Malawi Meander

Please check-in a minimum of one hour before departure. Should you wish to visit our museum or do a site tour at Rovos Rail Station, we suggest arriving two hours prior to departure.

The train travels on the eastern line towards the harsh coal-mining area of eMalahleni (Witbank) – where Rovos Rail was founded – and Middelburg, known as the “stainless steel capital of Africa”. The Dutch railway building company, NZASM, built this line between Pretoria and Lourenço Marques (Maputo) from 1893 to 1895.

Lectures will take place throughout the journey in the lounge car.

The rolling hills of eMakhazeni (Belfast), eNtokozweni(Machadodorp) and Emnothweni (Dullstroom) are a welcome sight and are renowned for the genteel yet skilful sport of trout fishing. The train descends the spectacular Drakensberg Mountain escarpment.

Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Malelane.

Game drive in the Kruger National Park with tea and lunch.

The famous Kruger Park has 2-million hectares of an unrivalled diversity of life forms. It is a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and home to an impressive number of species, e.g. 336 species of trees, 49 species of fish, 34 species of amphibians, 114 species of reptiles, 507 species of birds and 147 species of mammals including the Big Five.

Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Komatipoort and Mpaka.

Border formalities, Disembark at Mpaka. Visit Swazi Candles and Mantenga Cultural Village with lunch at Mantenga Lodge.Tea in the lounge and observation cars.

The tiny Kingdom of eSwatini (Swaziland) covers only 17 000km2, most of which is mountainous. For such a small country, it is surprising that it sustains two capital cities: Mbabane is the administrative capital and Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital.

In April 2018, Swaziland changed its name to the Kingdom of eSwatini (meaning “place
of the Swazi”) and is an absolute monarchy. It is landlocked and borders South Africa and Mozambique. At Swazi Candles, guests are invited to interact with the artisans as they make a variety of candles. Woodcarvings, colourful textiles and superb basketwork are also on display. Mantenga is nestled in the mountains overlooking ‘Execution Rock’. The village is a living museum of old traditions that represents a classic Swazi lifestyle during the 1850s.

Dinner is served in the dining cars. Border formalities.

Enjoy a tour of Maputo, Mozambique, with lunch at the Polana Hotel. Tea in the lounge and observation cars.

Capital of Mozambique, Maputo is a city of contrasts offering an exciting mix of cultures. Its architecture is a blend of African, Portuguese and early colonial traditions with old Catholic churches side-by-side with mosques, fortresses, Victorian mansions and other buildings from a bygone era.

The train travels to Chicualacuala

The train traverses the humid and swampy interior of Mozambique, crossing the Limpopo River. In Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, the ‘Elephant’s Child’ departs his family for the “great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, to find out what the Crocodile has for dinner.”

Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00. Border formalities.

Traverse Gonarezhou National Park. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Travel through attractive granite hill country to Oreti.

Gonarezhou National Park, the Place of Elephants, is situated in a remote part of the country at 5053km2 in size.It forms part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Gonarezhou with the Kruger National Park in South Africa and the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique. Animals may move freely between the three sanctuaries, together totalling 35000km2. The spectacular Chilojo Cliffs, red sandstone incisions standing at more than 180m high, lie at the heart of the park and are a result of eons of erosion in the Runde River Valley.

Breakfast is served in the dining cars. Transfer (±75 min) to the Great Zimbabwe Monument for a visit followed by lunch. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Travel to Gweru, nicknamed the “City of Progress”.

The Great Zimbabwe Monument is an impressive monument situated on the southeastern edge of the central plateau and the largest precolonial monument south of the Egyptian pyramids.

A celebrated achievement of the African people and a place where magical fables such as the story of King Solomon’s Mines find their origins amongst the ruins of an ancient city built by the Rozwi people. Discover how these ancient people lived and mined gold and silver, which were ultimately taken out of Africa by Arabic and Portuguese traders. The area is also home to forests of precious timber such as teak, mahogany and mukwa.

Breakfast is served in the dining cars. Transfer (±30 min) to Antelope Park for a visit.

Optional extras include canoeing, game drives, horseback game viewing, elephant interaction, bird-watching cruises and so on (see price list). Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Harare. Tea in the lounge and observation cars.

Set in over 3,000 acres of open savannah grassland, Antelope Park is a haven of tranquillity welcoming guests and volunteer eco-tourists alike. It is home to the world-famous African Lion and Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) lion rehabilitation programme, which is a multi-phase lion conservation initiative.

It is Africa’s first genuine programme working to ethically reintroduce the offspring of captive-bred African lions back into the wild.

Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 09:00. Enjoy a tour of Harare with visits to local galleries and a street market.

Lunch is served in the dining cars. Tea in the lounge and observation cars.

Harare (formerly Salisbury until 1982) is the capital city of Zimbabwe, once a vibrant and prosperous nation that has been significantly affected by political and economic challenges. However, Zimbabweans are renowned for their artistic abilities, and with an economy where informal trade plays a major role, visitors can explore flea markets and experience the creativity and talent of local artisans producing much from very little.

The countryside between Harare and Mutare is renowned for its diverse landscapes, featuring farmlands, Msasa trees, granite boulders and rolling highland mountains.

Visit the charming Mutare Museum, which covers a range of themes such as archaeology, ethnography, transport and natural history with a collection of vintage vehicles.

Lunch is served in the dining cars. Border formalities. Tea in the lounge and observation cars.

The Beira-Mashonaland Railway, initiated by Cecil Rhodes, brought prosperity to Mutare, with railway workshops and staff housing established in the town. The later decision to relocate the main workshops to Bulawayo sadly led to an economic decline.

The journey towards Beira reveals rural towns and settlements, highlighting how local communities have adapted through self-sustaining subsistence farming. The region’s main agricultural products include corn, cassava, cowpea, peanut, pearl millet, sorghum and sweet potato.

Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Beira.

Enjoy a tour of Beira including the Macuti Lighthouse and Shipwreck. The train travels to Inhamitanga.

The somewhat swampy approach to Beira takes you into Mozambique’s busiest port and third-largest city, which is situated on the Mozambique Channel at the convergence of the Pungwe and Buzi rivers. Ravaged by the civil war and mostly in a ruinous state, Beira can be an enjoyable place to explore. Like Maputo, the Portuguese influence is evident in its architecture.

The red and white-striped lighthouse was built in 1904. In 1985, the Macuti tugboat was intentionally run aground here to serve as a breakwater. For a vessel that was once on a national postage stamp, it seems like an undignified end.

Traverse the undulating landscape of Mozambique’s interior.

The train crosses the rebuilt Dona Ana Bridge from Vila de Sena to Mutarara. At 3.67km, it is the longest bridge to span the mighty Zambezi River, comprising 33 spans of 80m and 7 spans of 50m. Built by the Portuguese in 1934 during the Portuguese rule of Mozambique, it was rendered unusable in the 1980s during the civil war. USAID assisted with the repairs and converted it to a single-lane bridge for vehicle traffic.

In 2009, after three years of rehabilitation, it was converted back to a rail bridge and, in 2017, the pedestrian lane—used daily by over 3,000 people—was renovated.

Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Moatize.

Enjoy a coal-mine tour.

Lunch is served in the dining cars. Enjoy a driving tour of Tete followed by sundowners on the banks of the Zambezi River.

The riverside city of Tete is known as a transport and mining hub linking the country with neighbouring Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe. There are still traces of its past and Portuguese-era influence with its mix of colonial-style and modern buildings, small shops, vendors and busy minibuses (chapas).

The Samora Machel Bridge over the Zambezi River is an iconic landmark. Along the riverfront, you’ll find the bustling Feira Market, offering fresh produce, spices and street food alongside textiles and crafts.

Please pack a small overnight bag for the two-night stay at Lake Malawi. A Rovos Rail tote bag has been placed in your suite for your convenience. Flight luggage restrictions apply (15kg). Surplus luggage will be sent to Lilongwe (Day 17).

Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 09:30. Transfer (±25 min) to Chingozi Airport, Tete.

After immigration formalities, take a flight (±60 min) to Makokola Retreat on the palm-fringed southern shore of the renowned Lake Malawi, home to an abundance of birds, fish and reptiles.

Various activities are available, including watersports, swimming, gym and tennis.

Check in and enjoy lunch, an afternoon at leisure, dinner and overnight stay.

Please ensure that your luggage is ready for collection and proceed to check-out by 09:00.

Breakfast until 09:00 with a morning at leisure. Transfer (±210 min) to Mvuu Lodge nestled under large fever trees on the banks of the Shire River.

Enjoy lunch and a late afternoon boat safari with sundowners followed by dinner and overnight.

Please ensure luggage is ready for collection and proceed to check-out by 09:30.

Enjoy a morning game drive and breakfast. Check-out and proceed to the airstrip.

Take a flight (±60 min) to Kamuzu International Airport, Lilongwe.

Arrive at journey’s end where you’ll be reunited with your luggage. Transfer to respective city hotels.