facebook
Hotels This Historic Train Is Now A Permanent Luxury Hotel On A Bridge Over Kruger National Park
Advertisement

This Historic Train Is Now A Permanent Luxury Hotel On A Bridge Over Kruger National Park

The Kruger Shalati was once a luxury train that has now been refurbished into an equally luxurious hotel in Kruger National Park.

Advertisement

By: STACEY LEASCA Published: Apr 26, 2021 01:43 PM IST

This Historic Train Is Now A Permanent Luxury Hotel On A Bridge Over Kruger National Park
CREDIT: COURTESY OF KRUGER SHALATI

Kruger National Park in South Africa is already a lust-worthy destination, but thanks to an unusual new hotel it’s about to get even better. By Stacey Leasca

The Kruger Shalati is perhaps the most innovative accommodation of 2020 as it was once a luxury train that has now been refurbished into an equally luxurious hotel.

Kruger National Park
CREDIT: COURTESY OF KRUGER SHALATI

Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge now sits permanently stationed on the Selati Bridge hovering above the Sabie River. The train, the hotel explained on its website, is a re-envisioned accommodation that will “pay homage to the guests who explored the park nearly 100 years ago while welcoming new explorers from near and far.”

It further noted, the train’s station is meant as a way to celebrate where the first visits to the iconic park were allowed in the early 1920s. At the time, the train would park overnight in the exact spot where Kruger Shalati will now be positioned.

Kruger National Park
CREDIT: COURTESY OF KRUGER SHALATI

“The inspiration came from the historical bridge,” a representative of the hotel project shared with Lonely Planet. “In the 1920s as the national park was declared, this was the only way you could visit as a guest – by train, which would park on this same bridge overnight as part of the rail journey – it was one of the most popular legs of the nine-day route that used to run on this line. We’ve taken the concept and given it a contemporary interpretation.”

Inside the train, guests will be greeted with glass-walled rooms so they can take in the expansive views all day long. The train also comes complete with its own deck and pool so guests can safely swim high above the crocodile, hippos, buffalos, and elephants swimming in the river water below.

Kruger National Park
CREDIT: COURTESY OF KRUGER SHALATI

The train will come with 31 rooms including 24 carriage rooms and seven bridge house rooms, that will each come with plush furnishings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and even soaking tubs so you can sit in your own bath while watching the sun go down in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

The hotel’s construction was delayed a bit due to the pandemic, however, it is hoping to welcome guests by the end of 2020. Find out more information on booking this once in a lifetime stay here.

Editor’s Note: Keeping the current situation of the pandemic in mind, T+L India recommends every reader to stay safe, and take all government-regulated precautions in case travel at this time is absolutely necessary. Please follow our stories on #IndiaFightsCorona for all the latest travel guidelines.

Related: Exploring Lake District National Park—UK’s UNESCO World Heritage Site

Written By

STACEY LEASCA

STACEY LEASCA

Never miss an update

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest on travel, stay & dining.

No Thanks
You’re all set

Thank you for your subscription.