Experience Luxury at the Historic Train Hotel Overlooking Kruger National Park

Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge might be the coolest hotel in the world.

Kruger National Park in South Africa is already a lust-worthy destination, but thanks to an unusual new hotel, it’s about to get even better.

The Kruger Shalati is perhaps the most innovative accommodation of 2020 as it was once a luxury train that has now been refurbished into an equally luxurious hotel.

Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge now sits permanently stationed on the Selati Bridge, hovering above the Sabie River. The train, as detailed on its website, is a re-envisioned accommodation that will “pay homage to the guests who explored the park nearly 100 years ago while welcoming new explorers from near and far.”

It further noted that the train’s station is meant to celebrate where the first visits to the iconic park were allowed in the early 1920s. At that time, the train would park overnight in the exact spot where Kruger Shalati is now located.

“The inspiration came from the historical bridge,” a representative of the hotel project shared with Lonely Planet. “In the 1920s as the national park was declared, this was the only way you could visit as a guest – by train, which would park on this same bridge overnight as part of the rail journey – it was one of the most popular legs of the nine-day route that used to run on this line. We’ve taken the concept and given it a contemporary interpretation.”

Inside the train, guests will be greeted with glass-walled rooms, allowing them to take in the expansive views all day long. The train also comes complete with its own deck and pool, enabling guests to swim high above the crocodiles, hippos, buffalos, and elephants swimming in the river water below.

The train will include 31 rooms, comprising 24 carriage rooms and 7 bridge house rooms, each featuring plush furnishings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and even soaking tubs. Guests can unwind in their own bath while enjoying stunning views of one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Although the hotel’s construction faced delays due to the pandemic, it is anticipated to welcome guests by the end of 2020. For more information on this once-in-a-lifetime stay, visit the official website.