Comments :
Stay on a real train! Right on the beach - only 30m from the sea!
Double, single & budget compartments, with spectacular sea views.
Hot, clean showers. Great seafood, traditional meals, lamb on the spit, regular braai,s (BBQ).
Cosy bar, stunning view, nice atmosphere.
Unique - Value for money - Great fun!
Double, single and budget compartments are available. Each with spectacular sea views.
The Santos Express is a real train parked almost on the beach at Mossel Bay's popular and safe Santos Beach. It consists of a Restaurant with a cosy pub and a deck with a magnificent view of the bay and distant Outeniqua mountains, as well as 5 sleeper coaches and a guest kitchen.
The Train is literally 30m from the sea, a 5 min. walk from town and supermarkets, and even closer to the harbour and museum complex.
Guests sleep in a first class compartment or coupè similar to the Trans Karoo.
A compartment has 4 beds and a coupè 2, and each coach consists of 2 coupès, 5 compartments, a communal shower (hot/cold) and two toilets.
The guest kitchen is a full coach fitted with gas stoves, scullery, a dining area, as well as a TV. There are braai (BBQ) facilities. We pride ourselves in being sparkling clean.
No camping is allowed. Security guards are on duty at night.
The Santos Express Restaurant and pub has a splendid view over the bay and distant mountain ranges, and is a popular venue for young and old. We see ourselves as being an affordable family Restaurant without compromising on quality.
We specialise in seafood and traditional meals, but also serve normal things like burgers, ribs, steaks, breakfasts, and pub-lunches. We also cater for private parties and functions in our Lapa. Try one of our Hawaiian Spit roast parties for your next birthday or event.
Halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, and right in the middle of the famous 'Garden Route' of South Africa, nestles the seaside town of Mossel Bay. A bustling holiday resort in summer and the ideal retreat in winter, it is situated on a spectacular sun washed peninsula embraced by the warm Indian Ocean.
The greater Mossel Bay area has a well deserved reputation among the thousands of holiday makers who frequent these areas every year. No wonder Mossel Bay was voted the second most popular holiday town in South Africa!
HISTORY
After being blown around the Southern tip of Africa, Bartolomeu Dias, in search of a route to India, became the first seafarer from Europe to round the Cape and sailed into Mossel Bay on 3 February 1488, 165 years before the Dutch settlement in Cape Town.
Dias did not complete the journey to India as he had to turn back at the fish river to avoid mutiny. When he rounded the Cape on his way back, he called it the Cape of Good Hope.
In 1500 a Portuguese fleet, en route to India, was almost completely destroyed in a storm. The remaining ships sought shelter in Mossel Bay, and spent some time here. One of the sailors left a letter in a sailors boot which he hung in a very big milkwood tree. The letter was found in 1501 by a crew member of another ship, who took it to his family back home. This tree became the first post office in Southern Africa, and is there to this day. The tree is an estimated 800 years old, and a mere 200 meters from where the Santos Express is today.
WHERE DID MOSSEL BAY GET IT'S NAME FROM ?
In 1601 the Dutch captain Caerden named it Mossel Bay, after they could only find mussels when actually looking to replenish their meat supplies. Mossel Bay is famous for it's seafood to this day.CLIMATE :
According to the Guinness Book of Records, this 'Karoo-by-the-sea' town has the second most moderate climate in the world, and has the only north facing beach in South Africa. The sea temperature in summertime is 20 to 22 degrees C, and in the winter 14 to 16 degrees C. The average temperatures for September - May is 21 to 28 degrees C, and May to Sept. is 16 to 21 degrees C
EARLY INHABITANTS :
The Khoi-san people lived in the area for hundreds of years, and in a cave many artifacts have been discovered that date back 80,000 years and more. They even discovered a vase of Eastern origin under 2 meters of guano !.
THE OCEAN AND IT'S INHABITANTS :
From right in front of the Santos Express one can watch dolphins, seals and whales at play. Seal Island is home to a large colony of seals and their cubs, while scuba diving at Santos Beach opens a colorful and astonishing underwater wonder world. Mossel Bay is also famous for marlin, sole, mussels and oysters.
STEAM LOCOMOTIVES : The history of steam trains in South Africa is closely linked to Mossel Bay, and it is therefor no wonder that Mossel Bay has become the biggest centre for restoring steam locomotives of all classes in the South African rail network.
Enthusiasts from all over the world come here to see in real life locomotives they've only read and dreamed about HISTORICAL WRECK SITES
The history of Mossel Bay is closely linked to maritime activities. The site of the PHILIA and other wrecks (there are 45 wrecks in the area !) was identified for an underwater museum because of easy accessibility.
The rates are as follows :
R 105-00 per person sharing, bedding & breakfast included.
R 120-00 per person single, bedding & breakfast included.
R 55-00 per child under 12 sharing with the parents, bedding & breakfast included.
The breakfast included in your stay usually consists of coffee or tea, different cereals with milk, fruit juice and fruit salad or fresh fruit, and fresh bread or toast with butter, jam etc.
Full English breakfast or omelettes are also available on request.
Groups qualify for even lower rates, but that depends on the size of the groups, time of the year etc.
Peak season is December/January, Easter and school holiday time, when different rates apply.
If you would like to make a booking, you can contact us through one of the following:
Email us at beds@santosexpress.co.za or BOOK NOW by going to: http://www.reservationarea.com/str/2421/en/
Phone us on: +27 44 691 1995 ( International ) - 044 691 1995 (Local )
Fax us on: +27 44 691 1995 ( International ) - 044 691 1995 (Local )
Please note that during peak season it is advisable to book at least 2 months in advance.
|
