Category:

Best 10 things to do in Addo Elephant National Park

11/9/2024

Elephants drinking, Addo Elephant National Park

By Roxanne Reid
Addo Elephant National Park, about 70km from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, is a feast of wildlife, including the Big Seven: elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard and rhino in the main game area, plus sharks and whales in the Marine Protected Area. And don’t forget history and hiking. There’s so much to do in this amazingly diverse park that it’s hard to choose. Here’s my pick of the best 10 things to do at Addo.

10 Comments

15 things to do in Graaff-Reinet in the Karoo

10/4/2024

10 Comments

By Roxanne Reid
[Updated April 2025]
If you love history and old buildings, you’ll love Graaff-Reinet in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. The town has more than 220 listed heritage sites, so there’s lots of history to be explored. If you love nature, you’re in luck too, given that the town is surrounded by 195 square kilometres of national park. Here’s my pick of things to do in Graaff-Reinet in the Karoo.

10 Comments

17 things to do in Nieu Bethesda in the Karoo

15/11/2023

34 Comments

By Roxanne Reid
The small village of Nieu Bethesda in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Karoo was once a dusty little place no one had heard of. Then it rocketed to fame on the reputation of Helen Martins’ strangely compelling Owl House and Camel Yard. But there’s much more to it than the Owl House. After making multiple visits over the past few years, here’s my pick of things to do in Nieu Bethesda in the Karoo.

34 Comments

Guide to the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area, Eastern Cape

12/7/2023

8 Comments

Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area, Eastern Cape

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.

8 Comments

16 things to do in Willowmore in the Karoo

21/6/2023

41 Comments

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.

41 Comments

Best South African holiday destinations and places to visit

26/3/2021

16 Comments

Best South African holiday destinations: Cape Town

By Roxanne Reid
If you were to compile a bucket list of places in South Africa you have to visit at least once in your life, what would you include? For me they’d need to offer something special in the way of nature, wildlife, beaches, culture and heritage, activities and experiences. Here’s a roundup of 20 of the best South African holiday destinations including a bucket list of places to visit if you haven’t already.

16 Comments

Addo Elephant National Park: a guide to planning your visit

24/2/2021

16 Comments

Addo Elephant National Park: everything you need to know

By Roxanne Reid
If you love wildlife and you’re planning a Garden Route itinerary in South Africa, you have to add on a visit to Addo Elephant National Park near Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Come to the malaria-free Eastern Cape for a Big Five safari – in fact, the Big Seven if you include whale-watching and shark-spotting in the Marine Protected Area of the park. Here’s a guide to planning your visit to Addo.

16 Comments

Finding Olive Schreiner & 10 other things to do in Cradock

10/2/2021

12 Comments

Olive Schreiner museum in Cradock, South Africa

By Roxanne Reid
Why would anyone be interested in a frumpy old woman with a beaky nose, who could curdle milk with one disapproving glance? Who spent her life writing her fingers to the bone, died 100 years ago and is remembered by almost everyone today for just a single book? Visit the Olive Schreiner museum to find out, then discover other things to do in Cradock.

12 Comments

Camdeboo National Park: the ultimate guide

10/6/2020

6 Comments

Camdeboo National Park: the ultimate guide

By Roxanne Reid
Deep in South Africa's Karoo heartland is a national park that entirely surrounds the town of Graaff-Reinet. It's probably most famous for the spectacle that is the Valley of Desolation, a rocky landscape formed millions of years ago. But there are lots of other reasons to visit too; find out more in Camdeboo National Park: the ultimate guide.

6 Comments

10 Karoo game reserves and nature reserves to visit

6/5/2020

12 Comments

10 Karoo game reserves and nature reserves: cheetah with cub

By Roxanne Reid
Karoo is a word that conjures dry landscape, the freedom of open spaces and big skies. One of the best ways of exploring these spaces is in Karoo game reserves and nature reserves. Here’s my pick of 10 places to go for a Karoo safari or immersion in nature.

12 Comments