Rovos Rail Dar es Salaam to Lobito – Tale of Two Oceans (15 nights)

Depart from Tazara Station in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Guests may freshen up in their suites before joining fellow travellers in the lounge car and observation car, which will be at the front of the train for the first 72 hours – a different aspect that our rail enthusiasts enjoy.

Lectures will take place throughout the journey during the morning and/or afternoon in the lounge car. Please consult Lecture Sheets for details. Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train travels the fertile lands of Tanzania towards the Selous. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Fuga Halt for overnight (Formal attire)

Enjoy a morning game visit in the Selous Game Reserve, the largest in Africa at 55 000km2 (time permitting).

Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train travels towards the jungled Udzungwa Mountains and negotiates the dramatic switchbacks, viaducts and tunnels of the escarpment. Afternoon Tea & Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Mlimba for overnight

Arrive at Makambako and enjoy an optional stroll through the town (time permitting). Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train passes baobab forests and ascends the Rift Valley to the Tanzanian border, almost exactly the midpoint between Africa’s two Great Rift Valley lakes.

Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train travels the TAZARA railway line, an engineering tour de force and one of Africa’s best-kept secrets as it passes through remote territory.

Enjoy an afternoon visit to Chisimba Falls where you can take a pleasant walk down to the rock pools at the base of the falls or admire them from various viewpoints. Chisimba Falls is a series of three waterfalls named Mutumuna, Kaela and Chishimba (Chisimba), which are
separated over 300m along the Luombe River. According to Bemba tradition, the nature spirit “Chishimba” lives in a cave behind the falls therefore no bad behaviour (including fights, insults and arrogance) is allowed in this area. Though the Bemba people arrived here in the 17th century, they weren’t the first as the land surrounding the falls is dotted with evidence of Iron Age activities including kilns, smelting pipes and iron ore deposits.

Return to the train in time for dinner.

The train travels from Serenje to Kapiri Mposhi. The train is turned at New Kapiri Mposhi.

Most of the territory of Zambia forms part of the great plateau of south and east Africa displaying a gently rolling and somewhat monotonous surface, relieved at intervals by hills, small escarpments of resistant rock formations and deep valleys that form part of the great African Rift system. The countryside, although high, is thick with Miombo woodland and Raffia palms. The Continental Divide, separating the drainage to the Atlantic and Indian oceans, forms the Zambia-DRC boundary as far as the southern tip where the DRC intrudes into Zambia. It then
trends northeast to leave the country about halfway between lakes Tanganyika and Malawi. The railway, in fact, follows this line very closely. In this comparatively short section of the divide are the sources of the Congo and Zambezi rivers, two of the four largest rivers on the continent.

Transfer to Ndola Airport for a chartered flight (±60 min) to South Luangwa National Park. The South Luangwa was initially founded as the
Luangwa Game Park in 1904 and converted to one of three game reserves in 1938. The impressive park covers about 9050km2 of the Luangwa Valley floor and lies anywhere from 500-800m above sea level. With its western and northwestern edge bounded by the Muchinga Escarpment, and the southern border lined with the meandering Luangwa River, there is no shortage of dramatic and fascinating topography in this beautiful game-rich park.

You transfer to one of the safari camps where you enjoy lunch and check-in on arrival. Afternoon game drive in the Luangwa Valley (approximately 3 hours). Dinner and overnight at the camps. Dress: Casual

After a final early morning game drive (±120 min) and breakfast, you transfer to the airport for the chartered flight (±60 min) to Ndola.
Transfer from the station to rejoin the train.

Lunch, Afternoon Tea and dinner is served in the dining cars as the train travels towards the border.

Enjoy a drive through the city of Lubumbashi. Then rejoin the train and travel towards Lukuni. Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train passes Luishia, an old open-pit copper and cobalt mine. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Kolwezi for overnight.

Disembark at Kolwezi for a visit to a copper mine in an area that holds one of the world’s largest known copper and cobalt resources.
Enjoy brunch at Katebi Lodge. Return to the train. Depart for Kasombo with Afternoon Tea served in the lounge and observation cars.
Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Mutshatsha for overnight.

The train passes Kakopa en route to Malonga.

The following morning you enjoy a walking tour of Luau, the start of the Benguela line. The train departs for Luena with Lunch and Afternoon Tea. The train travels alongside the Cassai River. The catchment of the Cassai River encompasses a vast eco-region of 900 000km2 with an incredibly rich fish fauna. As the train passes the villages of Cassai and Cameia, there is sometimes an opportunity to see the local fishermen at work. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Luena for overnight.

Enjoy a walking tour of Luena to learn more about the recent history of Angola. Depart for Tchicala Tcholohanga with Lunch and Afternoon Tea. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Kuito for overnight

Enjoy a stroll through the town of Kuito, built in the historical heart of the Ovimbundu kingdom. Depart for Huambo with Lunch and Afternoon Tea. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Huambo for overnight

Enjoy a tour of Huambo, the second largest city in Angola and one of the old kingdoms on the central plateau. Depart for Lépi with Lunch and Afternoon Tea. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Cubal for overnight.

Approx 10am – Arrive at your journey’s end, Lobito Station