Three off-the-beaten track escapes for your local December holiday
Avoid the crowds in favour of a road less travelled, and add this trio to your itinerary ...
We’re all searching for a little R&R right now, but before you go rushing headlong to the same-old same-old, perhaps this is the year for a change of scenery. To avoid the crowds in favour of a road less travelled.
Head away from usual highlights and you’ll not only steer clear of the bustle, but you’ll also push your holiday spend into corners of the country crying out for tourists. Whether it’s a whole new escape, or just a few days off the beaten track, add this trio to your itinerary ...
The Cape’s quiet corner
It’s with good reason that the Garden Route draws thousands of tourists each summer. Between the glamour of Plettenberg Bay and the natural beauty of Knysna, what’s not to love? But leave these tourist honeypots behind and you’ll find the southern Cape coastline delivers equal beauty without the crowds.
The Plains of Camdeboo
Nobody ends up in Graaff-Reinet by mistake. And that’s a pity, for this quaint Karoo town has plenty to offer curious road-trippers.
For starters there’s the Camdeboo National Park, which surrounds Graaff-Reinet. This ancient landscape offers both walking and 4x4 trails, with the highlight being sunset admired from atop the otherworldly dolerite cliffs of the Valley of Desolation.
The wide-open plains of Camdeboo lie just to the south of town, and both Samara Private Game Reserve and Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve are pouring enormous effort into rewilding the Karoo, and cementing the region’s growing reputation as a destination for luxury safaris.
Walking on sunshine
With a name like the Sunshine Coast, how could you not want to visit the villages east of Port Elizabeth? The likes of Port Alfred and Kenton-on-Sea are tailor-made for laid-back seaside holidays, with glorious coastal drives and long stretches of lonely sands.
But if you’re feeling more adventurous, keep heading east along the R72 towards East London. Golfers will love the Gary Player-designed track at the Fish River Resort, but the coast only gets quieter — and more beautiful — as you push on. At the Mpekweni Beach Resort there’s old-school hospitality overlooking an endless beach, while owner-run guest houses and airy Airbnb rentals pepper the coastline all the way to the hamlet of Hamburg.