Clarens - Africa is a beautiful continent and South Africa, like many other African countries, has a host of hidden treasures waiting to be explored.
Situated under the majestic Maluti mountains in the Free State, Clarens is just such a hidden treasure. I hadn’t been overly impressed on brief visits previously there, but this one was special because it was my wife’s birthday.
Hence, our hearts were in a celebratory mood and we were ready to explore.
As we approached the “arty” town, we were greeted by The Titanic, a gigantic mountain shaped like the famous passenger liner that sank in 1912, the same year in which Clarens came into being.
We couldn’t help but stop and admire it and that’s what I love about nature – it’s perfect and sometimes can’t be explained.
I’ve always heard people talk about cities or towns with many characters; Clarens is one of them.
By day it is arty, vibey, crafty, noisy, playful and by night the scenery transforms into a formal, quiet one – perfect for fine dining.
With more than 18 restaurants surrounding the main square, to choose a place to eat becomes an event on its own. You can get Banting meals to fish and chips.
We decided on a Portuguese joint, the Gosto Restaurant, hidden behind one of the art galleries.
Gosto is a wine lover’s paradise. If, like me, you are a wine novice, Gosto’s menu has a page explaining the history and origin of all the wines, so I sounded rather smart when I ordered my glass of Secateurs Red Blend.
As with many of the other restaurants in Clarens, Gosto is a classic example of not judging the book by its cover. From the outside it’s just another restaurant but it is the overall experience that made our outing memorable.
And Clarens is similar – at first glance it appears one-dimensional but, once explored, it’s one of the best holiday destinations locally.
It’s not too far to drive, being 350km away from Joburg and whether you are into extreme activities or enjoy camping, hiking, playing golf, running and cycling, Clarens will accommodate you.
Driving to the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, about 20km away, is another eye-opener.
The magnificent views will make you believe that there is a God who designed this Earth and in the case of Clarens he was really showing off.
The Sugar and Cinnamon coffee shop and restaurant is also well worth mentioning, with its mouth-watering menu. For breakfast, I had the boerewors and minute steak, biltong pap with tomato and onion with scrambled eggs.
And for the beer lovers, Clarens Brewery is the place to be. It is adorned with money notes from different currencies around the world and a traffic light mounted on top of the bar. The town hosts one of the biggest beer festivals, with around 15 000 visitors flocking there at the end of February. Even if you are not a big beer lover, it is worth being there for the vibe.
What you will struggle to find is a swimming pool. I was told by locals it would be a waste to have one as the weather for a large part of the year is cold or cool.
There are many good places where one can stay in Clarens – but the 4-star Ashbrook Country Lodge impressed me. The quality and service were 5-star quality.
Every morning we were awoken by the smell of fresh coffee from Highland Coffee House.
The establishment’s coffee guru Chris Pefanis offers classes in the process and art of coffee-making.
What makes the “antique” town of Clarens a special place are the NG Kerk bell ringing out religiously on Sundays at 9am, the friendly conversations of neighbours across the fences, the rooster that never fails to crow just before sunrise, the clear skies painted with shining stars at night, the peaceful morning and late evening walks and runs and the ubuntu spirit that people, white and black, still share. Although we heard that some pockets of racism still exist, all that we experienced was peace, harmony and togetherness.
Driving back, we realised that more of us should be tourists in our own country, rather than heading abroad. A friend has just booked a month-long trip to Europe and when I asked why , she said: “Where else can I go?”
I’ve got the answer: Clarens.
#ILoveLocalTourism.
l Ashbrook Country Lodge – www.ashbrook.co.za
l Clarens Brewery: www.clarensbrewery.co.za
www.goclarens.co.za
A fusion of space, comfort and performance
Sometimes one feels that the car market, like Starbucks overseas, has endless items on the menu.
Many car buyers stick with their old favourites and as a result miss out on something new and exciting.
That is the case with Ford’s Fusion executive sedan, which was our ride to Clarens. Having driven other luxury sedan cars, I can confidently say that it ticks all the boxes and beats many of its competitors by a long way.
My confidence in the Fusion was boosted by an experience I had at a petrol station with an Audi A5 driver.
He politely asked if he could sit inside the Fusion to inspect it and was clearly impressed by the high quality and design. It wouldn’t surprise me if went straight to Ford and traded in his Audi.
With a fuel consumption of about 7l/ 100km in the city and just on 5l/ 100km on the open road, the Fusion is an attractive proposition, especially since it also undercuts many of its German rivals, price-wise. If you are a family man and enjoy travelling, this is seriously a car to consider. The boot space swallowed my golf clubs, my wife’s four bags and other essentials. Nothing is perfect in life but, for this trip, the Ford Fusion was near-perfect!
Saturday Star