THURSDAY 6 DECEMBER 2012 MUMBAI, DELHI, BANGALORE

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ichly furnished interiors, excellent R dining options, luxury accommodations and local art performances to keep you entertained... and if that isn’t sufficient, a constantly changing view from your room window, as you pass snow-capped mountains or cross bridges over raging rapids is sure to make a luxury train journey an experience to rave about for years to come. Simply enough, luxury are like on wheels. In addition, they also take you trans-country or trans-continent to showcase the beauty of varying landscapes and introduce you to the local culture. LET’S TOAST: Travel through the Rockies in and , Train travel has adopted a high Travel in five star luxury onboard the Royal Pacific, which offers five star dining and luxury onboard the historic Royal private compartments end luxury persona for the Canadian Pacific and to Whistler. traveller looking to experience explore the Rockies in British REGION: British Columbia, Alberta, Banff has 19 train routes across Columbia or traverse the ● Rocky Mountaineer offers over 45 Canada. Both are great additions to an a destination differently African continent with Rovos Canadian vacation packages and four Alaska cruise or visit to Vancouver, Rail. unique rail routes — three train journeys Victoria and Whistler; and connects Track through Russia, through British Columbia and Alberta to western Canada tourism destinations in and Kazakhstan Banff, , Jasper and , BC and Alberta. with the Golden Eagle Trans and one train excursion from Vancouver www.rockymountaineer.com Siberian Express and witness the Orient’s unique charm and culture while AWE INSPIRING: Witness aboard the Eastern and Canada’s natural beauty in Oriental Express that passes all its majesty as The through and Rocky Mountaineer travels Thailand. through British Columbia ALL ABOARD! Get Luxe train travel is about set to enjoy a five comfort and elan and the star on wheels tracks we follow in this issue when you book a trip on the Rovos of ET-Travel bring the best of Rail in Africa destination rail road experiences to you. Compiled by Lara Rebello [email protected]

MOUTH WATERING: Chefs onboard the DID YOU Golden Eagle HIRAM BINGHAM Trans-Siberian Exp. REGION: South America will tease your taste ● The Hiram Bingham KNOW buds with follows a three and a delicious cuisine © Wolfgang Kaehler/CORBIS half hour journey from NEED FOR SPEED: Cusco to Machu Travelling at a speed Picchu, past the Urumba River and of 431 kms/hr, the Shanghai mountains. With a great Maglev Train or Shanghai onboard restaurant, Transrapid in China is the enjoy excellent fastest train in the Peruvian specialties for brunch on the journey world. While there, to the site of the Inca make a point to ancient civilisation. The hop on board train also has a and gorgeous STAR SERVICE: Order some experience this bar/observation car. champagne to toast to the start of a www.perurail.com great journey on the Hiram Bingham engineering masterpiece in action.

GOLDEN EAGLE TRANS-SIBERIAN passes Yekaterinburg, where the Romanovs were EXPRESS executed; Irkutsk, the ‘Paris of Siberia’, with its REGION: Asia, China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia & classic wooden architecture and the Decembrist ROVOS RAIL Russia House museum and a private concert. REGION: Botswana, South ● True to its name, the all-ensuite Golden Eagle One can visit Ulan Ude, capital of the Buryat Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Republic, to enjoy a concert featuring local Zambia & Zimbabwe Trans-Siberian Express plies the famous Trans- Horner/Corbis© Jeremy Siberian route between Moscow and dancers and musicians; Lake Baikal, the ● The Rovos Rail combines Vladivostok, as well as special tours of the Silk deepest lake in the world with its unique breed the age old grandeur of rail Road, Russia’s Arctic and the Crimea. The two of freshwater seal, where one can enjoy a bbq; travel with modern week journey leisurely takes guests through Volgograd (ex-Stalingrad), the scene of dramatic amenities. Spanning a COMFORT: Rovos Rail has luxurious some of the best Siberian landscapes available fighting in the Second World War; Bukhara, number of countries, the suites that are spacious and also incorporates historic locations into its Samarkand and Vladivostok. route crosses the Tropic of itinerary. As well as a tour of Moscow, the train www.russiantrain.com Capricorn to Hwange Game Reserve where animals can be observed from the train itself. Stopping at the gigantic Victoria RIVER VIEW: Bring out the camera as the E&O Falls, guests can sign up for cruises, go white water rafting on the Zambezi Express crosses the Tham Kasae Viaduct on River and go on game spotting safaris. Alternative routes of the Rovos Rail are the famous River Kwai, Thailand available as well, some of which incorporate air safaris and road travel along with the rail journey. EASTERN & ORIENTAL EXPRESS www.rovos.com REGION: Singapore, Thailand and parts of Asia ● Experience a panoramic view of the mystical CROSS CONTINENT: landscapes of Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and The Rovos Rail Laos while aboard the E&O Express. The luxury showcases Africa’s train offers polished wooden interiors, well-stocked scenery like no other bars and dining cars where the resident pianist entertains guests. Try out some of the local fruits available onboard and enjoy an oriental dance performance. Travel up the Malay Peninsula; visit Penang to discover the mosques and colourful shop-houses; pass small villages and hill top temples en-route to Kanchanaburi and the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai. Visit EVENING DELIGHTS: Carry formals for the evenings in Laos, and Singapore as part when live music performances are held of the E&O Express package. www.orient-express.com

CONTACT US: Please mail your trade-related feedback to BLUE TRAIN [email protected] REGION: South Africa ● The Blue Train is one of the world’s great , and runs eight times a month between Top luxury trains of the Pretoria and Cape Town in South Africa. It boasts world are waiting for you. butler service, two lounge cars (smoking and non- Read about related smoking), an observation car, and carriages with destinations and tips by gold-tinted picture windows, in sound-proofed, fully logging onto carpeted compartments, each featuring its own en- www.facebook/ETtravelindia suite (many of which are equipped with a full-sized Scan the QR code on your bathtub). The service is promoted as a “magnificent smart phone and access our QUICK STOP: The Blue Train moving five-star hotel” by its operators, who note © Jeremy Horner/Corbis© Jeremy explores South Africa’s that kings and presidents have travelled on it. fan page on the go natural beauty while taking FOR YOU: Bite into some delicious fresh you cross country www.bluetrain.co.za local fruits

© Bob Krist/CORBIS

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