The Shongololo Express

The Shongololo Express

Our unique touring concept eliminates interminable hours travelling long distances in a tour bus and alleviates the daily chore of packing and unpacking suitcases.

Travelling comfortably and securely during the night, Shongololo Express trains save guests precious holiday time, arriving each dawn at a new and exciting destination. Our fleet of air-conditioned touring vehicles is transported together with the train and our professional multi lingual guides (English, French & German spoken on board) are ready and on hand to drive guests on inclusive, scheduled excursions. Their experience and wealth of knowledge assist passengers to gain the most from each day's program.

When the indigenous people of the southern continent observed the first trains in Africa the lines of rolling stock passing on the distant horizons recalled the profile and sinuous movement of a creature, they called Shongololo - the millipede. Shongololo Express began operations in 1995 to provide a very special touring experience for visitors to Southern Africa. Shongololo tours traverse seven countries on the southern African continent: South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia.

Just as the ocean cruise, our very special rail cruises take care of our guests' every need. For duration on board all your requirements for a superb holiday are provided: transport, accommodation, meals, recreation, sightseeing and - what a pleasure - you need to unpack and pack only once. The trains travel comfortably and securely during the night to the next stop on the itinerary and you awake each morning to a fresh vista on Africa and the anticipation of new and exciting adventures. In this way Shongololo guests can make the most of every precious holiday hour. Each train carries a fleet of air-conditioned Mercedes Benz touring vehicles with professional guides on board (English, German, Dutch or French speaking) who are ready to take guests on inclusive scheduled tours to experience the unique sights of the area. For the more adventurous there are also tour add-ons from ballooning, to elephant riding to scuba diving available at many locations. The chefs offer South African menus that include Cape Dutch and Malay recipes as well as authentic African dishes. Meals are complemented by a selection of delightful and distinguished South African wines. It is the aim and the pleasure of every staff member on board to provide you with friendly and efficient service.

Our on board dinner menu has been carefully selected to give guests a taste of cuisine from around the African continent and includes dishes originating from Morocco to Madagascar to temp your palate. Our wine list includes a selection of the best South African wines for you to sample. Breakfasts are designed to fortify you for your busy day ahead and include freshly baked pastries and muffins, a selection of cereals and seasonal fruits and choices from a daily English style cooked breakfast! All meals are served with a warm African smile.

Drawing on fifteen years experience of operating train safaris in southern Africa, Shongololo Express train managers, staff and our tour guides ensure the smooth running of the train and of your holiday. Designed to run like clockwork, each tour is nevertheless a unique adventure for guests and staff alike! From time to time the unexpected does occur - Elephants have been known to stop the trains, and sometimes we run on 'Africa time' but without an element of surprise, Shongololo Express could not call their journeys 'great train adventures'! Just ask our many repeat clients who will tell you that it's the unexpected that brings them back to experience our different itineraries year after year.

Travel Styles:

This journey offers an amazingly comprehensive view of South Africa taking in the internationally regarded "must see" locations. As the train travels the length and breadth of the country guests can enjoy the great variety of landscapes, shorelines, cultures and lifestyles that the "Rainbow Nation" has to offer.

This 16 day journey travels across six countries. The route is carefully crafted to deliver stunning experiences every day. The train travels leisurely between Victoria Falls and Johannesburg making numerous calls at destinations in Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. As the tracks unfurl you'll gain rare insight into the cultural and geographical cocktail that makes Southern Africa so vibrant and exciting.

This route explores the magnificent landscape of Namibia - a beautiful country of extreme contrasts, vast colourful deserts, dunes, almost extra-terrestrial rock formations, great game reserves, delightful coastal towns with old world German hospitality, bushman settlements and the wind vitality of the south Atlantic seaboard. Add to this 3 days to enjoy and explore the many splendors of Cape Town where the tour starts or ends