I came to South Africa because it was on my bucket list for the longest time. I wanted to experience a very broad spectrum of the country—in culture and in nature. I started in Cape Town—taking the train to Johannesburg was a decision based on a recommendation made by a friend. He told me that if you take a plane, you’ll miss the most amazing change of scenery. And it was true. The train starts in the city, goes through lush green farm land, enters a more dry but still green area, then changes into Savannah-style landscape, until you end up going through a desert. It was simply stunning, and though it was a very long train ride (30 hours including the delays), I was never bored (bringing a deck of cards and a good book also helps pass the time). There was no WiFi on the train, so it’s a good opportunity to really disconnect from your usually well-connected, everyday life.

Train tickets can be easily booked online with a few different packages, but we stayed in the Premier Class trains. I didn’t stay long in Johannesburg, the final destination—my friends and I continued the trip by car to Kruger National Park to end the trip.