The Willow Historical Guest House, Willowmore

Experience an unforgetable  piece of South African History in the Karoo in this historic building with Victorian Furniture, old world charm and unsurpassed hospitality. As part of Willowmore’s development in the 1800’s, the Dutch Reformed Church built a rectory to which a second storey was added in 1897. This building later served as a hostel for girls and over the years has been used by various owners for different purposes. Today it is a Historical Karoo Guest House of historical and architectural significance.

The Willow Historical Guest House offers private garden and self-catering cottages, all en-suite and can accommodate up to 30 visitors.
The main guest house is a row of period cottages which have been transformed into five huge en-suite guest rooms.  These have been tastefully renovated and furnished to preserve the old-world ambience while still providing up-to-date amenities. The Willowmore Historical Guest House is situated in a quiet part of Willowmore, just minutes from the N9.
Conference facilities suitable for workshops and functions such as weddings are available . These are situated in lush gardens with ample safe parking, overnight accommodation, all served with lots of clean Karoo air!
Drinks are served in the well-known Old Bar or garden.  An a la carte restaurant is available for lunch and dinner.  Experience Karoo lamb like you have never tasted before.
Activities: Self-drive or guided tour through the Baviaans Kloof (World Heritage site), a visit to the Old Power Station, Old Boer Graveyard and Gunpowder Chamber, Jewish Graves, Pierre Ferreira Hiking Trail and a tour through Willowmore on the Willow Limo.
Directions: The Willow Historical Guesthouse is conveniently situated on the main road in Willowmore.

Tel: +27 (0)44 9231 574 GPS: 33° 17' 43.56"S / 23° 29' 30.24"E	e-mail: thewillow@telkomsa.net Fax: +27 (0)44 9232 061 Willow Guest House or Baviaans

Sophies Choice Antiques and Coffee Shop

If you are thirsty, hungry or cold in the Karoo…. visit Sophies Choice Antiques and Coffee Shop for good Karoo food, antiques and shopping .  You can find almost anything in this fascinating Coffee Shop, from a memento of your visit to the charming Karoo town of Willowmore, to a special gift, or ask Sophie if you don’t find what you are looking for.
For further info go to www.willowguesthouse.co.za

Steytlerville and the Valley of the Flags

In 1876 Steytlerville was established and named after Reverend Steytler whose efforts resulted in the establishment of a new Dutch Reformed Congregation.

The exceptionally wide Main Street of Steytlerville was designed at the time to allow ox wagons to turn around at both ends. Nowadays it is divided by flower boxes planted with bougainvillas in the centre and the lamp poles are adorned with flags showing the coats of arms of families associated with the town and area. Started in 2003, the flags depict the crests of families who have contributed to the history of Steytlerville and encompass families from all communities. Those families without traditional crests were encouraged to design their own, to identify their unique family clan.

Houses provide fine examples of Edwardian and Victorian architecture.

In 1910 news got around that a diamond had been found on the Farm Springbokvlakte in the Steytlerville district. A Mr Dorfling had found a diamond of over four carats, among others. A group of prominent men in Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage formed the Springbokvlakte Diamond Prospecting and Developing Syndicate. They offered shares of one pound in the prospecting area. There were three shafts on the property, each approximately 35 feet deep and 220 feet in length. Several more diamonds had been discovered, but towards the end of November 1910, a hitch was found. According to the title deed of the farm over which the syndicate had the option of purchase, everything had to be put into a proper legal basis; the directors thought it advisable to suspend operations and that was the end of the diamond rush in Steytlerville.

Famous people of Steytlerville include Dr A.G. Visser – Poet and Medical Doctor and Danie Craven – Rugby Legend.

Karroo Theatrical Hotel, Steytlerville

Is it Priscilla of the Desert… Is it the Birdcage… Is it the Moulin Rouge in the Great Karoo ?

Karroo Theatrical Hotel is a recently revived Art Deco hotel, just outside of town, with an outrageously spectacular dinner show “where glitz and burlesque meet over a grand piano”. Every Saturday night “Grimaldi’s Theatre Hall” is abuzz with excitement as guests are treated to a delectable three course, candle lit dinner together with a sleek and glitzy show. “The Steytlerville Follies” is presented by Freddy Ferrari and stars the legendary Karoovian diva, Dame Leyla Lamborgini. Booking is essential.
Accommodation: Large and comfortable double rooms with en-suite bathrooms, all rooms are equipped with queen size beds, electric blankets and ceiling fans. There are no TV’s or telephones in the rooms. There is internet and cell phone reception. Separate hall for conferences and weddings. A la carte restaurant. Secure parking, helicopters welcome with an airstrip – a 900 meter registered landing strip nearby.
Activities: Swimming pool, bicycles, put – put, board games, snooker, bird watching, hiking and the spectacular dinner shows.
Directions: To get to Karroo Theatrical Hotel take the N9 from Oudtshoorn towards Willowmore, at Willowmore turn off for Steytlerville and the hotel is 4kms outside of Steytlerville town.
Your friendly hosts, Jacques and Mark, will make sure that this is an unforgettable experience.

