We stayed in one of the cottages at De Hoop for three nights, riding our bikes early in the morning, and generally trying to stay out of the heat for the rest of the day. Didn’t really work, as the heat woke up pretty early in the morning, too! The reserve has easy...

Grootvadersbosch is a lovely little nature reserve in the Langeberg mountains near Heidelberg. There is really lovely indigenous forest, and there are mountains! Nothing is flat here – it’s either up or down, which makes for some tough walking and mountain biking. We...

Gamkaberg Nature Reserve is in the heart of the Karoo, between Oudtshoorn and Calitzdorp. It’s a smallish reserve that we’ve never been to before, so we decided to visit. There are no cycling trails, but there is a 4x4 trail that ‘experienced and fitter cyclists’ can...

The Karoo National Park is very, very dry at the moment. Difficult to see how the park can sustain animals like lion, buffalo and rhino, but there are all three here. We did spot a herd of buffalo, but no sign of the lions or rhino. What we did see were ostriches,...

Well, the last thing we expected was rain in the Karoo, in December! But rain it did – plenty! The Tankwa Karoo NP is somewhere in the middle of the Karoo, and there’s not much there – but there is a lot of it! Wide open spaces, mountains and solitude. There is some...

Camping in our van at Cederberg Park Kromrivier in a really lovely campsite. Big sites, each with at least one huge old oak tree offering shade. Plus, each campsite has its own small shower, toilet, and a dishwashing/kitchen area. Really well-designed and laid out....