Luxury train rides offer the opportunity to sit back and relax and enjoy the view
Railways have made a comeback as a means of transport to kick back and relax in, not to mention the amazing views and fun activities on the way
have replaced yesteryear's rail travel for the most part, as speed and efficiency supersede the decadence of taking your time to get anywhere. The modern day nomad now comes equipped with an iPad, some fast talk and a whole lot of haste. But old-school rail and classic, faithful locomotives have come to remind us that an unhurried journey can prolong the enjoyment and luxury of a true escape.
"People have a fascination with trains - even those who aren't engineers can appreciate the sense of history that you get from trains that you just don't get from a plane," says Marianne Grimshaw, a senior travel consultant at Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel in London. "Travelling by train is a relaxing and interesting way of moving around with the scenery out of the window, and of course to easily converse with fellow travellers."
The ambience of luxury train travel is much the same as 100 years ago. It was the American industrialist George Mortimer Pullman who introduced what some called a "hotel car" in 1864. Soon after that was the dawn of luxury trains as they spread to Europe and Asia, with the first being the Orient Express, its maiden journey leaving Paris and travelling across the continent.
The golden age of cocktails, peacock dressing and the ceremony of a non-occasion are exalted on board a luxury train. The days and nights slow down, and a welcoming, leisurely pace conducts everything.
Today's train ride will include all that and more, with such modern considerations as a health spa and organic food for the luxury traveller.
"Rail 'cruising' is more relevant today than any time since the 1960s, as it exemplifies a safe, 'unpacking-once', picturesque method of travelling without the concerns of airline safety or baggage restrictions," says Brenda Vos, communications manager at Rovos Rail, Africa's No 1 luxury train. "We bring the world to them."
Also, the opening of previously inaccessible parts of the world means luxury travellers are looking for ways to access these privileged places, and a train does just the trick.
The Vos family launched Rovos in 1989, and its fleet of lounge, dining, observation and sleeper cars have all been restored to their original 1930s aesthetic and eminence. Rovos' observation cars, originally 28 dining cars, obtained special permission to run at the back of the train in 1988. This enabled a substantial enlargement of the windows and the construction of unique open-air balconies. Now, the most remote and beautiful African landscapes are now in perfect full view.
The Edwardian design features on the train have an aesthetic that's on wheels. It feels like a celebration of the good life that's in deep contrast with the puritanical values of the previous Victorian design of trains. Cushioned benches, extra-shiny wood panelling and carpets that give way to bury your feet slightly all combine to offer a distinct sense of the swank old world.