Tel.: +27 (0)49 835 0010 Cell: +27 (0)72 424 7185 GPS: S33 19.922 E24 21.559	e-mail: info@karroohotel.co.za Fax: +27 (0)49 835 0394 Karroo Theatrical Hotel

Graaff-Reinet

Travelling North on the N9, the historical town of Graaff-Reinet on the banks of the Sunday’s River is a “must-stop” destination. Surrounded by the Camdeboo National Park, in the heart of the Great Karoo, it is the fourth oldest town in South Africa with magnificent examples of Cape Dutch architecture and more than 220 heritage sites. The Dutch Reformed church is a prominent stone building influenced by the architecture of Salisbury Cathedral in London and can can accommodate 1500 people. Graaff-Reinet has a very helpful Info Center making a stop-over both worthwhile and very rewarding.

Samara Private Game Reserve, Graaff-Reinet

Samara Private Game Reserve is one of the largest private reserves (28 000 hectares/70 000 acres) in the Karoo and South Africa. The reserve encompasses the southern flank of the Sneeuberg mountain range. “Heart-stoppingly beautiful”, is how this award-winning Private Game Reserve in the Great Karoo is ultimately described.

Samara, meaning land of serenity, has as its aim, the realization of the land’s full potential, not only as an area of outstanding natural diversity, but also as home to an ambitious program of game reintroduction.
Accommodation: Mountain Retreat is an exclusive use venue accommodating up to 10 guests in a beautifully restored Victorian barn.
Karoo Lodge sits in perfect serenity in the reserve’s pristine wilderness. Combining colonial comforts with the essence of Mother Nature, the lodge treats you with exceptional service.
The Manor at Samara is for the exclusive use of up to 8 guests in ultimate luxury and total privacy. Services include a personal ranger, chef and butler.
Delicious home-cooked meals are served in various venues.
Activities: With four of the country’s seven biomes, Samara’s abundant wilderness preserves a complex and diverse ecosystem, providing habitat for over 60 mammal species. Among more common species, such as the Kudu and Duiker, the Aardvark and the White Rhino roam. Cheetah and Giraffes can be seen as well as Hartebeest. Explore the untouched Plains of Camdeboo that once staged the massive migrations of millions of Springbok. Karoo Fossils that predate the dinosaurs and well-preserved Karoo Khoisan paintings offer a fascinating insight into some of the historical intricacies of our Earth’s past. Karoo Birds that can be spotted are the Blue Crane, Black Eagles near Eagle Rock, Secretary Bird and Kori Bustard – also plant a spekboom before relaxing for an afternoon of indulgence with spa treatments, Karoo cuisine and sunset game drives.
Samara is proud to be home for many Aardvark and the highly endangered Cheetah, especially a remarkable individual namely Sibella.
Directions: From Port Elizabeth take the R75 towards Graaff-Reinet for 258km. Turn right and take the R63 towards Pearston/Somerset East for 7km. Turn left onto the Petersburg gravel road and drive 23km to reach Karoo Lodge at Samara, or take the N9 to Graaff-Reinet, then take the R63 towards Pearston/Somerset East and follow the same directions – 55kms from Graaff-Reinet.
An amazing life changing and intensely calming experience awaits, so come walk with the cheetah as you celebrate the rebirth of a unique piece of Africa and experience a luxury safari in the Great Karoo.

Tel: +27(0)49 891 0558 for reservations - Jenny McFadyen Tel: +27 (0)49 891 0880 for Lodge	e-mail: reservations@samara.co.za e-mail: lodge@samara.co.za Fax: +27(0)49 892 3751 Samara Samara on Facebook

Langfontein Guest Farm, Graaff-Reinet

If you would like to experience the ambience of a restored colonial jewel from the 1830’s in the world famous Karoo conservancy of Camdeboo at the foot of the Toorberg mountains, then this is the place for you…

Langfontein Guest Farm provides the ideal family getaway or a romantic breakaway for a couple.
Accommodation: Stay in one of the three beautifully restored, historic cottages tastefully decorated with old world charm. Enjoy your early morning coffee on the veranda, relax in front of the fireplace and snuggle up between crisp, white cotton percale linen. All cottages are fully equipped for self-catering, private and serviced daily. Wood is provided for fireplace and braai areas.
Activities: Hiking, bird watching, ideal for mountain biking, swimming pool and tennis court.
Directions: Langfontein Guest Farm is a historic working farm off the N9, 50kms from Graaff-Reinet . Visit their website for more directions.

Tel.: Marliza van den Berg on Cell: +27 (0)82 781 9015 GPS: S 32 11 50, E 24 9 53	e-mail: langfontein@lantic.net Langfontein Guest Farm

Clifton Game Lodge and Karoo Pred-A-Tours, Graaff-Reinet/Cradock

A Karoo wildlife experience with something a little different !

