Page 126 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL FALL 2020 South Africa

Northern Cape
The Northern Cape shares borders with
Namibia and Botswana and four languages are
spoken here - Afrikaans, Tswana, Xhosa and Eng-
lish. The highlight of this province is its location on
the Namaqualand flower route, a botanical won-
der. In August and September, the landscape is
transformed into a sea of vivid and brightly col-
ored wildflowers. The Big Hole of Kimberley, in an
old mining town, takes you inside a hand-dug
open-pit and underground mine that produced an
impressive 5,000 pounds of diamonds between
1871 and 1914. To learn more about its history,
pay a visit to the onsite museum.

Free State
Nestled in the center of South Africa is the Free
State where the main languages are Setho and
Afrikaans. My favorite highlight here is the
charming town of Clarens with its distinctively
Old World feel. Only the main road to the village
square is paved. For nature lovers there are
plenty of hikes and trails. It’s also a great place for
bike festivals, cherry picking in Fouriesburg, and
pinotage sampling for wine lovers. There are no
big retail outlets here; most of the shops are home
grown and locally owned. One of my favorites is
Clarens Brewery with ales, beers and ciders for
every palate, all made in this small town.

Clarens Brewery team photo courtesy of Clarens

126 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2020