Prepared by gourmets for the pleasure of gourmets, dining on the Blue Train is a singular experience. (A 24 hour snack menu is served in the privacy of your suite. Enjoy one of the Blue Train's famous Club Sandwiches or try the selection of canapes and snacks on offer in both lounge cars. Simply ask your butler. Vegetarian, kosher and halaal meals are provided on request.)

In keeping with the classically romantic ambience of The Dining Car, lunch aboard the Blue Train is an elegantly casual affair, while dinner is more formal. In the soft glow of individual table lamps; dew fresh flowers, crisp linen, fine bone china, cut crystal and classic, silver cutlery, make for a setting as memorable as the dishes to follow.

Sure to delight the most discerning palate, the fare includes South African specialties; Karoo lamb, fresh fish, Knysna oysters, crayfish, game and an abundant array of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Only the freshest ingredients are used to prepare the delicious meals for which the Blue Train is renowned. The philosophy is simple: Gourmet dishes, beautifully presented. A selection of fine South African wines are available to complement each course. Be guided by your knowledgeable steward, or your own good taste.

In fine company and elegant surroundings, sumptuous upholstery and luxurious banquettes invite you to relax. The emphasis is on comfort and large windows ensure magnificent views of the ever changing countryside.

For your pleasure, a traditional high-tea is served in the gracious atmosphere of the Lounge Car. This daily ritual is a lavish affair of fresh scones and cream, dainty cakes, delicate cucumber sandwiches and other irresistible delicacies all served with an assortment of teas and coffees.

In the Blue Train's other lounge area, the Club Car, you can watch a short film about the area through which the train is passing. or contemplate the track ahead from the locomotive's point-of-view, uniquely captured by a front-of-train camera and depicted on a large screen.

Should the relaxing ambience of a gentlemen's club appeal, then impeccable service in the Club Car, with its card tables, reading chairs and fully equipped bar, will meet your approval. Gather for cocktails as the sun fires dramatic red flares over the stark Karoo. Meet for a apéritif before dinner, or linger afterwards and enjoy reviving coffee, liqueurs and congenial late night conversation before you retire to the comfort of your suite.

From the Jacaranda City, The Blue Train glides past the gold fields of the Witwatersrand, the grain, fruit and sunflower farms of the northern Cape, on to Kimberley, seat of South Africa's original diamond rush. Kimberley is where Cecil John Rhodes established De Beers, today the biggest diamond mining concern in the world.

The journey, heading smoothly and silently towards the heart of South Africa's finest winelands and one of the fairest cities on earth: Cape Town, covers 1 600 kilometers (994 miles).

Scan the desolately beautiful Karoo thirstlands where ancient fossils attest to its history as a primeval swamp, where ostriches run wild, where the skies erupt into dramatic sunsets and from which Olive Schreiner, author of the classic South African novel, Story of an African Farm, drew much of her inspiration.

Imbibe the emerald green Eden of the Hex River Valley, where most of South Africa's export grapes are grown. Late autumn produces one of the world's most extravagant natural sights when the barlinka vines transform into blazing crimson. The Hex River is also famous for one of South Africa's most romantic and ghostly legends about a beautiful young girl, Eliza Meiring who, in 1768, went mad after her beloved fell to his death in the forbidding Matroosberg mountains.

Crossing the Hex River mountain range was a daunting task for surveyors in 1876 who had to plot the course the tracks should follow. The 16,3-kilometer (10.13-mile) Hex River Tunnel system, the fourth longest in the world, is a monument to advanced engineering skills. Head to the town of Paarl, set in a wide, fertile valley surrounded by majestic, purple-hued mountains. Established in 1720 by French Huguenot settlers, the oak-lined streets are distinguished by beautiful old Cape Dutch buildings.

Finally, the distinctive shape of Table Mountain appears in the distance as The Blue Train approaches Cape Town. In 1652 the Dutch East India Company established a settlement here to replenish the busy spice trade ships with fresh produce. Now a magnificent cosmopolitan city, Cape Town is one of the cultural centers of South Africa with fine art, architecture, music and, of course, wine.

Visit pearl-white beaches washed by the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, watch colourful, old-style fishing boats in Kalk Bay, explore the old Malay slave quarters, enjoy the finest seafood in the world, wander through Greenmarket Square's famous flea market and enjoy a sundowner at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.