Journeying through desert, diamond fields and wine lands, South Africa’s luxurious vintage train line takes Digital Editor, Millie Walton from the country’s capital of Pretoria to Cape Town
The Rovos vintage train at Matjiesfontein. Image by James Houston
“Has anyone travelled with us before"” A few hands shoot up. “More than twice"” A few down. “More than three times"” One hand remaining. “How many times have you travelled with us, sir"” “Eight,” replies a balding man who looks like he spends his time smoking cigars in a white tuxe (this was affirmed later on). We all gasp. Eight times on the most luxurious train in the world. Rohan Vos, the founder of Rovos Rail, smiles, “It should be you up here doing the welcome talk.” Vos, a tall, distinguished looking gentleman with a strong South African accent, purchased his first coach in 1985: a 1938 Class 19D locomotive from Lowenthal?s Scrap Metal in Johannesburg renamed BIANCA after his daughter. His intention was to restore the carriages and hitch them to a South African Railways train as a family caravan, but the tariff for hauling the train was extortionate unless he sold tickets and so, quite naturally, the Pride of Africa was born.
Read next: Fawaz Gruosi on luxury’s need for experimentation

It’s time to board. Our wonderful, young hostess Lizzy gives us the grand tour of our lavish suite and asks us how we&...