One of the best ways to see what Africa has to offer is to experience the extravagant elegance of rail travel on one of the most luxurious trains in the world – Rovos Rail . Their unique trains travel through the heart of Africa combining some of the most magnificent scenery with the glamour and excitement of the golden age of rail travel. These beautifully rebuilt trains offer accommodation of the highest standard, combing the opulence of a bygone era with subtle modern innovations. South Africa – to travel to or journey through? I first visited South Africa some twenty five years ago and instantly fell in love with the country and its people, and knew I had to go back. And have done so – many times, exploring more widely every time. Travel to a country often means visiting one location and visiting local sites but South Africa is so immense that you really need to immerse yourself and journey instead. You may not be a ‘road trip’ sort of person, living out of a suitcase, which is where Rovos Rail can bridge the gap – you unpack once and they take you on your journey. Rovos Golf Safari - A few times each year Rovos offer a 9 day fully inclusive rail journey playing some of the top golf courses in the north-east of the country (and Eswatini). Activities are arranged for non-golfing partners. The experience starts as soon as you arrive at Rovos Rail’s own station in Pretoria, where you hand your golf clubs to the Golf Pro (who tutors you as necessary), in return for a glass of local fizz, walking the red carpet into the lounge to meet Rohan Vos, the owner and your fellow guests. Just before boarding you’ll meet your train manager and host who takes you to your accommodation – a luxurious, surprisingly spacious and well equipped Edwardian wood panelled suite – to settle in, before exploring the train. The train’s facilities include a lounge car with bar, an outside viewing deck and elegant dining cars, where beautifully presented meals are served, all (well, bar breakfast) with paired superb South African wines. Dress is golf casual during the day but more formal at dinner, apart from a couple of themed evenings after which the lounge car rocks into life until the early hours. The Golf Safari’s routing takes you to the world famous Kruger Park, into Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), down the Indian Ocean coast to Durban, inland to the incredible Drakensberg Mountains and finally to Sun City before returning to Pretoria. Or vice versa. Your itinerary will see you playing five superb golf courses each with their own special character and challenges. Leopard Creek – the No. 1 course in South Africa with lightning fast greens but take care on the 18th, Royal Swazi – my personal favourite but look out for the 10thand 18th,Durban Country Club – an eclectic and testing mix of dune and parkland but beware the Par 3 12th, Champagne Sports Resort in the Drakensberg – it bites from the start but what a setting and finally Lost City Golf Course in Sun City – care with the wildlife on the 13thand your tee shot on the 14th. On returning to Pretoria, your fellow guests and the train staff will be your friends, you’ll have memories in abundance and (tall) stories to tell of putts made and 300 yard (+) drives. You’ll also have covered several thousand kilometres of one of the most amazing countries in Africa – if not the world. And have unpacked just once. The choice of where to go next is up to you – back to Johannesburg to fly home or as I did, taking an internal flight to Cape Town for a few days of relaxation and/or activity. Western Cape - I’m really not a city person and wanted to be away from busy locations so stayed in Somerset West – the smallest of the Cape wine regions, about a 45 minute drive away from central Cape Town; an easy hop for a ‘touristy’ day at sites such as the V&A Waterfront, Robben Island and Table Mountain. The Somerset West area offers great beach walks just a short drive away at the small town of Strand, but it’s real advantage is that it puts you within a 15 minute drive of some superb golf courses. My favourite being DeZalze, situated on the road to Stellenbosch it’s the only course whose greens were so perfect that my group considered taking their shoes off! Try to tee off early as it’ll give you a chance to have lunch at Rust en Vreda and afterwards enjoy a visit to Ernie Els’s winery; his trophy room is incredible! If you’re already ‘golfed’ out then a visit to Dylan Lewis’s Sculpture Garden is a little hidden gem with the most incredible works; but you’ll need to pre-book. An alternative, if you’re up for a real challenge then go to Pearl Valley, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course close to the wine town of Franschhoek, an easy 40 minute drive from Somerset West. There’s loads of water and well placed bunkers, which can be found far too easily. Again try for an early tee-off and then pop along to La Petite Ferme for lunch on the Franschhoek Pass road; the food is superb, the wine is made on site and the setting is just incredible with the whole of the Franschhoek Valley laid out below you. If this is your first visit to South Africa.............I’ll wager that you’ll be back.

