The St Francis Bay coastline is home to two of South Africa's most renown beach resorts. The world famous surf spot of Jeffery's Bay and picturesque St Francis Bay with its uniform architecture and its canal system.
Located in the heart of the remote and mysterious Great Karoo, Graaff-Reinet is surrounded by the rolling plains and rising mountains of Camdeboo National Park. This is a wonderful place to escape from reality and revel in the solitude, silence and clear, star-studded nights that this secluded town provides. Graaff-Reinet, as the fourth oldest town in the country, has a very rich history and features ancient fossils, wonderful examples of Cape Dutch architecture, and over 220 local heritage sites. Visitors can look forward to an array of lovely activities including: soaking up the breathtaking views of the 'Valley of Desolation' in the Camdeboo National Park, enjoying a night under the African stars at a local guest farm, and sample the area’s renowned Karoo lamb.
This beguiling Eastern Cape village is nestled at the base of the Compassberg, the region’s highest mountain, and is a lush, sleepy place where life has changed little over the last century. Nieu-Bethesda is best known for The Owlhouse, the intriguing former abode of artist Helen Martins, who created a series of cement and glass sculptures throughout her home and garden. Now functioning as a museum, this unforgettable house is at once mystical, beautiful and eerie, allowing a glimpse into the life and mind of the mysterious Martins.
Set within South Africa’s Eastern Cape near Graaff-Reinet, the Samara Karoo Reserve spans wide Karoo plains bordered by the Sneeuberg Mountains, with dry riverbeds, grassland, and rocky slopes supporting cheetah, lion, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros, and springbok. Early morning game drives move across open valleys where antelope cross the flats and predators are sometimes seen moving between scrub patches before temperatures rise. Walking safaris continue into the foothills, where guides track wildlife through thorn scrub and acacia stands, pausing at ridgelines with long views across the basin. Restored farm buildings and small lodges sit along seasonal rivers lined with reeds and riverine vegetation, with internal tracks linking different sections of the reserve. After dark, minimal surrounding light in the Karoo reveals a clear night sky with visible star fields from camp decks and open ground.
