Graaff-Reinet & Karoo, Eastern Cape, South Africa

The Eastern Cape Karoo, with its dramatic landscape and huge skies, appeals to those who enjoy getting off the beaten track. Some of the most beautiful of the Eastern Cape safari lodges are in the Karoo, such as Blaauwbosch Game Reserve and Samara. Here you can enjoy a big five safari as well as star-gazing.

In the heart of the Karoo lies the fascinating historic town of Graaff Reinet. With its superb architecture and quirky museums, it’s been described as a "living monument” boasting over 200 immaculately restored National Monuments from simple flat-topped Karoo houses to ornate Victorian villas.

Close to Graaff Reinet you can view game in the Karoo Nature Reserve or visit Nieu Bethesda, a tiny picturesque hamlet in an isolated but fertile green valley. Here you’ll find the curious, eerie sculptures of the Owl House. Helen Martin was a virtual recluse who transformed her rather lonely home into a strange and intense art world. The Valley of Desolation with the view over the plains of Camdeboo must be one of the most awe-inspiring vistas in South Africa, and certainly in the Eastern Cape. The Mountain Zebra National Park is an easy drive away, close to another country town Cradock, with its interesting frontier history.

• Enjoy Big Five safaris at Blaauwbosch Game Reserve
• Exploring Graaff Reinet on foot
• Various museums and restored Cape Dutch mansions
• Hester Rupert Art Gallery
• Valley of Desolation overlooking the plains of Camdeboo
• Game-viewing in the Karoo nature reserve
• The Owlhouse at Nieu Bethesda
• Mountain Zebra Park between Graaff Reinet and Cradock