African animal-spotting on world's 'most luxurious train' - PHOTO

No crowds, just fellow guests -- and only a few dozen of them -- heading on a three-day trip to Cape Town.Inside the meticulously restored building, champagne flows freely and ceiling fans turn leisurely.Occasionally the resident peacocks squawk as they preen around the platform, until they scatter with the arrival of the steaming locomotive.Yes, steaming, as if it was headed to Hogwarts, because that's what this pretty much is: a storybook rail safari through Africa.Rovos Rail offers a series of journeys across South Africa and beyond that allow passengers to encounter the region's spectacular scenery and some of the big beasts that roam it.Itineraries include trips between the South African cities of Pretoria and Durban that take in the Nambiti Conservancy (a Big Five retreat in KwaZulu-Natal) or to Victoria Falls via Botswana, Zimbabwe and the Hwange National Park wildlife sanctuary.Hot tub on railsThe trains are billed as the most luxurious in the world.That's hard to dispute.In the 16-square-meter (172-square-foot) Royal Suite, there's a double bed, richly upholstered armchairs and a full Victorian bath for lounging in the tub and watching the world roll by.The room for this short trip carries a price tag of 28,600 rand ($2,570) a person, but there's a seven-square-meter Pullman for half that, or a Deluxe Suite that lands somewhere in between.There are few modern nuisances to distract from the landscape views.No televisions, no Wi-Fi.Cell phones are discouraged and laptops forbidden outside of suites."We don't want any work being done in public," Rovos founder Rohan Vos tells passengers before they board. "Ambiance and good conversation, that's what this train is all about."To encourage this, the journey from Pretoria begins with high tea.The observation car is at the rear of the train. One portion is glassed off to protect the smokers, who have a tendency to wander off when they leave the train to grab a puff.It's not the prime place to be in any case.It's best to claim a spot at the very rear of the car, which is gloriously exposed so passengers can sit on a long bench or lean over the railing to claim uninterrupted views of the goldfields, the Karoo and eventually the mountains and winelands that surround Cape Town.(CNN)Bakudaily.Az