My 2020 Challenge: 10 South African Towns
In June 2020 the 2Summers blog will turn ten years old.
One decade of blogging. This means I’ve been blogging for more than 20 percent of my life. It also means a baby born on the day I published my first post in June 2010 – here it is, in case you’re curious – is now old enough to actually read and comprehend this blog. It means I’ve currently published 951 blog posts, including this one, and will probably surpass the 1000-post mark in 2020.
I want to do something to recognize this milestone, and I’ve decided I need to be serious and start planning now. I’m going to make 2020 the year of South African Towns.
A Year of South African Towns
I’ve visited a lot of small South African towns recently. And I’ve realized that right now, for whatever reason, exploring small South African towns is what brings me the most joy.
Long road trips used to exhaust me, especially when I was alone. But since moving to South Africa I’ve developed a taste for solo driving. I’ll happily jump in the car and drive four or five hours alone, knowing I’ll reach a new town at the end of it. If I’ve got a friend in that town, or a lodge or guesthouse I’ve been excited to visit, all the better.
I love arriving in a town without a plan, then meeting a random person who helps me make one. I’m also happy to wing it and explore alone, talking to no one, just people-watching and taking pictures. I like eating by myself in restaurants. I like chatting to Airbnb hosts. I like to go running in unfamiliar neighborhoods.
So. I’m going to visit 10 South African towns over the course 2020 and tell their stories. I want to visit towns I’ve never been to – interesting or unusual towns, outside the popular tourism routes. I want to visit at least one town in every South African province, barring Gauteng because I’ve covered this province pretty well already. I want to drive to all the towns – no flights.
I want you to help me choose the towns.
Give me your town recommendations, people, and tell me why. Tell me the quirky, whacky, unusual thing that will make me want to visit your favorite South African town. Give me towns with interesting people in them, in far-flung parts of the country – the Northern Cape, North West province, the Free State, northern KZN, the Wild Coast, the Karoo. I want to cover the whole country and I want all the ideas.
I’ll have more to say about this project in the future. But for now the floor is yours. Let’s hear it. Send me your ideas in the comments section of this post or at @2summers on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Hashtag: #10SouthAfricanTowns.
Clarens and Underberg. Great for food, outdoor adventure and majestic scenery, especially during the seasonal changes.
Thanks! Is Underberg a town? I love Clarens - been there many times :)
Yep - situated in the southern ‘berg - and entry point to Lesotho via the famous Sani Pass (burger and beer at the highest pub in Africa if you reach the top)
On the list for sure - thanks.
Pofadder is a place I will never forget, we went because it is there, we pulled up to the hotel to find that they were fully booked (pre-internet) but they made a plan and we ended up staying in someones house which had the most amazing roses growing out of an acre of raked dirt. We dined at the only hotel and upon asking for a menu we were informed “tonight it is steak” it was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had and that was over 20 years ago now.
Ah! I passed through there extremely briefly once but not long enough to really count it as a visit. Will add to the list.
Have you been to Rosendal? It’s a tiny town (of about 100 or so people) with lots of artists (I met Willem Pretorius and Michele Nigrini) and interesting characters. Actor Chris van Niekerk runs a little restaurant and theatre there as well. It’s 49km north of Ficksburg in the Free State. Definitely worth a visit.
I have been there! Loved it. I love that whole part of the country.
Thought you’d love it ;) It’s such a beautiful part of the country.
This is such a brilliant post! It makes me miss home
Thank you :)
What about Arniston/Waenhuiskrans in the Western Cape. A quaint fishing village with a sea cave big enough for an ox wagon. Hence it has 2 names. Arniston was named after the ship that sank in that area. Even Bredasdorp which is 20km away is a lovely small town. You have to pass Bredasdorp to get to Arniston.
Oh yes, Anniston has been on my list for ages! Thanks.
Prince Albert in the Karoo is a must. And then the Swartberg Pass
I’ve also been keen to do the Swartberg Pass. Need to get hold of a good car for that :) On the list!
This is the most sensible suggestion. Prince Albert. Also never been but think it’s a real SA Karoo highlight.
So many people have said this. Sounds like I have to go.
What a wonderful idea! I would recommend Bethulie in the Free State. We stayed over there on a trip back from the Cape. I remember being amazed at the number of small Cafés in such a small town. One that was highly recommended by all the locals was called Ou Kar. We didn’t manage to try it has it was closed - if you do get there let me know what it is like? It looked so funky from the outside. There is also a very old hotel called Royal Bethulie Hotel and a boat club by the dam. Just make sure you don’t arrive there on a Sunday afternoon as the entire town is closed and having a nap. I look forward to reading about your adventure. 10 years and 1000 posts is an amazing achievement! I am new to blogging and dream of getting there too.
a wonderful idea, can’t wait for you to give us more cool ideas off the beaten track….thanks !!!!
