Kruger Shalati

MAIDEN VOYAGE ON LAND

Train on the Bridge

Throughout the 20th century, developments in commercial aviation together with the mass production of automobiles led to a dramatic decline in train travel. Rail was no longer the fastest or most reliable way to get around, and so eventually, tracks were left to rust, carriages fell into disrepair and stations along the route were abandoned.

In recent years however, train travel has seen a resurgence, and a number of projects are seeking to adapt and reuse these former networks. Last issue we reported on a Infinite Explorer by SB Architects, a concept that proposes to revive the USA’s defunct railways, transporting guests from place to place in luxury sleeper carriages. Now, Thebe Tourism Group has unveiled Kruger Shalati, a train-turnedhotel on a disused stretch of track in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. Permanently stationed on Selati Bridge above the Sabie River, the hotel occupies the exact spot at which trains would pull-up overnight in the 1920s, when visits to the park were first allowed.

Due to open in December 2020, the restored train features 24 guestrooms across 12 carriages, as well as a lounge, bar and restaurant, and an outdoor viewing deck with cantilevered plunge pool. A further seven land-based rooms will open at The Bridge House in 2022. The interiors scheme celebrates African design through collaborations with local artists and craftspeople, and honours the natural world by way of organic furnishings and textiles.

“This is our opportunity to revitalise and recapture an important part of Kruger’s history, while at the same time increasing both the range and quality of product on offer in the park,” says General Manager Judiet Barnes. “The product design is largely the differentiator in this project – not only have we not seen anything alike in our country, but neither is there anything similar in the world.”