The little town of Clarens is known as the Jewel of the Free State and little wonder. Surrounded by phenomenal natural beauty and teeming with art galleries, exclusive boutiques and tempting eateries, it shimmers like a diamond in the rough.

With a distance of just 390 kms from Durban and 300 kms from Johannesburg, a road trip to and around Clarens is easily achieved in a day. Have your BOOXE Emergency Kit and First Aid Pack neatly stored in your BOOXE Boot Box – you never know what emergency might happen along the way. Keep maps, cell phone chargers and other documents, as well as snacks for the road trip, stored neatly in your BOOXE Keep-it-tidy Caddy!

Many of the buildings in and around Clarens were crafted from sandstone originating from the gold and ochre shaded cliffs that make up the majestic Golden Gate. The town is endowed with more trees than any other Free State town, ranging from willows to poplars and the many fruit trees, which are a mass of colour in springtime.

HISTORY

Clarens was established in 1912 and named in honour of Paul Kruger who had been influential in defending the region and had spent his last days in the Swiss mountainous village of Clarens. It’s a fitting name for this town encompassed by The Rooiberge and set in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains to the southeast, close to the Golden Gate National Park and the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.   Art lovers and Action junkies alike will find loads to do in and around Clarens, as there are more than 20 reputable art galleries and artists’ studios, and more than 25 outdoor adventure activities here. Centred on a grassy village square, there are also scores of craft shops, specialist boutiques, restaurants, a brewery, adventure centre, tourist information centre and the Clarens Museum.

PRECIOUS ART

Take a tour of the Clarens Art Route featuring many of the popular galleries around the square and including some of the investment galleries where you’ll view many renowned South African artists’ and Old Masters’ works. Art and Wine Gallery on Main combines the markets of investment art with fine wines; the Gallery on the Square exhibits many local artists’ fine art; and the Blou Donki features work by contemporary South African artists.

SHOP UP A STORM

If you’re into vintage style don’t miss the Mona Lisa Garment Gallery where you will find classical era jewellery, shoes, garments and décor. The Cherry Company offers a plethora of items made from cherries grown in this area. Anja & Friends Lifestyle Gallery specializes in whimsical home décor items and gifts. Kalmer is one of the newest and most colourful shops in town located in a newly-built corrugated-iron structure perfectly suited to the unique contemporary designs and décor offered here. Look no further than Ember Down if you’re in the market for goose and feather down pillows and duvets guaranteed to send you to dreamland in a wink. At The Knife Makers Shop you can learn how to craft your own knife or buy one of their hand crafted hunting or folding knives, daggers or even a full dinner set of knives.

ACTION STATIONS

Hiking trails abound in this area and there are many operators offering a choice, from easy walks that children can manage to longer trails with cave sleep-overs. Maps of the trails are available from the Clarens Village Grocer, the Old Stone Bottle Store, Bibliophile, Mountain Odyssey and Maluti Tours. Opportunities for abseiling are plentiful around Clarens as the mountains are close by and not too menacing. Beginners are welcome as experienced guides offer easy techniques needing little strength and will control the descent – great for a group activity. If you’re an avid mountain biker then Clarens is known as one of the best destinations for this sport. Clarens Extreme offers adventures for “all ages, shapes and sizes”; from archery and fishing, Enduro motorbiking trails and quad biking, to ski and snowboarding, white water rafting and Zipline. There are also 4×4 trails, adventure golf, hot air ballooning, pony trekking and horse riding, as well as history tours and even dinosaur tours when you’re in Clarens. For info on any of the above adventures go to www.clarensnews.com.

APPETITE APPEASERS

After all that activity, art gazing and shopping, the appetite will need feeding. Luckily there is a plethora of restaurants, cafes and pubs perfectly situated every few metres around the town square and a few on the outskirts of town. Clementines is a cosy restaurant housed in a bright red corrugated iron house and is the closest you’ll get to fine dining in Clarens. The Post House restaurant is open all day for fresh country cuisine; sit outside on the verandah or on the patio beneath the shady fir trees and watch the tourists go by. Vito’s Restaurant serves great Italian fare with a smile. The Clarens Brewery is not to be missed if you like hand crafted beer and cider as it’s brewed right there on the premises. They also serve legendary finger platters of cheeses, sausages and pickles.

