Guests are greeted at Cape Town International Airport and transfer  by chauffeur-driven limousine to the world famous Silo Hotel on the V & A Waterfront, housed in six floors above the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa where you will stay for 2 nights.

Reservations will be made for dining in such award winning restaurants as The Shortmarket, La Colombe for lunch with evenings at The Pot Luck Club and La Mouette.

Days can be spent taking in the vibrant cafe and arts scene, visiting Table Mountain or the notorious prison at Robben Island, now a museum, or at one of the great beaches nearby.

Guests board the Rovos Rail train for the first part of their 7 day journey north to Victoria Falls in the palatial luxury & elegance of a bygone era. Each Royal Suite enjoys 24-hour room service, en-suites with original fittings, fine-dining in beautiful pre-1940's dining cars and observation cars with open balconies.

Stops are made in Kimberley for the Diamond Mine Museum, and at the historic village of Matjiesfontein. Travelling through the grasslands of the gold-rich Highveld to the haunting barrenness of the Great Karoo; trundling through the spectacular mountain ranges and scenic wine-lands of the Cape. Guests spend their final part of this leg of the journey overnight in the stylish Ivory Manor Hotel in the capital, Pretoria.

*Note: Alternatively this section may be chauffeur driven or self-drive in a luxury 4x4, along the coastal Garden Route staying at pre-booked boutique hotels en-route, with game-viewing and extreme sports opportunities.  (2 extra days are normally required)

Guests rejoin the train as it heads north to Warmbaths and Nylstroom – originally thought to be the source of the Nile as the river is north flowing –  crossing the Tropic of Capricorn to Messina and Beitbridge at the Zimbabwe border, and then through Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second city.  The track runs along one of Africa’s longest stretches of straight railway line – 114 kilometres at the eastern edge of Hwange Park, a rich and diverse wildlife sanctuary where animals can be spotted from the train.  The train stops for guests to venture closer, into the Park on a game-drive excursion.

Early on the final day of this leg of the journey, the train makes its approach to Victoria Falls.  Indigenously named, Mosi-oa-Tunya – Smoke That Thunders – the water plunges 108m into the narrow Batoka Gorge which forms part of the natural border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.  Considered to be the largest waterfall in the world, it can be heard more than 40 kilometres away, and with the spray rising to 400 metres, it can been be seen from a distance of 50 kilometres – truly a natural wonder in an itinerary of breathtaking moments!

On arrival at the train's final destination, guests will be collected from the station and driven to the iconic Victoria Falls Hotel, an original colonial building with magnificent views across the Gorge.

Today starts four days in Zambia.  A driver will collect guests from the Hotel and take them across the border at Livingstone for the short drive to the much acclaimed Tongabezi Lodge, honeymoon choice of Royals and in the top 20 hotels list worldwide.

Accommodated in open fronted houses perched on the banks of the mighty Zambezi with one night on the Tongabezi’s private island, Sindabezi. Guests can choose how they spend their time with a wide variety of activities on offer – game and bird viewing on the river, dining on sandbanks and candle-lit floating rafts offer countless opportunities and plenty of time to tune into the natural flow of the area. Visits can be arranged to the local market, Victoria Falls for viewing and plunging in cliff-edge rock pools, including a night visit at full moon to wonder at the Lunar Bow.  Witness positive impact in action at the local school established by the owners.

From here, a guided expedition into Botswana’s Chobe National Park, which has one of Africa’s largest concentration of game, is an optional day-trip for those who never tire of tracking down bigger game sightings.

Departing Zambia by private plane, guests will enjoy a great view from the air of Victoria Falls  – arguably one of the more impressive vistas for this acknowledged wonder of the world – heading for the airstrip close to Azura Lodge on Benguerra Island, Mozambique where you will be spending the next four nights.

This enchanting eco-friendly island escape within a Marine National Park boasts pure white sands that extend for miles, sparkling turquoise seas with local dhows plying their trade, clear blue skies and star-studded nights.

This 20 villa resort is hand built and operated in conjunction with the local community. Attention to detail and attentive service from Butler-hosts and private chefs who will look after your every need.  Dine on fish and seafood fresh from the ocean, often cooked in modern Portuguese style.

Pamper yourself with spa treatments and time to rebalance mind, body and spirit.  Activities range from beach horse-riding, PADI-diving, snorkelling, dhow sailing, or assisting with local eco-projects.