The Blue Train – Great Rail Journeys

The Blue Train

The Blue Train operates the 27 hour trip from Pretoria and Cape Town. One of the world’s great train journeys. One thousand six hundred kilometres (994 miles) of some of the most diverse and magnificent scenery in Africa. Tourists experience a luxury service on the Blue Train consisting of wonderful food and spacious cabins. It has been operating since 1939 and still has its trademark blue locomotives, carriages and leather seating.

It was started Union Limited and the Union Express, which, from 1923, connected Johannesburg together with the mail ships departing from Cape Town for England. In days gone by once the Union Castle liner docked at Cape Town, passengers could take the Blue Train for their onward journey to Johannesburg.

The new Blue Train is one of the finest rail experiences in the world. In 1947 for the three month long tour by the British Royal Family, the Blue Train received 8 ivory-painted air-conditioned carriages from The UK, three of which were put together to Blue Train sleeping car standards, while the other 5 were unique saloons to be used by the Royal Family.

The suites offer magnificence and splendour. The Blue train brings you to a world of exquisite living, fusing the appeal of rail travel and a grand hotel. Much of the allure is based on its past and it can very easily lay claim to being certainly one of the top three high-class trains worldwide.

An a la carte South African food selection is simply part of the Blue Train service which also features butlers attending your each and every need as well as a deluxe suite. Taking merely 2 days, the Blue Train travels from Pretoria to Cape Town and return.

Menus offer a range of the finest local food, eating on board the Blue Train is a gastronic experience. Choose from Karoo lamb and ostrich fillet to Knysna oysters – alongside award-winning cultivars from the Winelands of the Western Cape. The royal blue menus with their gold twine reflect the district through which the Blue Train guests are venturing.

All this served on the finest bone china in white, cut-crystal and traditional silver utensils engraved with the customary “B” insignia. Fine South African wines compliment a gourment food selection provided in a classy ambiance making dinner a superb experience on the Blue Train. This is a showcase for the wines from the region.

The Blue Train connects Pretoria and Cape Town a couple of times per week but these days is aimed at tourists. Guests are offered an out of the ordinary journey in magnificent style and comfort they will remember for a long time. The romance of the Blue Train  brings first time travellers and returning guests to experience its alluring charms.

The boutique on board is a treasure trove of gems and minerals as diverse as Africa itself. Unique branded gifts are presented to guests at the end of their journey, passengers receive a sherry glass engraved with the Blue Train logo.

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Blue Train – Great Rail Journeys

Ghana is a country located in West Africa where volunteer work is greatly needed. There are 10 regions and 138 districts with city populations that are sometimes in the millions. Each area has some form of aid that is needed. When you volunteer in Ghana you have plenty of opportunity to help.

Understand that when you travel to this country you will work amongst some of the poorest people. Ghanaians average an income of less than $4 a day. The rate of literacy is low; 40% of the population is illiterate. Volunteer work can make a significant contribution to helping the people of Ghana.

If you visit, you will be greeted by some of the friendliest people in the world. Ghanaians are known for their hospitality. They have a proud history and a lot of culture so you can immerse yourself in the country while you are there. It is a safe country to travel and volunteer in.

You have a choice of areas to work in or you may think about combining projects while you are working there. If you’re unsure of what task you want to take on or what region you would like to visit you can choose to go to many places instead. Stick with what interests you and you will have quite an experience.

Different organizations have opportunities in wildlife conservation, work in Orphanages, coaching sports, community development, and health projects. You just have to decide which ones are important to you.

You might want to teach English and computer skills or work with orphans in Ghana’s orphanages to help develop their education and emotions. You might organize sports and activities if that is what you are interested in. Volunteering at health clinics with available professionals throughout the country is another option. You can even help preserve the environment and wildlife or educate the people about the issues that exist in these areas.

You have the option of travelling by yourself or in groups and there are companies that will organize everything for you. This way, you can focus on the work you are doing.

People can choose shorter two week trips or see more of the country in four weeks or longer. It depends on the time you have available and how much experience you want in the areas you choose. Whether you are going on summer vacation, spring break, or as a special trip, you open yourself up to a wonderful experience when you Volunteer in Ghana.

Looking to find the best deal on Volunteer Abroad, then visit www.yoursite.com to find the best advice on Volunteer Ghana for you.