WHERE TO STAY

Clarens is a tourist destination so there is no shortage of accommodation options. On Clarens Golf Estate, you can stay at The Clarens Country House, a renovated stone-crafted sheepshed with unparalleled mountain views. There are four luxury self-catering apartments which open out onto a verandah and sweeping lawns with braai facilities. For the mod cons of a hotel, the four star Protea Hotel Clarens is situated right on the village square and offers 70 rooms. Great for large family groups or team-building conferences.

 

• The Clarens Country House, 213 Clarens Golf and Trout Estate, 082 449 2082, theclarenscountryhouse.com
• The Protea Hotel Clarens, Cnr Main and Van der Merwe Streets, 058 256 1212, proteahotels.com/hotels/Pages/Protea-Hotel-Clarens

Get your vehicle prepared by fitting it with BOOXE Interior Floor and Boot Mats which you can easily lift out and shake clean or hose down. They’re made of anti-slip rubber and are tailor-made for each vehicle so they fit perfectly!

Feel the Drama of the KZN Battlefields

By Lori Booth

A road trip to the rolling hills and sweeping plains of northern KwaZulu Natal promises adventures aplenty and stories rich with history and intrigue. 

Get your vehicle prepared for the road trip there and back by fitting it with BOOXE Interior Floor and Boot Mats which you can easily lift out and shake clean or hose down. They’re made of anti-slip rubber and are tailor-made for each vehicle so they fit perfectly!

‘The Battlefields’ – it conjures up the smell of fear, the taste of blood and the sound of death. From the Battle of Blood River in 1838 where the Voortrekkers fought the Zulus, to the Battle of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift in 1879 where the British fought the Zulus, and the Battle of Spionkop in 1900 where the British fought the Boers, there are more battle sites in KZN than in the rest of South Africa collectively.

WAR ZONES

Newcastle, Vryheid, Dundee, Ulundi, Ladysmith, Colenso, Escort, Greytown; all featured prominently in the South African wars, where historic museums and monuments are commonplace. These towns and the surrounding areas offer a varied selection of places to stay, from where you can explore, dig up history, hike, mountain bike or simply rest and rejuvenate. Guided horseback trails, walks, birding or photographic tours are also available, so book in advance.   Although these scenes of terror and bloodshed occurred just over 100 years ago, there’s an eerily peaceful atmosphere that exists at each of the windswept battlefields today. On your road trip to the Battlefields, listen to The Day Of The Dead Moon, a 5 Part audio series of the Anglo Zulu War of 1879. Brilliantly narrated by the late historian David Rattray, it will set the scene for your battlefield tours.

BATTLEFIELD TOURS

www.battlefieldsregionguides.co.za

To get the best experience from a tour to the battlefields, hire an accredited tour guide who will make the battles come alive. Most of the leading lodges in the area employ resident guides and several independent guides come highly recommended as authoritative in their fields. If you don’t take a guide you’ll do little more than stare at graves and get bored.

MUSEUMS

Some of the battlefields museums are modern, interactive institutions showcasing audiovisual displays and offering café food and retail therapy. Try any of these:

Talana Museum, R33, just outside Dundee, 034-2122654 www.talana.co.za

Blood River Monument and Ncome Museum, off R33, North East of Dundee, 072 988 3544 www.bloodriver.co.za

Rorke’s Drift Battle Museum, off the R33, 46km southeast of Dundee, 034 642 1805  www.rorkesdrifttours.co.za

Ladysmith Siege Museum, 151 Murchison Street, Ladysmith 036 637 2992

WHERE TO STAY

Around 50 kilometres from Dundee is Isandlwana Lodge, a boutique hotel carved into the iNyoni rock formation, on top of which the Zulu commander stood during the Battle of Isandlwana in 1879. Soak up breathtaking views of the vast battlefield and Isandlwana Mountain from the lodge verandah and your private balcony. The Resident Guide will mesmerize you with personalized accounts of both the Battles of Isandlwana and the Battle of Rorke’s Drift in situ.

