Category: Karoo

Cape Nature reserves: from Cederberg to Kogelberg and more

12/6/2019

Cape Nature reserves and Cape Nature accommodation

By Roxanne Reid
What I love about Cape Nature reserves are their principles of conservation and ecotourism. Conservation comes first, but they recognise that ecotourism is an excellent way to introduce visitors to the amazement of nature that deserves to be conserved, and to bring in much-needed funds. Here are some of my favourites, from Cederberg to Kogelberg and more.

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Why to visit Lord Milner Hotel and Matjiesfontein in the Karoo

8/5/2019

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By Roxanne Reid
Imagine the foresight it must take to see a bare patch of Karoo veld and dream up a fully fledged village and health spa in the middle of nowhere. This is what happened when Scottish railwayman James Logan founded Matjiesfontein in South Africa back in 1884. Discover why to visit Lord Milner Hotel and Matjiesfontein in the Karoo.

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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. If you’re like us, you won’t regret it.

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Karoo National Park: the ultimate guide

13/6/2018

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Karoo National Park accommodation at the main rest camp

By Roxanne Reid
Stark, denuded and barren are words that might be top of mind for any first-time visitor to the Karoo National Park just outside Beaufort West in South Africa. But that would be to ignore everything that makes this area special. Find out more in Karoo National Park: the ultimate guide.

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Camdeboo National Park: the ultimate guide

6/6/2018

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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.

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17 things to do in the Karoo National Park

16/5/2018

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17 things to do in the Karoo National Park

By Roxanne Reid
Here, in the dry heartland of South Africa, a wealth of geology, fossils, animals and sweeping landscapes lie waiting to be explored. You’ll find the entrance to this park just off the N1 highway, about 6km south of Beaufort West in the Karoo. Here’s my pick of 17 things to do in the Karoo National Park.

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12 things to do in Graaff-Reinet in the Karoo

9/5/2018

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Things to do in Graaff-Reinet: Valley of Desolation

By Roxanne Reid
If you love history and beautiful old buildings, you’re going to love Graaff-Reinet in South Africa's Eastern Cape. The town has more than 200 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 are 12 things to do in Graaff-Reinet in the Karoo.

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10 things to do in the Tankwa Karoo from Gannaga Lodge

2/5/2018

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By Roxanne Reid
South Africa’s Tankwa Karoo is remote, way out in the sticks between nowhere and nothing. But that doesn’t mean you can’t drink in the open spaces, the big blue skies and the booming silence. It also doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. Here are 10 things to do in the Tankwa Karoo from Gannaga Lodge.

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17 things to do in Nieu Bethesda in the Karoo

18/4/2018

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By Roxanne Reid
The small village of Nieu Bethesda in the 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. Here are 17 things to do in Nieu Bethesda in the Karoo.

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The Owl House Nieu Bethesda: a world Helen Martins created

11/4/2018

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By Roxanne Reid
The dusty little village of Nieu Bethesda is 55km from Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape Karoo. It's a detour off the N9 so not a place you ‘pass through’, but a destination. Most people who make the trip are lured here by The Owl House Nieu Bethesda, a world Helen Martins created. Using glass and cement she crafted something strange, sometimes disturbing, but always riveting.

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