Kenya has for long drawn large numbers of safari seekers from many parts of the world. The beautiful East African country has about 60 national parks and reserves – which are home to more than 4 million wild animals. These wildlife sanctuaries provide game safari enthusiasts with numerous chances to relish fascinating game drives within impressive landscapes.

The Maasai Mara National Park is easily the most famous safari park in Kenya. Situated some 260 km from Nairobi, the capital city, Maasai Mara is renowned as the center stage for the Great Wildebeest Migration – an annual event that sees more than 2 million wildebeests, Thompson’s gazelles and zebras moving into the Maasai Mara from Serengeti National Park in search of greener grasses. The great migration takes place from July to October and the reverse happens in November with the promise of foliage in the Serengeti. From the city of Nairobi, Maasai Mara is reached via a 5 hour road journey or a 45 minutes flight – with Wilson Airport operating scheduled flights to the park.

Located 300 km from Nairobi, Tsavo National Park is also a key safari destination in Kenya. It is famous for its large population of lions, referred to as ‘man-eaters of the Tsavo’ and is divided into two sections: the Tsavo East and the Tsavo West. The Tsavo National Park borders the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania and since the altitude levels are conducive the park hosts a wide array of wildlife. The two sections are separated by the Mombasa-Nairobi highway. Tsavo East and Tsavo West jointly form one of the largest national parks in Kenya and can be accessed through Taveta- Sipe Road as well as Tsavo Gate, Kamboyo, Maxtar and Kilagrui airstrips.

While on a Kenya safari, you should make a point of visiting the Amboseli National Park. Located 240 km from Nairobi, next to the imposing Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli is one of the most popular safari destinations in the country. It was gazetted as a national park in 1974 and is recognized as the best place in Africa where one can view free-ranging elephants at closest range. The snowcapped summit of the mountain seems to dominate every aspect of the park. Animals present here include cheetah, elephants, buffalo and many others. The national park is easily reached from Nairobi through the Nairobi-Arusha Road.

The Aberdare National Park, situated about 160km from Nairobi, is also among Kenya’s most popular safari destinations. It was accorded national status in 1950. Aberdare is renown for its tree-house hotels – The Treetops and The Ark. In 1952, Treetops hosted the then young princess Elizabeth on the eve that she became queen. The national park hosts an incredibly wide array of wild animals such as lions, black leopards, the uncommon bongo antelope, rhinos and many others.

Nairobi National Park is a preferred Kenya safari destination among visitors who want to see African animals without venturing deep into the Kenyan wilderness. The national park that is situated about 7km form the city center is the only ‘city national park’ in the world. Covering some 177 sq km, Nairobi National Park was established in established in 1945 as the first national park in the country. One of the major features of the park is an Orphanage that temporary house deserted or injured animals as they wait to be returned into the jungle. Some of the animals present here are buffalo, crocodiles, lion, cheetah, leopard and hippos among many others.

Travelling to Kenya? Visit the author’s Travel to Africa website Africa Point where you will find Kenya Safari Packages with a wide selection of Best Price Hotels including Nairobi Hotels . Africapoint.com is an Africa travel portal that has helped thousands of travelers discover Africa.

Travelling east from the coast at Henties Bay, one will encounter a mass of granite suddenly appearing from the plains, this is Namibias highest mountain, named Brandberg, or Burnt Mountain, it stands at some 2573 metres above sea level, and is known in the local Damara language as Daureb.

Situated some 450 kilometres from Namibias capital city, Windhoek, and a few kilometres from the small community of Uis, and having a major concentration of Bushman paintings the most famous of which is “The White Lady”, the Brandberg area offers much to people who really want to “get away from it all”, and a hike to the top of the Brandberg is a great addition to your Namibian safari itinerary.

Konigstein, which is the highest point, can be ascended and descended in 2 days, but that would be pushing the limits with experienced climbers. A more comfortable pace would be to allow 3 or more days there and back. With water being the necessity to life that it is, it is necessary for a heavy pack, that contains at least 7 litres.

The base of the Hungorob Gorge is the starting point and is at 700 metres above sea level. With millions of rocks forming the landscape, the little piles of rocks that mark this route are not what you would call blindingly obvious, but an experienced guide, will know the rocks. Initially following the winding Messum River, this easy section will not last for long.