About 50 kilometres from Ladysmith, positioned atop a hill surrounded by the towering Drakensberg Mountains to the west and Spionkop to the east, is Three Tree Hill Lodge, a quaint and luxurious boutique hotel. Quintessentially “Out-of-Africa” and teeming with historical memorabilia, you’ll also find modern comfort and wholesome cuisine at this authentic ‘wood-and-iron” lodge. Spionkop Mountain, overlooking the Drakensburg, was the site of the most futile and bloodiest battle fought to relieve the besieged town of Ladysmith during the Anglo-Boer war of 1900, and owner Simon Blackburn’s walking tour of this site is enthralling.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Association offers numerous camping sites situated in and around the battlefields from where you can tour the area quite easily. Rustic, affordable accommodation can be found at Elandsheim in the Isandlwana area.

WHERE TO EAT

Bingalela offers contemporary-classic dining in the charmingly rustic surrounds of a period farmhouse. For organic fare try Lennox Cottage, open to the public by appointment only. Lunch at Fugitives Drift, an award-winning luxury lodge, is by appointment only for non-residents, but worth the stopover.

The Boer War” Pub at Buller’s Rest Lodge is filled with military memorabilia, or eat on the sun deck with views over the majestic Drakensberg mountains.

BE PREPARED

Make sure you have your BOOXE Emergency Kit and First Aid Pack neatly stored in your BOOXE Boot Box – you never know what sudden crisis might happen along the way. Keep maps, cell phone chargers and other documents as well as your padkos for the road trip there and back stored neatly in your BOOXE Keep-it-tidy Caddy!

 

 

 

 

South Africa’s international borders are open for travel again! If you’re amped for an adventure, we’d recommend Canoeing the Orange River in Namibia. This action-packed venture is a great way to unwind and unplug from the so-called civilised world.

By Lori Booth

It was with excitement and trepidation that we set off on our journey from Durban to Namibia where we would commence our canoe trip down the Orange River. We took a four-day road trip, stopping in Kimberley to see the Big Hole, at Augrabies Falls National Park to see the world’s sixth largest waterfall and at Naries Namaqua Retreat for sublime food and relaxation, before launching into the waters of the mighty Orange.

Before we left we made sure we had all our BOOXE Emergency Kit and First Aid Pack neatly stored in our BOOXE Boot Boxes – you never know what sudden crisis might happen along the way. We also made sure we had all our maps, cell phone chargers, passports and other documents as well as our padkos for the three-day road trip stored neatly in our BOOXE Keep-it-tidy Caddy!

ARRIVING AT THE ORANGE RIVER

After stocking up on snacks, water and alcoholic beverages in Springbok, we arrived at the Felix Unite River Adventures’ Provenance base camp situated on the banks of the Orange River. A thriving oasis amidst the stark semi-desert; the shady trees and swimming pool were a welcome relief following the hot drive from Vioolspoort border post. There are 20 en-suite cabanas perched on grassy banks overlooking the river and our group of eight adults quickly settled ourselves in while the six teenagers explored their surroundings.

Before relaxing with sundowners we met our lead guide, Stevie B, for a briefing and everyone was given two 20 litre buckets to transfer all their gear into. These two buckets must fit your sleeping bags, clothing and toiletries – basically everything you are taking – as they are waterproof and buoyant so, if you capsize, can be easily retrieved. Each canoe has one cooler box for beverages. Finally we were done repacking and ready for those sundowners at the rustic poolside pub, where pizzas were ordered for supper.

CANOEING IS NOT FOR SISSIES

Day one of our four-day canoe trip dawned to hot sunshine. We couldn’t wait to hit the water! Stevie and his four guides provided sizzling bacon and egg rolls for breakfast and after packing our two-man Indian Mohawk canoes we slipped into the river and began learning to paddle. The guides advised that the stronger person steer the boat from the back and the smaller person sit in front to paddle, which didn’t seem fair to the fairer sex, but we obeyed – at first.

The river is wide and flat where we started and the current made paddling easy going, but as it meanders the current changes and there are periods of intense paddling, resulting in some stiff shoulders and arms at night. Everyone was anxious about negotiating the numerous sets of rapids Stevie had warned us of but we survived our first “Dead Mans Rapid” and semi-relaxed. We were in for a surprise the next day when we hit the legendary “Sjamboek Rapid” and four canoes capsized! Nothing of great value was lost, except our pride, as the buckets were captured by our guides further down the river and my husband hung onto our cooler box for dear life.

