Collection

Underused Overnight Stops

Towns that earn a night but rarely get one — Swellendam, Clarens, Dullstroom, Calvinia. Better value and quieter than the famous bases.

7 places

South Africa's third-oldest town — Cape Dutch history at the N2/R62 crossroads, with a nature reserve on the doorstep.

An art-and-sandstone village in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains — the Free State's one tourist village, and a genuine one.

A high-altitude trout-fishing village on the way to the Lowveld — cold, misty, and a weekend escape from Joburg.

A Karoo town under the Hantam Mountains with the country's largest collection of Cape gabled houses and a giant sheep.

The classic Karoo halfway stop on the N1 between Joburg and Cape Town — horse country, Victorian churches, and a proper overnight.

The 'gem of the Karoo' — a Cape Dutch town entirely surrounded by the Camdeboo National Park and the Valley of Desolation.

A Karoo village at the foot of the Swartberg Pass — quiet, foodie, and a worthy detour off the N1.

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