days on board are smart casual: Neat, conventional yet relatively informal in style combining casual and formal clothing pieces
- Dinner on board is formal: For gentlemen a jacket and tie is a minimum requirement (from 2024 only, a collar and tie will be mandatory while and a jacket will be optional). For ladies, we suggest cocktail/evening dresses or suits. Please respect this dress code.
- Off-train excursions: We recommend comfortable walking shoes, sun lotion and hats.
- Please dress accordingly for excursions/game drives:
- If required, blankets and rain capes are available.
- Game drives are on open vehicles so please dress accordingly.
- Mornings can be cool then warm up considerably
- Afternoons can be warm then cool down considerably.
- Please see average temperatures as a guide.
- Warm clothing, comfortable shoes, hats and sun protection are advised.
PRICES AT PER PERSON SHARING:
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