COOLING OFF AND CHILLING BY THE RIVER

After a couple of hours of paddling, swimming and watching the boys jumping off cliffs into the deep river we followed our guides as they steered towards the shore of a grassy plain where we would have lunch. The unyielding sun beat down from a clear sky so the men hurriedly erected beach umbrellas while the women handed out beers and cold drinks and the teens cooled off in the river. Lunch was a tantalizing platter of cold cuts and cheese with rolls and salads artfully arranged by Stevie and the guides. We tucked in like ravenous sailors. Satiated, we paddled off to find camp for our first night on the riverbank. Stevie has been a Felix Unite river guide for over 15 years so has an intimate knowledge of the river and its surrounds and anticipates the best campsite to aim for according to the group’s progress. The current was strong, allowing us to steer without strenuous paddling and we were able to contemplate the magnificence of the Richtersveld scenery; rosy-hued cliffs on either side of the river rising to gigantic heights, scrub bush with patches of grass where sheep and goats graze, Darters and Cormorants swooping down over the clear waters of the Orange River. Without cellphones we were able to unplug from the rest of the world and tune into the vast silence of this valley that was our home for a few days, the splashing of paddles in the water our only reminder of human life.

ROUGHING IT NAMIBIA-STYLE

Reaching our destination on the first evening was a challenge as there was no slope to the shore and we were forced to jump out of our canoes and climb up the steep bank. After hauling the canoes onto shore we were soon unpacking our buckets and arranging our sleeping quarters under the stars. No roof required. The guides quickly erected a Bedouin tent providing much-needed shade, before starting a fire over which they cooked our dinner. Bathing was the next test for us city folk but necessity being the mother of invention; we discovered secluded spots on the riverbanks and managed a wash-up behind the reeds. Refreshed and dressed in comfy clobber we all chilled out under the Bedouin tent with well-deserved sundowners and snacks before dinner. Within an hour or so of landing Stevie and his team had produced a gourmet meal of chicken casserole and rice, salad and rolls. The meals produced by our five guides were extraordinary considering they were concocted from scratch over a wood fire. Hot, tasty and plentiful, we enjoyed spaghetti bolognaise and lamb casserole the following nights, and a full English breakfast every morning. After telling stories around the fire, it was time to try our outdoor beds. We’d brought a blow up mattress, so, snug in our sleeping bags, there was just time to marvel at the diamond-studded sky before we slid easily into dreamland, a place filled with the raw beauty and adventure of the magnificent Orange River.

The Wild Coast is where you’ll meet your soul, emerging from the urban debris, awakening to the bounty of unspoilt nature. Go there and find peace.

If you love being in nature, surrounded by ocean waves, isolated beaches, secluded forests and rolling hills, the Wild Coast is your kind of destination. There are hundreds of accommodation options on the Wild Coast, which stretches along the Eastern Cape Coastline, from the border of KZN in the north to East London in the south. Two choice spots that lie off the beaten track, just south of Port St Johns, are Mngazana and Hluleka.

It’s quite a trek from anywhere to the Wild Coast so we recommend you get yourself prepared for your road trip with a BOOXE Boot Box in which you can store your emergency kit or everyday essentials. Keep your interior carpets clean with BOOXE anti-slip rubber Floor and Boot Mats tailor-made for each vehicle so they fit perfectly.

Mngazana

We spent a week in July at a private cottage (there are several available on Airbnb) on the top of a bluff overlooking the Indian Ocean on one side and the Mngazana River estuary on the other, with easy access to both on foot.

Early mornings are reserved for fishing at one of the nearby points, Mpande, Brazen Head and others renowned for their plentiful catches, so the drill consists of freshening up, grabbing a flask of coffee and a bag of rusks and heading out before sunrise, usually in a 4×4, but sometimes on foot to the nearby points along the beach. Watching the horizon as the sun rises, seemingly from below the ocean, is a celebration of the new day, so distinctly different from the next, yet each a masterpiece in itself. A mug of steaming coffee and a rusk in hand, there’s no moment more perfect than this. Thereafter comes the waiting game, though it’s not long before fish such as Shad, Garrick, Silver Salmon, or Bronze Bream are plucked from the waves, and for the more adventurous anglers, big sharks – Hammerhead, Spinner, Grey and Bull to name a few. Arriving ravenous back at the cottage to the delicious aroma of bacon and eggs, cooked by the teenagers, is a treat and we all sit down to eat and talk about the morning’s marine action and plans for the rest of the day.

