If you’ve been following my travel adventures in and around Cape Town and the Western Cape, then you may have noticed that I absolutely love hitting the open road and discovering new places and meeting interesting people along the way. Whether I’m travelling with my family or fortunate to be invited on a media educational, road trips are one of my favourite ways to travel.

Image credit – Pieter Louw

But what you may not know is that I also adore rail travel. I’ve had a love affair with rail journeys since I was a young girl. Growing up in Port Elizabeth, the Apple Express Steam Train was such a thrill for young and old alike. This heritage rail icon has been admired and loved by the world for more than 100 years. We always boarded the train with much excitement to enjoy the scenic journey out to Loerie, where we would enjoy homemade sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs and watermelon wedges for dessert. Picnics have certainly evolved since those days!

Fast forward a few years later, and our rail journeys became even more exciting.  We would visit my older sister in Vereeniging in Gauteng (formerly situated in the Transvaal Province) on an overnight trip. You can just imagine when I was told we would travel by train and would sleep onboard in our own compartment. And not just that – we could go to another carriage for our meals. This very nearly sent me into a total frenzy as I was already a foodie lover back then. Imagine going to dine in a carriage and have your food served to you? Remember, this was quite some time ago and my only dining experience thus far had been family meals at the Spur. So this was definitely stepping it up a notch.

After this first overnight rail journey, I truly fell in love with the entire experience and I knew that one day I would travel on one of the great luxury trains of the world. At that stage, I had no idea which one it would be, but the dream was born.

2017 had been a pretty bumper year for local travel, with many visits to little towns and dorpies that I hadn’t been to before, along with meeting new people and enjoying some incredible experiences and activities. Little did I know that 2017 would end on such a high note and that my dream luxury rail trip was about to come true.

It was the start of the silly season and all thoughts had turned to the summer school holidays and Christmas festivities. So when I received an invitation to join Pieter Louw and his wife Karen, booking agents for The Blue Train, I was beyond thrilled! What could possibly top that as a Christmas gift?

The regular northbound journey from Cape Town departs at 8.30am and takes you via Matjiesfontein (off-train excursion) and you arrive in Pretoria 27 hours later. Our journey would take us via the historic town of Worcester in the Breede Valley where we would disembark. I’ll tell you more about the amazing time we had exploring the wonderful Worcester Wine & Olive Route in another post.

Once you leave the hustle and bustle of busy Cape Town streets behind, the elegant Blue Train Lounge offers a calm oasis. I felt as if I had just stepped into another world. Meeting up with my fellow travellers, we chatted and got to know one another over a cup of coffee. Catching a glimpse of the gleaming Blue Train waiting for us to board shortly, I was bubbling over with sheer joy and anticipation.

The elegant Blue Train Lounge at Cape Town Station.

Prior to boarding, the Train Manager introduced his efficient team and explained the boarding procedure, along with safety regulations and what to expect once we were onboard. I couldn’t quite believe that the moment I had been waiting for was almost here – my lifelong dream of travelling on the iconic and luxurious Blue Train was about to come true. It is a feeling that I will treasure forever.

Yes! That’s my name on that ticket.

Stepping onboard for the first time was such a surreal moment for me. I felt the need to pinch myself now and again just to make sure that I wasn’t dreaming. We would soon be meandering through ever-changing landscapes and enjoying the opulence of this classic and magnificent moving five-star “hotel-on-wheels” in the same manner that kings and presidents have in the past.

Image credit – Karen Louw

We were shown to our beautifully appointed suite by the lovely Joyce, our very own butler for the duration of the journey. As we were disembarking in Worcester in about five hours, we simply dropped our bags off and made our way to the Observation Car at the rear of the train.

Image credit – Pieter Louw

This is the perfect spot to relax and watch the passing scenery, indulge in some delicious freshly baked pastries and fruit while sipping on some aromatic coffee or bubbly. I’m sure you don’t have to guess which liquid refreshment I chose!

It was definitely time to celebrate and what could be better than a sparkling glass of fizz to toast our incredible Blue Train adventure. We soon found that the service onboard is impeccable and you will never be left with an empty glass or having to ask for a refill.

Except for Cuban cigars and French champagne, all your meals, snacks and drinks are included in the cost of your ticket. Room service is available should you not wish to dine in the sumptuous Dining Car. Personally, this was one of the things I was most looking forward to. Not much has changed in that regard since I was a young girl, except that I am a lot more adventurous with trying new food and cuisines. Once a foodie, always a foodie!

