My friend and I drove to Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo or “Klein Karoo” (in Afrikaans) during my stay in South Africa. My friend is from Oudtshoorn and his parents have an ostrich farm out there. The town has the world’s largest ostrich population and there are lots of specialised breeding farms like the Safari Show Farm. It has a population of just over 80,000 people. Here are a few of my tips on what to see in Oudtshoorn and the Klein Karoo.
Karoo Sol
This is a very nice backpackers in Oudtshoorn with 5/6 rooms and one dorm. It is a 4 star backpackers set up 9 years ago. There is a braii area and also a small pool as well as hammocks where you can chill among the big garden. Reception is open from 8 till 8 every day and it is a 5 -7 minute walk from town – how convenient.
Prince Albert
The village is 60 km drive from Oudtshoorn through the black mountains or the “Swartberge” in the Karoo of the Western Cape. Prince Albert was founded in 1762 and was originally known as Albertsburg, later renamed Prince Albert in honour of Queen Victoria’s consort, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg. We stopped in a cafe for a drink and some cake in one of the well preserved Cape Dutch, Karoo and Victorian buildings.
It was about 30 degrees in mid November.
On the way back we drove through Meirings Poort and stopped by a natural waterfall where some people were taking a dip in the cool fresh water.
Bergwater
We stopped here for a quick wine tasting. The wine is grown in the area but they only export to Germany. There are now three vineyards in the Karoo area, this one being the oldest.
Oudtshoorn Arts Festival
There are just over 80,000 people living in the largest town of the Little Karoo (or Klein Karoo) and there is a well known festival that takes place every year. It is called the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefess (KKNK) or the Little Karoo Arts Festival. It is South Africa’s larges Afrikaans language arts festival and it has been really popular, bringing in more tourists to the area each year.