One morning I happened to take my coffee to a bench on the edge of the bluff overlooking the sea about 100 metres below. As I sat down I noticed there was unusual activity in the waves and as I focussed I realised this was caused by a pod of about 1000 dolphins swimming past. With tears of joy, I summoned the others and we all watched, incredulous at this extraordinary sighting (not uncommon in July when the annual sardine migration makes its way up the east coast), so stirring it will live in my memory forever.

 

 

As the weather at this time of year is calm and warm, the conditions are ideal for hiking the coastline on foot paths that hug the hillsides, or on the beaches and over rocks, and filling our pockets with cowrie shells or smooth pebbles in myriad shades of grey. We always carry water, fruit and snacks so an impromptu picnic on the beach and a swim in the warm Indian ocean is mandatory; and afterwards, a lovely laze on the beach in the winter sun, watching the surf action before heading home. Although there are no shark nets in the waters along the Wild Coast, some of the braver, devoted surfers cannot resist the exhilaration of catching  waves at the superb points found on this stretch of coastline, be it at their own peril.

We relished a quiet, relaxing hour or two canoeing on the Mngazana estuary, which is host to a large Red Mangrove forest and thus abundant with birdlife. Slowly sculling this magnificent stretch of water, discovering hidden creeks, spying on African Fish Eagles and other rare birds, and simply being quiet in nature, brings pure peace of mind.

Late afternoons back at the cottage mean gathering on the deck with sundowners, soaking up the last rays of sun before it sinks behind the estuary, hearing the calls of eagles punctuating the twilight silence, and tucking into the first course of a seafood feast – shad sashimi and freshly shucked oysters. Thereafter platters of crayfish and freshly cooked salmon, accompanied by crispy potato wedges and salads, are soon demolished appreciably by the hungry mob. There’s something gratifying about feasting off the ocean, of being responsible for catching our own sustenance.

Hluleka

In October we visited Hluleka Nature Reserve, a pristinely maintained resort consisting of several comfy 4-sleeper chalets, offering sea views and almost-tame zebras as neighbours.

Our days kept a similar rhythm to those spent at Mngazana, early morning fishing expeditions and hearty breakfasts, followed by hikes along the coast to Strachan’s Bay and Banana Bay, picnicking, swimming and sunbathing on the beach and early dinners featuring seafood aplenty.

The difference at Hluleka is the 770ha reserve, comprising the Congwane Mtombo and Ndabeni Hluleka Forests, which adds to the diversity of natural inhabitants and we came across several species of buck, zebra and a rich bird-life. For the mountain-biking adventurers, there’s a plethora of cattle tracks by which to explore the area. Hiking up one of the numerous high bluffs south of Hluleka we were in awe of the large number of passing Humpback whales breaching out to sea, another memorable sight to treasure.

The Wild Coast is one of the last unspoilt regions in South Africa – don’t miss out!

Local Secrets

• There are six nature reserves spread along the Wild Coast all offering accommodation options. https://www.wildcoast.co.za/nature-reserves
• The Wild Coast has approximately 50 000 ha of indigenous forest, much of which is under threat from over-utilization.
• The Wild Coast encompasses two of a small handful of the earth’s waterfalls that spill directly into the sea.
• The Wild Coast derives its name partly from its wilderness character but primarily from the wild, stormy conditions of the sea that have been the cause of many shipwrecks over the centuries.
• Don’t miss Hole-in-the-wall – a natural archway in an island formed by waves piercing a wall of shale and sandstone.
• A must for families – Canoeing through the Mangrove forests on the Mngazana and Mgazi Rivers.
• Treats for everyone – Feasting on the plethora of seafood available in these waters.
• For the energetic – Hiking the coastline for spectacular views of this untamed area.