Higher Karoo: Blaaw Hoek Cottage

The deeper you head into the Karoo, the more you get a true feeling for this fabled, soulful region. At the end of a long gravel road, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, is a farm with a pair of off-grid, rustic-luxe, two-bedroom cottages harking back to a simpler time.

Furnished with an artist’s eye and echoing the muted natural shades of the landscape, the heirloom-filled rooms will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a still-life painting. Your hot water comes from a wood-fired ‘donkey’ boiler, you’ll make meals on a 1950s gas stove (using Le Creuset pots), you’ll spend hours on the stoep gazing into the distance and, come bedtime, you’ll nestle into cosy feather duvets and wake up to witness the karoo sunrise.

THE LODGINGS

Bedrooms + bathrooms

• 2 bedrooms with double beds
• 1 bathroom with a Victorian bath, plus an outdoor shower
• Bathroom amenities

Indoor living

• Fully equipped kitchen with gas stove/oven and fridge
• Lounge and dining area with fireplace
• Wood-fired hot water geyser
• Coffee and tea facilities
• No WiFi or phone signal

Outdoor living

• Outdoor shower
• Furnished verandah
• Garden braai area (wood supplied)
• Outdoor dining furniture
• Plunge pool with loungers

THINGS TO DO

On the property

• Various walks and hikes
• Bike rides
• Swimming
• Braaiing
• Star-gazing

In the area

• Explore the town of Beaufort West
• Take a game drive or walk the Fossil Trail at Karoo National Park
• Drive the Klipspringer Pass
• Book a seasonal olive tour at Olive Grove Farm
• Hiking and mountain-biking
• Star-gazing