Offer: The Blue Train is offering one free night at a safari lodge, with select journeys between Pretoria and Cape Town.
Where: Camp Jabulani, Hoedspruit, South Africa
Details: Perhaps the most famous train in Africa, the legendary Blue Train is so named because of the rich indigo hue it’s always been painted. Dubbed the five-star “hotel on wheels,” the train offers nothing but the best in terms of food, wine, accommodation and scenery. The 994-mile (1600km) journey from Pretoria to Cape Town takes 27 hours, and includes a stopover at either a diamond mine or a pioneer town. Other trains may ply the same route, but not all have the silkiest bed linens, gold fittings in the bathrooms, and award-winning cuisine served up by the country’s top chefs.
Camp Jabulani, located in Kapama Game Reserve in Limpopo Province, boasts luxury in a pristine setting. The seven villas have pressed mud walls, outdoor showers, baths with tree trunk taps, private plunge pools and gorgeous fireplaces. Expect fine dining, with dishes like deep-fried quail with apricot puree, and eland with butternut puree and baby corn, and sundowners in a different bush location each evening. Camp Jabulani also has the Big Five, and talented rangers can scout out once in a lifetime sightings, like leopard and lions. The real highlight is the elephant-back safaris, which allow you to see wildlife from a different perspective entirely. Camp Jabulani also runs the nearby Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre. Rates at Camp Jabulani normally start at about US$1000 per night per couple.
Valid dates: Pretoria-Cape Town
- January 2015: 19, 26, 31
- February 2015: 9, 16, 23
- March 2015: 2, 11, 16, 25
- January 2015: 21, 28
- February 2015: 2, 11, 12, 18, 25
- March 2015: 4, 13, 18, 27
Includes/excludes: This offer includes accommodation, game drive and meals. Excluded are drinks and elephant-back safaris. Guests must arrange their own transfer to the camp and back (it is 446km/277 mi between Pretoria and Camp Jabulani).
