Klein Karoo & Surrounds Trips & Tours

Klein Karoo & Surrounds Trips & Tours

Out-of-time and off-the-map allure abound in this stretch of mountain-flanked semi-desert.

If you’ve heard of the Garden Route, then let us introduce you to Route 62 and the Klein Karoo. The ‘alternative’ to South Africa’s iconic costal drive, the Klein (or Little) Karoo offers a dramatic journey through the back country of South Africa, beginning from the town of Montagu and unspooling 290-kilometres to the east, through wildlife reserves and dust-blown towns. Characterised by wild, wonderful and colossal swathes of open countryside, there are orchards, vineyards, livestock farms and ostriches to peer at as you drive, but it’s the mountains that dominate the terrain, offering offer up vertiginous passes (and astounding views) to challenge any hire car. As could be expected, the peaks offer excellent hiking and walking trails, from the extreme to the gentle, however the charisma of the Klein Karoo really lies in its towns. From tea shops in converted Victorian gables and art-laden galleries to weavers, potteries and fruit farms, there’s treasure hiding in the unlikeliest of places – and that’s exactly the charm of this fascinating piece of hidden of South Africa.