GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - This holiday, why not explore the quaint little Karoo town that is Graaff-Reinet and its surrounds?
Graaff-Reinet offers a range of activities that will not only keep the kids occupied, but will be educational as well.
Many of the guest farms in the area offer children the opportunity to participate in the daily farming activities, or to just run freely.
Inquisitive young minds are enticed to explore the first South African Doll Collection housed at Reinet House in Graaff-Reinet, weaponry from the Anglo Boer War, and walks in the wild, while budding paleontologists can search for dinosaur footprints and skeleton fossils.
Arrange a visit to Nieu-Bethesda's Ganora Guest Farm where children can learn more about Bushman paintings, fossils, artifacts and Anglo Boer War engravings. There is also a Meerkat Rehab facility and the opportunity to pay a visit to the Woolshed.
If you want to keep the kids entertained while you wander in the galleries and shops of Nieu-Bethesda, enjoy a laid-back lunch or cup of coffee; donkey cart tours are just the thing.
Jacob, a town local in Nieu-Bethesda, will bring the town to life on this 20-minute donkey cart ride around town.
For something the whole family will enjoy, take a short drive to the Valley of Desolation on the outskirts of Graaff-Reinet in the Camdeboo National Park.
Sheer cliffs and precariously balanced columns of Dolerite rise 120m from the valley floor, against the timeless backdrop of the vast plains of the Camdeboo. This is the product of volcanic and erosive forces of nature over 100 million years.
This breathtaking site is a short 14km drive from the town. Any visitor to the Camdeboo National Park will be surprised to discover the diversity of fauna and flora. There are over 220 recorded species of birdlife, 336 plant - and 43 mammal species. Catch a glimpse of the endangered Cape Mountain Zebra, plenty of kudus, buffalo, the majestic black eagle and the kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird in the world.
You have a choice of scenic picnic sites in the Park, and for those a little more energetic, there are three hiking trails which range from one hour to overnight hikes - be sure to take your camera!
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