Clifton Farm, the home of Pred-A-Tours, lies in the beautiful Karoo countryside north west of the historic and quaint town of Cradock, 100kms east of Graaff-Reinet.
Pred-A-Tours is home to a program designed to protect and bring to public awareness the lesser known cats of the Karoo: the Caracal, the African Wild Cat, the Small Spotted Cat and the Serval. Richard and Marion have established a non-profit trust, the Cat Conservation Trust, to manage the affairs of the cats and to facilitate fund-raising. See more info on the Cat Conservation Trust on our home page.
Accommodation: Clifton Game Lodge sleeps up to 12 guests in 5 en-suite rooms. 3 Rondavels with 3 bedrooms and 3 en-suite bathrooms and 2 Cottages complete  with lounge and en-suite bathrooms. Rooms are comfortable with full amenities and braai area. There is also bush camping for the more adventurous.
Activities: Tours to their wild cat breeding, research and education centre. Game drives during the day, at sunset and at night with sightings of Aardwolf and Springhare on most outings, sometimes Aardvark, Caracal and Genet. Bird watching, hikes and walks. Own vehicle used to self drive in the veld and Bushman etching sites.
Directions: To get to Clifton Game Lodge and Pred-A-Tours from Graaff-Reinet/Middelburg on the N9 take the R61 to Cradock, go on for 43 kms. From Cradock get onto the N10 to Middelburg, 5kms from Cradock turn left onto the R61 at the sign ‘Graaff-Reinet/Mountain Zebra Park and go on for 45 kms. Turn off at the ‘Fish River /Aloedale’ sign onto a gravel road (turn left coming from Graaff-Reinet/Middelburg side and right coming from Cradock side). The total distance of the gravel road to the Cat Conservation Trust sign is 10,6 km. Turn left at this sign, continue for 500m, cross the river and another 700m to the house. The river can be running, depending on rainfall and you might need assistance, so please contact Richard or Marion before you leave the last town.

Richard and Marion Holmes Tel.: +27 (0)48 881 2814 Cell: +27 (0)82 868 1936 / +27 (0)82 838 9088 GPS: 31 56.346 S long; 25 11.717 E lat.	e-mail: holmesrc@vodamail.co.za Fax: +27 (0)86 661 4145 Skype: richard.holmes26 Karoo Pred-A-Tours

Nieu Bethesda

Discover Nieu Bethesda on the N9. Nieu Bethesda has become the “Art Gem” of the Karoo where many mainstream artists have found new inspiration by moving to this earthy, non-conformist Karoo country environment.  To get to Nieu Bethesda, the place of owls, arts and fossils in the Karoo, take the N9 from George on the Garden Route to Uniondale, Willowmore and then onto Graaff-Reinet, 46kms further on take the Bethesdaway turn off and 30kms after this is Nieu Bethesda.

Nieu Bethesda, the now famous artist enclave nestled below the Compassberg, the highest mountain in the Eastern Cape is one of the Karoo’s most charming secrets. Nieu Bethesda is an oasis in the arid Karoo just waiting to enchant and enthrall visitors who are always overwhelmed by the earthy charm of the village and it’s people. Time it seems has forgotten to include Nieu Bethesda. One gets the feeling of being in another era as you soak up the quiet emptyness of the village dirt roads.  As an eternal sign of blessing, a spring bubbles on the plateau just above Nieu Bethesda. Its water rises up from the earth to flow downhill and through the village’s network of furrows, one of the few  working furrow systems still operating in South Africa today. The babble of moving water is a fitting seranade to the serene pace of life in this small town. No tarred roads and any stranger is greeted as a friend.

Nieu Bethesda is home to a growing number of artists, crafters and other creatives seeking a more conducive way of life. Decades ago, however, writer Athol Fugard chose Nieu Bethesda as his inspirational home from home and the place where many of his world-famous plays were written.
But it is Helen Martins, creator of the mystical and unforgettable Owl House and Camel Yard, who has immortalised Nieu Bethesda. It was here that she gave life and form to her unique vision, by transforming her modest house and garden with glass and cement. Now run as a museum, and known internationally as a remarkable example of outsider art, the Owl House is open to the public every day of the year (except 25 December).
The town’s growing reputation as a place to unwind makes it a popular choice for those wishing to reconnect with nature and with themselves. Wildlife, birds and plants are abundant; physical pursuits are on hand; and there’s the enormous Karoo landscape. All of these – plus an element of mystery  makes Nieu Bethesda a great place to be. In keeping with its distinctive pace of life, Nieu Bethesda has no bank, credit card facilities or petrol pump, and mobile phones are discouraged.
When visiting Nieu Bethesda be sure to include the following: The Art Centre, Aunty Evelyne’s Restaurant, The Village Inn restaurant, The Brewery and Two Goats Deli, Ganora Excursions, The Dutch Reformed Church, Labyrinth and Maze, James Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre, Athol Fugard walks and places, Donkey Cart Rides, The Old Mill, Frans Boekkooi’s Sculpture Studio, Owl House.
For more info visit www.nieubethesda.info