The first day, you should aim to reach the stone circle plateau. I call it a plateau, but it is just the first bit of flat ground that is available after all the climbing. Close to this piece of flat ground is another very important feature, Springbuck Fountain. This fountain is so named due to the beautiful Bushmen paintings of Springbuck in the area. It is a strong fountain with plenty of good drinking water. When in the Brandberg, fill up all your bottles whenever there is water available.

After a stiff climb and following some contours the next morning, another fountain will present itself. This is known as Bushmens Fountain, and you should be here at around 12 noon, so it is a good spot for lunch with its large granite boulders providing some much sought after shade. After lunch is the most strenuous part of the trip, and almost every step will get you higher up the mountain. Just before the Branderg plateau is encountered, there is a smooth granite rock to negotiate, but the angle is shallow enough to make it a fairly easy climb.

Although named the plateau, it is more a collection of valleys and rolling hills. A waterfall is the next point to head for, although like many water courses in Namibia, water is not always present. Some magnificent Bushman paintings are to be found around here, and it is important that these are preserved and not damaged or interfered with in any way. The archaeology department of Namibia is working on these site, trying to learn more bout these ancient people. Take only photographs and leave only footprints. Once on top of the waterfall, following another dry river bed, the most beautiful of all Bushman paintings on the Brandberg is to be found. Snake rock is truly a work of art, and the ancient Bushmen really knew what they were doing when they painted this rock face. Near to here is a good spot for the nights camp, where there is a fantasic view down the Hungorob Gorge, and on a clear night, some 90 kilometers away, can be seen the light of Henties Bay on the Atlantic coast.

The next day is time for the final section to get to the summit. With all camping gear left in camp, you feel much lighter when tackling this tough section, carrying only a few snacks and some water. After following a few valleys, you will reach Konigstein, and when reaching the top, you will be presented with marvellous panoramic views and photographic opportunities from the highest point in Namibia. The opportunity is now available to “phone a friend” due to the availability of cell phone reception via the small nearby town of Uis. Spitzkoppe can be seen in the distance, also known as the Matterhorn of Namibia, but that’s another story.

Sometimes, the descent can be more strenuous than the climb up. A very different set of muscles are in use than were during the climb up. Collecting the gear from last nights camp, the objective should be to reach the first nights camp at the stone circle. You should make this at around five in the afternoon, all being well.

You should be able to get to your original departure point at around ten the next morning, this gives ample time to reach your next destination during your Namibian safari, whether headed inland, to the coast, North or South. As long as common sense is used, good planning and sufficient supplies are taken, this should be a safe and enjoyable hike.

Before planning your Namibia safari head over to our website, where you can find details, guides and great advice and experience for all aspects of your holiday. We have the very best vehicles, and necessary expertise to make your safari something extra special.

Never before has there been so much choice in the world of flying with airlines competing to offer multiple daily departures, multiple departure points around the UK and the widest choice and most innovative range of on-board services and facilities.
Premium flying

By upgrading the class in which you fly you can ensure that flight is very much a part of your luxury holiday experience.We are pleased to be working with some of the world’s leading airlines, whose service and innovations continue to move the concept of premium flying that one step further.

Read more about the features and benefits of the premium classes offered by different airlines.
Regional departures

Recognising that the convenience of departure airport may be your priority we offer a variety of regional airports as the departure point for your holiday. As well as a selection of direct flights, these airports also offer the opportunity to connect with British Airways, KLM or Air France intercontinental routes, connecting in London, Amsterdam and Paris respectively.

The regional airports available include Aberdeen, Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Jersey, Manchester, Newcastle and Newquay.
Low Cost Airlines

For your convenience, we offer the option to fly with a choice of no frills airlines from a range of regional departures. Both EasyJet and Jet2 offer a safe, reliable point to point air service to many destinations throughout Europe and beyond.

Low cost airline holidays

For your convenience, Kuoni offers the option to fly with a choice of no frills airlines from a range of regional departures. Both EasyJet and Jet2 offer a safe, reliable point to point air service to many destinations throughout Europe and beyond.

The choice of regional departures offered include Luton, Bristol, East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow, providing a range of flights to destinations in Italy, Spain, Greece and Morocco, and with the airlines continually expanding their route networks the flying options are endless.
Why choose a no frills airline?

Although a ‘no frills’ carrier will not offer the service of a full scheduled airline (which often includes complimentary pre-seating options and food and drink services), they will provide an efficient and good value flight service from a convenient departure airport in the UK offering a stress free start to your holiday.