I can’t wait to see the towns you’ve chosen and to read your take on them. I love so many small towns and to be honest have not visited them for a long time so don’t feel knowledgeable to recommend any to you. I’m sure it’s going to be fun.
My list has 30 towns on it already ????
Prince Albert, Oudtshoorn, Matjiesfontein, Beaufort West and Wilderness - all in the Western Cape - come to mind….
Great suggestions. Prince Albert is a top contender.
Great post ????
Thank you!
No problem :) check out my blog when you get the chance ????
Fantastic idea Heather! I love the little towns I come across in my solo travels around Oz. Today I arrived in a town I passed thru on a motorcycle 40 years ago peak summer and during a locusts plague. In was a good conversation starter with the locals.
Your small town visits make me want to visit Australia! Some day…
Kaapsehoop - 4 hours drive from Joburg & 25 km from Nelspruit - known for wild horses that wander through the quaint, old historic town.
Thanks Sandy. I am visiting a friend in Nelspruit this weekend and planning a scouting mission to Kaapsehoop – can’t wait!
Happy 10th Anniversary. I think I have probably read almost all of your posts over the last 6 years since I discovered your blog. In my early days of following your writing I started reading all the posts from day 1 in order to catch up on what I’d missed. I travel and live vicariously in South Africa through you!
My selection of towns to visit would be Springbok in the northern cape (make sure you stay at Annie’s cottage guest house) and Lamberts bay. But for my favourite destination and a must stop in any Karoo road trip is Meltonwold guest farm… they still hand deliver a tray of tea or coffee to your bedroom as they did when I was a child 40 years ago. Please visit and write a post about it.
Thanks so much Helen and great suggestions. I will investigate all of these!
I am looking forward to this post!
Me too! Although now I’m already wondering how I’m going to choose only 10 towns ????
If possible, please take a photo of felines in each of the towns. After checking with Smokey, of course.
I think that is a fantastic idea and Smokey will love it. Consider it done.
Mpumalanga - Chrissiesmeer because of frogs Limpopo - Haenertsburg and stay at The Pennefather KZN - Pongola and the houseboat experience Western Cape - Paternoster, the old fishing village Eastern Cape - Aliwal North for hot mineral springs Northern Cape - Sutherland to see the SALT Free State - Philippolis for Anglo-Boer history North West - Bloemhof and go when the sunflowers are in bloom
Omg, a province-by-province list! This is the best, thank you.
There is so much more to the area around Philippolis. Try organised a tour at the Gariepdam wall (you can walk inside the physical structure). DH Steyn Bridge is one of my favourites. Bethulie is rich in Voortrekker / Anglo-Boer history, so is Fauresmith (where the railway line runs down the centre of the main road), Jagersfontien and Koffiefontein.
What a fun plan! Small towns are great: Matjiesfontein, Darling, Sutherland, Prins Albert, Richmond, Struisbaai, Napier
Some new ones here! Thanks :)
Heater, I am a sucker for your blog challenges! Cannot wait. And I also can’t believe it’s been almost 10 years. That means I’m actually a bit ahead of you in that regard…
Also: “I love arriving in a town without a plan, then meeting a random person who helps me make one. I’m also happy to wing it and explore alone, talking to no one, just people-watching and taking pictures. I like eating by myself in restaurants. I like chatting to Airbnb hosts. I like to go running in unfamiliar neighborhoods.” - I love love LOVE what you said there. It took for me to be 52 years old to travel solo like that for the first time this summer (in Europe, no flights, trains only), and I felt exactly the same. I never thought I’d like it, but I did! I liked not having to cater to anyone’s plans, and I liked being able to not make any plans and then let the plan come to you by meeting people. You get much better stories that way!
Here is my town, off the top of my head: East London. Really good friends are from there, and I’ve always wondered about that town as I don’t know much about it. I just think it’s such a cool name - no other Londons that I know of except the one in England of course. So I’ve been wondering how much of the actual London is in East London. We started our Wild Coast Meander a couple years ago by flying into East London but didn’t have time to see any of it.
You are the second person to recommend East London - I’ve also just flown through there once but never spent any time. I was thinking it’s too big of a town to include in this campaign but maybe not…will ponder it.
*Heather. Sorry for the typo!
What a great idea! All the best on this project <3
Thanks :)
Darling, a pretty town north of Cape Town, is the home of the Evita se Perron theatre, run by comedian Pieter Dirk Uys who has been lampooning SA politicians since the apartheid days. I visited Darling once for his great show (and saw hi perform twice in Holland) - you really should too, before he retires! I’m sure he’s up for an interview about Darling. He’s touring SA in coming months too.
Oh, that’s interesting. I saw Peter perform in Joburg (he made fun of me for being from Baltimore, haha) but didn’t realize he’s based in Darling!
Swellendam, including a visit to the Rain Day Spa or Tulbagh.