Dig into a five-course fine dining feast while voyaging through Zambia’s spectacular landscape on this historic, luxury locomotive
Like trains? Like fine dining? Then you’ll want to add this experience to your must-dos for 2019. The luxury steam locomotive, will now offer the premium service and gastronomy of the Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara in Zambia on a nostalgic journey through Zambia. With its romantic interior reminiscent of the roaring 20s, passengers will get to enjoy incredible cruising in an environment reminiscent of a bygone, all while taking in Zambia’s jaw-dropping scenery.
Departing in the late afternoon, guests will relax in the steam locomotive’s lovingly restored Pullman-style coaches with sparkling wine or a cocktail accompanied by canapés on a journey towards the Victoria Falls Bridge. Leaving the outskirts of Livingstone and into The Victoria Falls World Heritage Site, guests can spot game such as elephant and antelope en route to the first stop on the voyage: one of the world’s most spectacular border posts, on the Victoria Falls Bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe above the Zambezi River. There, guests can disembark the train and enjoy the sunset besides the world’s largest waterfall.
Continuing through Zambia’s dramatic landscapes, an impeccable five-course dinner by Anantara chefs is served with wines, beers and soft drinks. Think: gazpacho, Zambian cucumber soup, beetroot carpaccio, and butternut crème brulee, for starters, followed by braised lamb shoulder for main and a dessert of champagne and mixed berry jelly with a white chocolate and yoghurt soup, as well as petit fours to finish.
For those wanting a change of scenery, The Royal Livingstone Express offers the Mulobezi Run journey in addition to The Victoria Falls Bridge Run. The Mulobezi Line Run sets off through Dambwa Township and continues along the Mulobezi Line, running parallel to the Zambezi River and through the Mosi-Oa-Tunya Game Park and on to Sinde Siding, before the return journey to Livingstone.
With five carriages comprise two dining cars, a kitchen car, lounge car and observation car, the carriages are pulled by Steam Locomotives 10th Class 156 and 12th Class 204, built by Northern British Locomotive works in the 1930s. Locomotive 156 was renovated by the famous wildlife artist David Sheppard and donated to Zambia National Heritage in 1971 and restored again by Bushtracks in 2005. The beautiful Wembley dining car was built by the Birmingham Railway Carriages and went on display in London at the British Empire Exhibition held at Wembley in 1924. It was shipped to the Union and entered service on 19 May 1926.
The Royal Livingstone Express accommodates up to 92 guests and can also be reserved for private hire for a minimum of 50 guests.
For reservations and more information, contact victoriafalls@bushtracksafrica.com or reservations.africa@minorhotels.com