Your next weekend away

A self-catering house in the Tankwa, a campsite next to the Orange River, a guest farm near the Drakensberg... Toast Coetzer travelled a lot last year: Here are six of his favourite places to stay if you're planning a road trip or weekend escape.

WESTERN CAPE

Karmedo River Lodge

A full dam in the Tankwa Karoo? Yes! There’s a weir across the Doring River on the farm Brakfontein (owned by Francois and Nicolette van der Merwe). When you stand on the stoep of the spacious thatched-roof house at Karmedo River Lodge, you look out over water. The Cederberg towers to the west and you can make out the Roggeveld Mountains to the east.

This seven-sleeper self-catering house has solar panels for power points, lights and a fridge, and you can cook on gas inside or braai outside among the rocks like a dassie.

Karmedo is pet-friendly and even big dogs are welcome – you can explore the veld in almost any direction. (Look closely and youmight find tools dating from the Stone Age.) The landscape might be ancient but Karmedo is certainly not behind the times: There’s goodWi-Fi so you can hide away for a week and work remotely in the lovely silence of the Tankwa.

Where? Next to the R355, about 160 km north of Ceres and 120 km south of Calvinia. (Visit the website for directions.) Rate: R1 200 per night for the house. What else? The entrance to the Tankwa Karoo National Park is 124 km away so you can do a day outing from Karmedo. You can also swim in the dam, paddle your own kayak (or hire one) or fish for black bass and Clanwilliam yellowfish.
Contact: 072 476 0437; [e-mail]; karmedo.com.

NORTHERN CAPE

Red Rock River Camp