Category: Baviaanskloof

Guide to the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area, Eastern Cape

12/7/2023

By Roxanne Reid
I’ve heard it described as a fusion of the Sani and Bloukrans passes, with a smidge of Tsitsikamma beauty thrown in for good measure. I’m talking about the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area, which is tucked away in the southwestern corner of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, somewhere between the Karoo midlands and the Gamtoos Valley.

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16 things to do in Willowmore in the Karoo

21/6/2023

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Things to do in Willowmore: colourful buildings

By Roxanne Reid
[Updated October 2024]
Anyone who thinks South Africa’s Karoo is full of a whole lot of nothing just isn’t paying attention. Same goes for anyone who speeds past Willowmore in the Karoo without stopping to scratch beneath the surface. Here’s my pick of some of the things to do in and around this little dorpie.

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Eastern Cape accommodation that’s budget friendly

12/2/2020

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Karoo accommodation: Lakeview Tented Camp, Cambedoo National Park, Graaff-Reinet

By Roxanne Reid
You know the feeling – you need a few days away but the budget is tight. If you’re visiting the ‘adventure province’, there are quite a few places where two people can stay without breaking the bank. Find out about some Eastern Cape accommodation that’s budget friendly.

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Sleep in the Makkedaat Caves in the Baviaanskloof

27/12/2018

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By Roxanne Reid
Wondering what your Baviaanskloof accommodation options are when you visit this part of South Africa’s Eastern Cape? Would you like to sleep in a cave? Forget notions of dank, dark caves filled with smelly bats and sign up to sleep in the Makkedaat Caves in the Baviaanskloof.

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10 unique stays and quirky accommodation in Southern Africa

21/2/2018

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By Roxanne Reid
There are thousands of wonderful places to stay in Southern Africa, but many are variations on the same theme - hotel, safari lodge, etc. But sometimes they offer something different and intriguing, whether it’s a boat, a train, notable architecture or historic value. Here, in random order, are 10 unique stays and quirky accommodation in Southern Africa I’ve enjoyed over the years.

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Magical Speekhout tree house in the Baviaanskloof

7/6/2017

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Baviaanskloof accommodation: Speekhout tree house

By Roxanne Reid
As a child I dreamed of climbing the Magic Faraway Tree to find a different world among its branches. Spending a night in a magical Speekhout tree house in the Baviaanskloof made me feel like a kid again with its crooked corners and mismatched colours, its secret garden below.

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Spend a night in jail at Willowmore in the Karoo

21/12/2016

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By Roxanne Reid
Staying in quirky, different places is always a kick, whether it’s in a tree house or a cave, on a train or a houseboat. So imagine my thrill when I got to spend a night in jail at Willowmore in the Karoo and uncovered fascinating old stories of darkness and rebellion, of a prison warden who turned to crime.

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7 travel highlights of 2013

18/12/2013

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By Roxanne Reid
John Steinbeck said about travel that you go, not so much to see but to tell afterward. I travel for both those reasons. I’m endlessly curious and love experiencing new things I couldn’t in my own back yard, but I also enjoy sharing those experiences through this blog. Here are my 7 travel highlights of 2013.

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Baviaanskloof’s unusual tea garden

4/1/2012

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By Roxanne Reid
Take a drive along the R332 through the Baviaanskloof and you simply can’t miss Vero’s. Here among the stones, scrub and mountains, the colourful garden on a bend in the road will make you stop and stare long before you notice that the simple home is actually a restaurant.

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How to time travel at Willowmore in the Karoo

18/12/2011

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The Willo Historical Guesthouse, Willowmore, Karoo

By Roxanne Reid
So there we were, slumming it in the local caravan park in the small Karoo dorpie of Willowmore, getting bitten by mosquitoes that left welts the size of saucers. But we cleaned ourselves up and joined the civilised set at The Willow Historical Guest House. It was like instant time travel – with none of the drawbacks.

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