I’m sure I let out a squeal of delight as the train slowly pulled away from Cape Town Station. We were finally on our way! Despite the rainy and somewhat misty weather, the ever-changing scenery viewed from the large windows was visible.

As we wanted to explore the train as much as possible, we headed to the Club Car which is situated behind the train’s engines. It’s a fair walk from the Observation Car so I would suggest comfy shoes while onboard.

The Club Car is the epitome of a gentleman’s club with touches of gold and dark wood as well as a very well stocked bar. This is the ideal space for winding down with your favourite tipple after dinner, play a game of chess or cards, read a book or chat with new friends. Perhaps you prefer to simply watch the scenery go by. The choice is entirely yours.

We sipped on more bubbly while chatting and enjoying each other’s company. It was fairly quiet and peaceful in the morning, but I can imagine that the Club Car becomes more festive in the late afternoon and evening.

Soon it was time to make our way to the Dining Car to experience their exceptional cuisine. The Dining Car exceeded my expectations in every way. Greeted by smiling staff and the sound of tasteful background music, we were seated at two tables that were perfectly laid out with crisp white linen, polished silverware and fine crystal glasses. The decor is opulent yet tasteful as one would expect.

Image credit – Pieter Louw

The onboard chefs regularly change the menus and prepare signature dishes using the freshest and mostly local ingredients – you can expect anything from Karoo lamb and venison, to luscious Knysna oysters, along with an outstanding wine list containing many award-winning South African wines.

There were some utterly delicious options to choose from. To start, I ordered the Crumbed Camembert served with Toasted Cashew Nuts and drizzled with Cranberry Reduction. Sounds amazing right? Well, it tasted amazing too. It simply melted in my mouth. Our next course was a very creamy and appetizing Cauliflower and Truffle Soup that took my tastebuds by surprise in a very good way.

The main event was simply out of this world. As soon as I saw Baked Scottish Salmon I knew that would be my choice. Served with Sweet Potatoes, Asian Vegetables and Herb Coulis, this dish simply blew me away. It was sublime and perfectly cooked.

 

Happiness is dining onboard The Blue Train! Image credit – Pieter Louw

The Dry Aged Fillet with a Veined Blue Rock Cheese dusted in biltong, sauced with a herb reduction was declared absolutely delicious by my fellow diners. Image credit – Pieter Louw

By now, I was rather full but one just can’t say no to dessert when you’re on The Blue Train. Our sweet ending was incredibly decadent with a choice of either a Chocolate Cigar with a Sharon Compote and Sorbet (my choice) or the Hot Fudge Pudding with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream.

Image credit – Pieter Louw

The entire meal was simply superb from start to end and it was with a heavy heart that we collected our bags to disembark in Worcester. We were met by Rick Marais from the Standard Newspaper and had a few photographs taken of us with The Blue Train.

Image credit – Rick Marais

Saying farewell to Joyce, our friendly and efficient butler.

Image credit – Rick Marais

It’s amazing how quickly time flies when you’re having fun. One moment we were boarding the train in Cape Town and the next we had arrived in Worcester. Did The Blue Train live up to my expectations? It exceeded my expectations by far and stole my heart. The experience was everything and more than I could’ve possibly imagined.

Image credit – Rick Marais

The Blue Train is legendary and in a class of it’s own. Iconic, opulent, classic and romantic are just some of the words that I associate with this lavish five-star train. As one of the most luxurious rail journeys you can experience in the world, The Blue Train has won no less than nine World Travel Awards (six times consecutively) as Africa’s Leading Luxury Train and is once again a nominee for Africa’s Leading Luxury Train in 2018. This South African gem has also won the World’s Leading Luxury Train eight times (five times consecutively). No other train on the planet has achieved this level of excellence.

For a truly unforgettable experience that will captivate and amaze you, providing a lifetime of memories, book your trip on The Blue Train now. Perfect for special occasions such as wedding anniversaries, honeymoons and birthdays, they will be extra special when you’re celebrating onboard The Blue Train. I know I would love to one day travel on the overnight journey between Cape Town and Pretoria. After all, dreams do come true.

For rates and reservations, please e-mail Pieter or Karen at traintours@outlook.com (quote reference code NAD).

Please note ~ I was hosted throughout by Pieter and Karen Louw of Awethentiq Luxury Tours. All views and images are my own unless otherwise indicated.

A quick glimpse of an old blockhouse as we whizz by on The Blue Train. Image credit – Pieter Louw