From Cape Town to
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Port Elizabeth
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Victoria Falls
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The Blue Train
South Africa
The World's Leading Luxury Train
Cape Town - Port Elizabeth - Cape Town
The Garden Route
 Click for a larger image (36KB) | Cape Town is the western departures and arrivals terminal of the Blue Train for the southern Cape's world-renowned Garden Route. Cape Town ranks with Rio de Janeiro, San Francisco and Sydney as one of the most beautiful seaports in the world and is the southern home of the Blue Train. Cape Town is a city for people to enjoy around the clock. Its Victoria & Alfred Waterfront has also contributed to the city's success linking it once again to the harbor as of old. |
Departing guests are greeted with scenes of the lush and bountiful Western Cape, covered with vineyards and orchards and dotted with historic Cape Dutch and Flemish homesteads.
The train soon begins its climb through with vistas of lineside towns like Paarl, framed by the Drakenstein mountains, Wellington by the Slanghoek mountains and Wolseley by the Elandskloof mountains. Worcester, the largest town in the Breede River valley and gateway to the imposing Hex River mountains on the northern line, serves as junction for the Garden Route which continues through the Langeberge mountains to the east through the fruit and wine region of Robertson, Ashton, Bonnievale, Swellendam and Riversdale. Mossel Bay heralds the start of the Garden Route where the line climbs up the dramatic coastal littoral with spectacular views of the sea.
George, founded in 1812 was named after King George III and stands sentinel to the Outeniqua Pass where the line zigzags its way through tunnels and cuttings before descending into the Little Karoo, destination Oudtshoorn.
Guests are conveyed by bus from George to a point along the popular Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe line to see the Wilderness lake district. The line crosses the Kaaimans River bridge, passes through two tunnels the line hugs a cliff face at Victoria Bay, before returning to George.
The Blue Train commences its challenge of the thrilling ascent of the Outeniqua mountains via the majestic Outeniqua pass bound for Oudtshoorn.
Dropping steeply the line enters the little Karoo, a world of vermilion sandstone cliffs, wild flowers, strutting ostriches, whitewashed cottages and grand Victorian and Edwardian farmhouses where Blue Train guest excursions include a visit to an ostrich farm and the world famous Cango Caves. From Oudtshoorn the line passes through the Kammanassie mountains and crosses into the Eastern Cape near Willowmore through the Grootrivier mountains to reach Port Elizabeth. An important seaport and tourist destination set along the historic shores of Algoa Bay, bears the rich legacy of a place which saw the first meetings of British, Dutch, German settlers and indigenous Xhosa people as well as the landing place of the 1820 British Settlers.
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