It is the age of the Karoo road trip, with its vast open plains, surrounded by “koppies' or the flat-topped hills and distant blue mountains, these are the Eastern Cape's soul food spaces. Home to writers, artists, musicians, brewers, chefs, hoteliers and a new breed of dynamic young farmers, follow the big skies and open roads that lead to South Africa's unhurried alternative to the Garden Route. Karoo food has stayed true to its roots: Karoo lamb, mutton and venison and spekboom, an indigenous plant food that has been harvested and added to cooking pots for centuries.

Our favourite Karoo heartland foodie itineraries can be easily combined with popular safari holidays and includes these fabulous experiences; 

This itinerary begins and ends in the gateway of Port Elizabeth (PE), a city that has rediscovered its cool, with none of the price tags and pretentiousness. Start your food tour at PE's first craft brewery, Bridge Street Brewery where they brew a hoppy pilsner, lager and stout on site. 

En route to discovering the Karoo, stock up on traditional 'padkos', or picnic including; homemade roosterkoek, koeksisters, biltong or one of their famous lamb pies at the Nanaga farm shop. 

Savour a picturesque Karoo sunset at the Angler & Antelope Guesthouse nestled in amongst all the historical buildings and lush gardens in Somerset East, before learning how to prepare a freshly caught local trout starter followed by another speciality of the house, a slow-cooked lamb shank paired with whisky courtesy of hosts Annabelle and Alan Hobson. Try another local delicacy, Spekboom, also known as Pork Bush or Elephant's Food; this indigenous evergreen is an environmental miracle worker, with the potential to tackle carbon emissions like no other plant can.

Next stop is Kim's van Niekerk's Green Garden on the Albertsvale farm in the gardening paradise of Bedford. This gem of a Karoo town has stayed close to its British settler roots which has resulted in so many magnificent gardens that are celebrated in both local dishes and an annual festival. Kim's glorious garden is full of edible plants and beautiful flowers, a tranquil and lush oasis in the heart of the dusty Karoo! Passionate about gardening and healthy living, Kim also offers a range of gardening and mindful-eating workshops, but it's the freshest of lunch's with almost all the ingredients picked from the vegetable beds that will steal the show! Kim's Garden Workshops

We suggest a pause in the itinerary to spend a day exploring what was once an epicentre of the Freedom Struggle, and town of Cradock was no exception: here you will find the Cradock Four monument and Lingelihle Township, the former home where the commemorated struggle heroes once lived, is worth a visit with a local guide. Another famous local is the “A Story of An African Farm” author Olive Schreiner, whose former home is now the Schreiner House museum and whose stories are celebrated daily in the local coffee shop. Karoo dishes feature large all over this town, not least of all in the Tuishuise and Victorian Manor restaurant and hotel, recipient of the 2019 Wine & Food Tourism awards for Authentic South African Experiences. Their chef, Maswazi Mabusela also prepares award-winning Xhosa dishes including 'stoboti'. 

10km from Cradock is the beautiful Mountain Zebra National Park, established to save the endangered Mountain Zebra, is also home to cheetah, cape lions, buffalo and vast vista's across this endless landscape.  Mountain Zebra Mountain Park

Take the slow road to Nieu Bethesda, a small town that rose to fame thanks to eccentric artist Helen Martins, whose home, the Owl House is transformed into either the wonderful or weird, depending on your taste; soon to become a National Heritage site, the artist, driven to despair by the dullness of her daily life, transformed her world with light, colour and texture. If you are hungry, Auntie Evelin se Plek is the place to go. Auntie Evelyn serves traditional township fare in her authentic Karoo restaurant in the Nieu Bethesda township area of Pienaarsig.  What started out as a home brewery is now a charming must-visit, and relaxing in the shade of a big tree and sipping on a Karoo Ale at the The Brewery and Two Goats Deli is also recommended. 

Overnight at the nearby working farm Ganora, where friendly hosts JP and Hester Steynberg offer guests the unlikely combination of medicinal plants, fossils and delicious Karoo lamb to savour and enjoy during their stay. All to be enjoyed at night beneath the magnificent Milky Way,  

Virtually surrounded by the evocative Camdeboo National Park, the heritage town of Graaf Reinet has an enviable 220 heritage sites, that are easily explored on foot during a food and historical tour town tours. Overnight at the Drostdy Hotel.    Discover the Camdeboo

We host a busy calendar of international events including; Ironman, kite surfing,  surfing at J-Bay, trail-running and cycling to name a few. 

Some festival highlights: The Schreiner Karoo Writer's Festival in Cradock 4 - 7 June 2020 

The annual National Arts Festival in Grahamstown 25 June to 5 July 2020

Bedford Garden & Soulful Festival 23 - 25 October 2020 

The 8th Karoo Food Festival in Cradock from 24 to 27 April 2020 

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Notes to editors:

1. This press release is distributed by Tebje Associates on behalf of the Eastern Cape Park and Tourism Agency http://www.visiteasterncape.co.za

2. The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest coastal gateway cities are Port Elizabeth and East London.

3. For accommodation information: http://www.visiteasterncape.co.za/places-to-stay/

4. Port Elizabeth is 70-minute flight from Cape Town & 90 minutes from Johannesburg

5. High res images and video clips are available on request

6. The very good local website: Karoo Heartland Cookery features old family recipes and locally sourced ingredients. 

7. More craft breweries across the region; www.ectour.org.za/news/eastern-cape-brew

8. For further information please contact mary@marytebje.com