Quirky Karoo Road Trip
The Karoo is an odd place. There are big open landscapes with not much around, and then suddenly you arrive in an adorable little arty town. This trip follows Route 62 through Prince Albert and ends at the wonderfully strange Owl House in Nieu-Bethesda.
Highlights include:
- Walking among the sculptures at the Owl House
- Joining a guided fossil walk at the Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre
- Browsing the galleries, studios and craft shops of Prince Albert
- Checking what is showing at the Showroom Theatre
- Eating at places with names like Kobus se Gat and The Rude Chef
- Exploring the Cango Caves
- Touring Safari Ostrich Farm
- Stopping at Ronnie’s Sex Shop
- Taking a guided bicycle tour around Montagu
South Africa road trip from Worcester to Nieu-Bethesda (801 km, about 12 hours driving). Plan this trip with Sideroads Africa.
Stops along the way
Day 1
- Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden: SANBI garden in Worcester at the foot of the Hex River Mountains — succulents, spring daisy displays, and walking trails.
- Karoo Proviant: Restaurant at Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden — Karoo breakfasts on the veranda near the lower parking.
- Worcester Museum: Kleinplasie open-air museum on Robertson Road — pioneer farm buildings, live crafts, and Boland agricultural history.
- Montagu Dried Fruit & Nuts: Montagu factory shop for dried fruit and nuts at factory prices — also home to a wine boutique and bistro.
- Blu Vines Bistro: Montagu garden bistro blending Karoo tranquillity with Mediterranean flavours and local produce.
- Flying Feet: Montagu outfit offering guided town bike tours hiking trails and bicycle rentals to explore the Klein Karoo.
- Wolwehoek Private Nature Reserve: Secluded Keisie Valley reserve 20 km from Montagu on the R318 — cliff cottage and off-grid tented camp (4x4 for the kloof).
Day 2
- Diesel & Crème Diner: Retro Route 62 diner in Barrydale famous for gourmet milkshakes and vintage petrol-station memorabilia.
- Astron Energy Route 62 Barrydale: Iconic scenic route petrol station along Route 62 featuring local farm stall and cafe.
- Ronnie’s Sex Shop: A famous, eccentric Route 62 pub covered in traveler memorabilia, caps, and road trip history.
- Uitkyk Eatery: Restaurant at Calitzdorp Wine Cellar — lunch on the cellar stoep in Klein Karoo port country.
- Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk @ Calitzdorp: Neo-Byzantine national monument church famous for sandstone architecture and hand-woven biblical tapestries.
- Hlangana Lodge: 4-star Victorian guest house on North Street — garden, saltwater pool, and the overnight in Oudtshoorn before Cango Caves.
Day 3
- Engen Oudtshoorn: Main Klein Karoo fuel stop in Oudtshoorn before Swartberg Pass or the N12 south.
- Cango Caves: Wander deep underground into vast limestone chambers filled with eerie ancient dripstone formations.
- Safari Ostrich Farm: Working ostrich show farm outside Oudtshoorn with tractor safaris and chick-rearing tours.
- Kobus se Gat Restaurant: Solar-powered veld restaurant at the Swartberg Pass serving fire-grilled roosterkoek and Karoo classics.
- The Showroom Theatre: Prince Albert's Art Deco theatre for films, music, and live performance — check the current show schedule before your visit.
- Swartberg Hotel, Cork Tree Collection: Historic Prince Albert hotel dating to 1864, with a broad stoep, garden pool, restaurant, and rooms on Church Street.
Day 4
- Lazy Lizard: Prince Albert café in the old bus terminal — breakfast, coffee, cakes, and a small curio shop.
- Fransie Pienaar Museum: House museum on Church Street in Prince Albert — Karoo fossils, the local gold rush, and Outa Lappies.
- Karoo Souk: Working Prince Albert craft hub with a blacksmith forge, hand-weaving studio, local gifts, and coffee.
- Moeder Aarde: Sonja Fourie: Sonja Fourie's colourful studio and treasure-trove shop for original paintings, handmade pieces, and antiques.
- Prince Albert Gallery: Gallery in the Seven Arches building showcasing changing work by Karoo and South African artists.
- The Rude Chef: Relaxed Prince Albert bistro serving home-cooked Karoo dishes; booking ahead for lunch is recommended.
- Die Waenhuis Restaurant: Restored Nieu-Bethesda wagon house serving Karoo lamb and seasonal dinner dishes; book ahead.
- The Bethesda Guesthouse: Garden guesthouse in central Nieu-Bethesda with Karoo-style rooms, a wide stoep, and a swim dam.
Day 5
- The Village Inn: Nieu-Bethesda's oldest restaurant — breakfast and coffee on the stoep before exploring the village.
- The Owl House (Nieu-Bethesda): Helen Martins' haunting outsider-art sanctuary, filled with hundreds of cement and glass statues in the Karoo.
- Auntie Evelin se Plek: Traditional home-cooked township lunch in Pienaarsig — seasonal bredies, samp and beans, roosterkoek, and pudding; booking is essential.
- Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre: Nieu-Bethesda fossil centre revealing the Karoo's 253-million-year-old Permian life, with guided fossil walks.