Allendale's guidebook
City/town information
about half an hour's drive from the farm is the historic town of Graaff-Reinet, the 4th Oldest Town in South Africa. Despite being a rural town in the Eastern Cape, Graaff-Reinet is growing and has many passionate residents who take care of it from a deep love of the town.
The people are friendly and extremely helpful. Most people will be able to help you in either English or Afrikaans.
The Graaff-Reinet Tourism Office boasts a very up-dated and well maintained web-site of the town and area as well as Nieu Bethesda, the other town half an hour from the farm.
Worth to note is the Camdeboo National Park - host to the famous Valley of Desolation, the ideal breakfast / dinner pick-nick site with a spectacular view of amazing rock formations.
8 personas locales recomiendan
Graaff-Reinet
about half an hour's drive from the farm is the historic town of Graaff-Reinet, the 4th Oldest Town in South Africa. Despite being a rural town in the Eastern Cape, Graaff-Reinet is growing and has many passionate residents who take care of it from a deep love of the town.
The people are friendly and extremely helpful. Most people will be able to help you in either English or Afrikaans.
The Graaff-Reinet Tourism Office boasts a very up-dated and well maintained web-site of the town and area as well as Nieu Bethesda, the other town half an hour from the farm.
Worth to note is the Camdeboo National Park - host to the famous Valley of Desolation, the ideal breakfast / dinner pick-nick site with a spectacular view of amazing rock formations.
Neighborhoods
Known to locals as "the village" as Graaff-Reinet is "Town". Incredibly scenic drive through the sneeuberg mountains on a road that is tarred to a few km before the town. The locals insisted on keeping the original dirt roads in the Village.
Home to many a famous artists and the well known Owl House, also some good eateries, such as Bruno's Pizza place and the Ibis lounge.
Ever wanted to go for a donkey cart ride, Bethesda is your place. Don't miss out on Andre's own craft beers and cheese platters. The Bookshop is the BEST place for incredible second hand books.
you can find info also on the Graaff-Reinet Tourism site, or just go and ask around. Be sure to possibly call to make a reservation, as if business is slow, the village might just be "closed".
13 personas locales recomiendan
Nieu-Bethesda
Known to locals as "the village" as Graaff-Reinet is "Town". Incredibly scenic drive through the sneeuberg mountains on a road that is tarred to a few km before the town. The locals insisted on keeping the original dirt roads in the Village.
Home to many a famous artists and the well known Owl House, also some good eateries, such as Bruno's Pizza place and the Ibis lounge.
Ever wanted to go for a donkey cart ride, Bethesda is your place. Don't miss out on Andre's own craft beers and cheese platters. The Bookshop is the BEST place for incredible second hand books.
you can find info also on the Graaff-Reinet Tourism site, or just go and ask around. Be sure to possibly call to make a reservation, as if business is slow, the village might just be "closed".
Sightseeing
When visiting the Valley of Desolation, do so in the cool of the day. It is spectacular with sun-rise and sun-set. The park is open for sun-sets even on late summer's evenings.
Pack a pick-nick basket, or wine and cheese and enjoy it at one of the view-points.
It could get quite windy up there and cold, so always take something warm.
The short walks to the view-point is easy, yet best walked with closed comfortable shoes.
20 personas locales recomiendan
Valle de la Desolación
When visiting the Valley of Desolation, do so in the cool of the day. It is spectacular with sun-rise and sun-set. The park is open for sun-sets even on late summer's evenings.
Pack a pick-nick basket, or wine and cheese and enjoy it at one of the view-points.
It could get quite windy up there and cold, so always take something warm.
The short walks to the view-point is easy, yet best walked with closed comfortable shoes.
Consejos para la ciudad
Qué empacar
Bring Closed comfortable shoes, Hat Sunscreen & Water!
To walk all over the farm, closed comfortable shoe's is a must. The thorns can get rough and pushes through slops easily.
Karoo-Sun = Burn, winter or Summer so always remember a hat when out and about and sun-screen & water to drink.
Only drink water at a inflow into a reservoir, where you can see it comes out the ground (next to a windmill), not at the inflow to a trough, as this might have been standing in the reservoir before.