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September in South Africa is Heritage Month; the month of the calendar that is dedicated to celebrating our country’s rich and diverse heritage. For those of us who love to travel, 2020 dampened our spirits big time for obvious reasons, and so when, in Heritage Month, lockdown restrictions were lifted sufficiently for small gatherings, the Umgeni Steam Railway, which runs monthly between Kloof and Inchanga stations in KwaZulu-Natal, resumed its popular trips.
Travelling anywhere by train – especially steam train – is a novelty these days, and oh so much fun. And what better way to re-explore my own ‘backyard’ than by chugging up hills and down dales, through passes and across landscapes on what is probably the only tourist steam train in KwaZulu-Natal?
The Umgeni Valley forms part of Durban’s outer west, and this particular train trip takes you through a portion of the Valley of 1000 Hills.
More picturesque sights and sounds you will battle to find in this, one of South Africa’s most beautiful yet raw regions.
After buying our tickets for the return trip, we hopped on the train at Kloof station. Spring welcomes the beginning of a new cycle of life and serves only to enhance the beauty that is endemic to this part of the country.
It was a gloriously sunny day, albeit on the relatively chilly side, idyllic for the train trip. We managed to get tickets for the very first post-lockdown train ride which enthralled not only those of us on the train, but those whose path the railway crossed.
As we chugged our way through the Valley of 1000 Hills, motorists driving alongside the track would synchronise their speed to ride with us; children at the roadside would wave and shout hello, some merely smiling with their toothless grins; people whose houses were alongside or near the railway line hung out of their windows, some with camera in hand, ready to welcome the choo-choo train whose whistle echoed across the valley.
Alighting at Inchanga station, we were given two hours to spend browsing the market stalls, enjoying the live music or looking around the museum. We could also hop up on Wesley the locomotive, for a quick photo opportunity.
Afterwards, we returned to our seats on the train and enjoyed the return trip. Spring as it is in this part of the country, we came to a halt at Kloof station shrouded in mist, the heavens soon opening up and causing us to run through the downpour back to our vehicles.
Would I recommend this trip? Yes, of course. It is an ideal trip for the solo traveller – safe, well-managed, easily navigable and well within the bounds of well-known towns. Seats can be reserved and paid for online, by visiting www.umgenisteamrailway.com
Travelling anywhere by train – especially steam train – is a novelty these days, and oh so much fun. And what better way to re-explore my own ‘backyard’ than by chugging up hills and down dales, through passes and across landscapes on what is probably the only tourist steam train in KwaZulu-Natal?
The Umgeni Valley forms part of Durban’s outer west, and this particular train trip takes you through a portion of the Valley of 1000 Hills.
More picturesque sights and sounds you will battle to find in this, one of South Africa’s most beautiful yet raw regions.
After buying our tickets for the return trip, we hopped on the train at Kloof station. Spring welcomes the beginning of a new cycle of life and serves only to enhance the beauty that is endemic to this part of the country.
It was a gloriously sunny day, albeit on the relatively chilly side, idyllic for the train trip. We managed to get tickets for the very first post-lockdown train ride which enthralled not only those of us on the train, but those whose path the railway crossed.
As we chugged our way through the Valley of 1000 Hills, motorists driving alongside the track would synchronise their speed to ride with us; children at the roadside would wave and shout hello, some merely smiling with their toothless grins; people whose houses were alongside or near the railway line hung out of their windows, some with camera in hand, ready to welcome the choo-choo train whose whistle echoed across the valley.
Alighting at Inchanga station, we were given two hours to spend browsing the market stalls, enjoying the live music or looking around the museum. We could also hop up on Wesley the locomotive, for a quick photo opportunity.
Afterwards, we returned to our seats on the train and enjoyed the return trip. Spring as it is in this part of the country, we came to a halt at Kloof station shrouded in mist, the heavens soon opening up and causing us to run through the downpour back to our vehicles.
Would I recommend this trip? Yes, of course. It is an ideal trip for the solo traveller – safe, well-managed, easily navigable and well within the bounds of well-known towns. Seats can be reserved and paid for online, by visiting www.umgenisteamrailway.com