The “Going Nowhere” Train - A Popular Destination in Kruger National Park

South Africa is home to some of the most nostalgic, luxurious trains in the world. For some enthusiasts, the train to nowhere is the highlight of this southern African country.

According to CNN, Kruger Shalati-The Train on the Bridge is a hotel in Skukuza in Kruger National Park - one of Africa's largest wildlife reserves and part of a UNESCO-recognized world heritage site.

The train, which features carriages converted into 24 modern suites with balconies and pools overlooking the Sabie River, combines luxury accommodation in the middle of the wilderness, where guests can enjoy the sight of Africa’s “Big Five” – lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo.

Jerry Mabena, CEO of the Motsamayi Tourism Group - which owns the hotel - said the venture wanted to create a space that “harkens back to the early days of the park,” when steam trains passed through Kruger in the 1920s on the Selati Railway.

Trains were once very important to tourists coming to Kruger and would even stop overnight on the same bridge where the hotel is located today.

A new railway line built on the edge of Kruger in the 1970s pushed the Selati line and the bridge out of service, but in 2016 an idea was conceived to restore the bridge to its former glory.

“Our idea was to recreate the experience in one form or another,” says Mabena. “When we had the opportunity to buy old, broken-down train carriages from Transnet – the company that runs rail logistics in South Africa – we couldn’t say ‘no’ to the idea.”

Mabena said the interiors of the carriages have been renovated with a modern look, albeit with some “Art Deco” flourishes.

“Art Deco” - short for French Arts Décoratifs - is a style of visual arts, architecture and product design that first appeared in Paris (France) before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe in the 1920s to early 1930s.

“We tried to bring a decolonial look,” says Mabena.

If guests leave the blinds open, they can wake up at dawn and catch the first signs of life outside from the floor-to-ceiling, east-facing windows.

The river is a hotspot for wildlife, and visitors can spend their days lounging on their balconies or swimming in the pool while exploring the action below.

“The growling hippos underneath the train carriages will appeal to people who want to be in the wild but don’t want to be immersed in it,” says Mabena.

However, many tourists prefer to “lace up their boots” and head into the jungle with a guide.

Among the company’s staff is seasoned guide Thuli Mnisi. Mnisi was recruited as part of an effort to engage the local community in the business. She had been guiding for other companies since 2014 before joining Kruger Shalati.

“(It) is completely different from other places to stay,” she said. “When (visitors) first visit the ship, it's breathtaking and the scenery is unique.”

Kruger National Park allows visitors to self-drive, but Mnisi says it’s best to have a guide. “We communicate with each other, we know where to find the animals,” she says.

“If you drive yourself, you can only go around Kruger National Park and it's a huge area. If you go with a guide, they know what they're doing, they know where to find what and exactly when.”

Gardeners have planted native species on the hotel grounds and tend a kitchen garden whose produce is served in Kruger Shalati’s fine dining restaurant. Local delicacies include crocodile, venison and antelope carpaccio…

“Mother nature is a true artist – that's one of the philosophies we share: Take simple ingredients and turn them into something amazing,” says chef Vusi Mbatha.

After delays in development due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hotel opened in December 2020 and is now welcoming guests for its fourth summer season.

Double and twin rooms on the ship start at 9,950 Rand ($530) per person per night for international guests, with discounts for longer stays. One of the seven rooms in the adjacent Bridge House is available for less. The price includes all meals, some drinks, two “picnics” and airport transfers.

If visitors feel there is “too much wildlife” and “not enough trains” on their holiday, Motsamayi also owns Kruger Station, just south of the bridge and home to the last train operating in the park.

Stranded after most of the park's tracks were removed in the 1970s, the South African Railways class 24 steam locomotive has "lived many lives" and is now "enjoying a happy retirement" next to a restaurant and bar.

“I think the steamboat culture and the historic boat culture is starting to come back,” Mabena said.

"We don't have steamboats yet, but someday, I think we will."