Rob Smith is a Contributing Editor for Golf Monthly magazine who specializes in courses and golf travel. Here he describes one of his all-time favourite destinations…. There are few countries in Europe, or indeed the world, with a greater depth of history and wealth of culture than Greece. Generally acknowledged as the birthplace of western civilisation and even democracy, it was home to many of the earliest and most influential philosophers, writers and academics. Surrounded by islands, it sits in the Mediterranean Sea in southern Europe and is blessed with a wonderful climate that makes it a year-round draw. At its extreme south-western corner, the Messinia region dates back more than 4,5000 years and is home to Neolithic settlements, Mycenaean palaces, classical temples, Byzantine churches and medieval castles. This is the home of Costa Navarino, an expansive ambitious and extremely lovely development that is far more than just another resort. Costa Navarino itself opened to great acclaim a decade ago, since then it has been carefully and tenderly grown into one of the finest destinations in Europe. There is a local airport at Kalamata that offers direct access with a 30-40 minute transfer, or you can drive over from Athens through the mountains on a fabulous new highway that offers spectacular views all the way and takes around three hours. A bonus of this route is the chance to stop off for a look at the Corinth Canal. As the founder of the Olympic Games, Greece has sport in its blood. At the heart of the destination are currently two terrific courses, the Dunes and the Bay. More are on their way soon and each would be a draw on its own. Together with the hotels and other facilities, they offer something very special, something for everyone. Navarino Dunes was the first golf course to open here and it was designed by former two-time Masters champion, Bernhard Langer. Langer is known for creating courses that offer far more than mere holiday golf; they are proper tests and this par 71 delight is no exception. Its strength is that rather than signature holes, it is consistently strong from start to finish. Each hole is a new and fresh challenge with demanding par 4s such as the first and fourth, attractive short holes such as the tenth and fourteenth, and sweeping par 5s such as the uphill seventh and lovely finishing hole that plays up to a beautifully-sited green below the welcoming clubhouse. Adjacent to the course are two neighbouring but surprisingly different hotels, which border the Mediterranean. The Westin Costa Navarino has more than 400 rooms and suites and its design was inspired by old Messinian mansions. Most of the accommodation has unobstructed views of the Ionian Sea with almost all of the ground-floor units having individual infinity pools and a mixture of garden, golf and swimming pool views. Next-door is The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, which has 321 airy rooms, suites and villas. Both delightful hotels open out into the Agora, an authentically recreated village centre where there are bars, restaurants, entertainment areas and shops. The second course to open is a short drive to the south and provides a fabulous contrast running over more undulating land and designed by Robert Trent Jones Junior. The Bay Course has spectacular views out over historic Navarino Bay from many holes and is to my mind even more photogenic, offering breath-taking views from pretty much every hole. Rather than an absence of a signature hole, it arguably has eighteen. Two holes run right alongside the beach before the course heads up and down through the hills on a thrilling rollercoaster ride. There is risk and reward every inch of the way and the six-pack of short holes will each live long in the memory. As a combination of golfing test and scenic delight, the Bay Course is seriously hard to beat. Aside from the golf, and for those who quite naturally want to spend more time in paradise, Costa Navarino is offering Navarino Residences, a limited collection of environmentally friendly villas, each with its own pool. Some are right on the beach, others are perched on the hillside surrounded by olive trees, and all offer sea views from their gardens that are guaranteed forever. This magnificent destination is continuing to expand with work progressing well on the Navarino Hills development near the village of Kynigos, just minutes from Navarino Bay. When complete, it will be a true ‘eco-deluxe’ site adhering to the concept of giving guests and owners the best that is possible but at the same time as taking the environment, ecology and sustainability into account. There will be fabulous views of the town of Pylos, Navarino Dunes and Bay, and Sfaktiria Island beyond which guards the bay. It will be the only hillside location at Costa Navarino and not one but two 18-hole signature golf courses are already being built. The site will also feature boutique hotels and the very finest facilities. Guests at Costa Navarino can engage with every aspect of local history and culture through ‘Messinian Authenticity’, a comprehensive programme that includes activities such as philosophy walks, olive and wine harvesting, local cookery lessons and excursions to historic sites. As you would expect at such a perfect destination, all manner of sports are on offer such as tennis, biking, water-skiing, sailing and kite surfing. Despite all the development, due to the huge area involved and a completely sympathetic construction approach, it remains remarkably unspoilt. The pristine coastline is lined with dreamy, sandy beaches and peaceful lagoons, olive groves, waterfalls, and an absolute wealth of flora and fauna. Taking their time in order to reflect and even improve on everything that is already done so well, the team at Costa Navarino have ensured that what is already a substantial and very engaging destination will continue to grow both in terms of what is on offer, and in its worldwide renown. It really is one of a kind and a credit to everyone involved.