This train that goes nowhere has become a luxury attraction

Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge is a luxury hotel made up of renovated carriages spanning a historic bridge in the middle of Kruger National Park, in South Africa. Look through the gallery to see more.

The park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the best places to see Africa's "Big Five" (elephant, lion, leopard, rhinos and buffalo). The hotel's position over the Sabie River is a particularly good location for watching wildlife.

Most of the hotel's rooms are converted old Transnet train carriages. The company behind the enterprise, Motsamayi Tourism Group, told CNN it wanted a modern and "non-colonial" finish to the interiors.

Windows look out toward the east so visitors can watch the sunrise -- a busy time for animal activity down by the river.

The hotel was inspired by a train service that would pass through Kruger National Park a century ago. Trains were a vital way to access the park, and visitors on the Selati Railway Line would stop overnight on the bridge as part of a tour.

The hotel today has embellished the bridge with luxury touches including pools, so you can take a dip while hippos and crocodiles do the same in the river below.

Some visitors at the hotel (where rooms start at 9,950 Rand ($530) per person, per night for international guests) prefer to stay on site and relax, with fine dining included and spa treatments available, says Jerry Mabena, CEO of Motsamayi Tourism Group.

With an enviable nature-watching position on the bridge, some visitors choose to have a stationary safari with home comforts close by.

The hotel offers safari guides as part of its standard package, with visitors whisked into the park by experienced guides.

Self-drive safaris are possible in Kruger National Park, but Kruger Shalati guide Thuli Mnisi says visitors are much more likely to see wildlife with a guide. "We communicate with one another, we know where we can find the animals," she says.

Beyond the "Big Five," the area surrounding the hotel is rich in bird life, from birds of prey to this petite lilac-breasted roller.

The hotel opened in December 2020 after delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and is now welcoming guests for its fourth summer season.

The company behind the hotel also operates the nearby Kruger Station, home to a steam locomotive lovingly preserved with period features, but totally isolated since the train tracks leading out of the station were removed decades ago. "The culture of steam trains and the culture of historical trains I think is beginning to re-emerge," says Mabena. "We don't have a moving steam train, but one day, I think we will."