A few days at De Hoop in the Western Cape may tick off more on your bucket list than you imagine…
Rovos Rail
“Boy have I got a great train set” is how Rohan Vos describes his seven steam locomotives and 95 rolling carriages which make up Rovos rail – otherwise known as the Pride of Africa. A guiless understatement describing one of the biggest private train collections in the world. Vos is passionate about his trains and even more so about his passengers. A self -confessed ‘railfan’ his vintage train hobby turned into a business when permission to run a private train was granted by South African Railways in 1986.
Superyachts – Superservice
What do the insanely rich demand? Service to the same level.
Thirty-two crew. Four guests. A 100 metre super-yacht. Over the top? Maybe, but in this case, the owner doesn’t much like guests. He doesn’t have to. Welcome to the international super-yacht industry, the ultimate status symbol for the worlds’ uber wealthy.
Bladerunner
It’s minus 10 degrees. The snow is soft, pristine and the air bitterly cold. The Huskies are brought out from their personalised Lillipution houses – one by one, ethereal puffs of warm breath rising into the cold air. The handlers hold the dogs’ collars tightly, lifting their front legs slightly off the ground. They do a comical kangaroo hop on strong back legs to the waiting sleds. Eyes wild, they twist their heads, craning, coiled-spring alert. In a rapid show of respect from the pack, the narrow path is cleared as each dog is frog-hopped past. Speedy… Luna… Mti… Popil…Amber…Nanuk…. Lucky… Tumi…Fire, and last, his white chest swathed casually in a thick black coat … Sky.
Zermatt – skiing on top of the world
Zermatt’s world-famous reputation as a top ski resort began badly. From the late 1880s, driven by the spirit of adventure, mountain-conquering British lords and gentlemen felt the desire to discover the unknown − the untamed Alpine world − and pit their strength and skills against it. The 4 478-metre Matterhorn, which dominated the skyline of the town, was a tempting challenge.