Blog - A&A Adventures

Visiting Karoo Origins Fossil Centre

2026-01-24T00:00:00+02:00

The Karoo Origins Fossil Centre is a true hidden gem, located in our neighbouring town of Graaff-Reinet. The journey itself is part of the experience — a scenic hour’s drive through the vast Karoo landscape and the Plains of Camdeboo, leading you to the fourth-oldest town in South Africa.

Home to the world-famous Rubidge Fossil Collection, the centre takes visitors on an extraordinary journey back millions of years. But it’s not just the sheer scale and diversity of the fossils on display that makes this place so special. The exhibitions are thoughtfully designed to make ancient history accessible and engaging for everyone, with striking life-sized models, clear timelines, and immersive video presentations that are genuinely awe-inspiring.

The highlight — the pièce de résistance — is the award-winning, cinema-style animated film that recreates the movement and behaviour of these prehistoric creatures. It’s a powerful experience that truly brings the distant past to life.

We highly recommend including the Karoo Origins Fossil Centre as a stop on your travels. Graaff-Reinet offers excellent restaurants (in addition to the on-site coffee shop), as well as iconic attractions such as the Valley of Desolation. Combined, these make for a rewarding and memorable full-day trip from KwaNojoli (Somerset East).

The Giraffe Conundrum

2025-10-07T00:00:00+02:00

The problem with giraffe in the Karoo is that the landscape does not really suit their browsing habits. Giraffe are native to savannahs and woodlands, where they enjoy feeding on acacia trees. In the Karoo, however, the vegetation is quite different. The landscape is dominated by shrubs and low-growing trees. Many of these trees are slow-growing and never reach a height that prevents giraffe from browsing on the tender new shoots right at the top. This can be devastating for the trees and, in many cases, leads to their death.

Many of the game farms in the surrounding area of KwaNojoli (Somerset East) have introduced giraffe onto their properties, and the result has been a noticeable change in the landscape.

Giraffe are particularly fond of cabbage trees, and we’ve noticed that these are becoming increasingly scarce. Where they were once abundant—so much so that early settlers would rest in their shade while preachers delivered sermons—you now find only small specimens on the flats where giraffe roam.

So, what can be done? The three national parks that surround us do not have giraffe. Perhaps local game farmers should look at those examples and try to understand why that decision was made. We must remember, of course, that we are not experts in wildlife management or habitat ecology—merely observers commenting on what we see on the ground.

The beautiful Boschberg

2024-01-21T00:00:00+02:00

KwaNojoli (formerly Somerset East) is a small town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated on the edge of the Great Karoo, a semi-arid geographical area that stretches over four provinces in the country.

The Boschberg mountain is hugely important in botanical circles, as it hosts vegetation units different to the rest of the Sneeuberg range. So, although they are geomorphologically part of the Sneeuberg, they are climatically and phytogeographically closer to the Great Winterberg-Amatolas. Wow, a mouthful! Basically what that means is that our plant life on the Boschberg is really special. We experience this every time we take a group on our forest walk. You see, or should that be notice, different plants every time.

In the late 1700's when the first government subsidised expeditions were sent out from the Cape, they did not realise what a gem they would find. It soon became apparent though, and well known researchers like Dr Anders Sparrman and William Burchell visited the area. They spent many months collecting, examining and sorting thousands of bulbs, plants and flowers. Burchell's notebooks and illustrated drawings are regarded as some of the most accurate documents of that time. That would be everything except for the belief that there were unicorns on the mountain! Believe it or not, large sums of money were offered as rewards for their capture, but they were never forthcoming.

When you have a walk in this beautiful forest though, you would be excused for believing that there really could have been, and maybe still are some unicorns hiding away.

Travel in South Africa

2023-08-06T00:00:00+02:00

South Africa is a beautiful country, with diverse people, and cultures. It's called the rainbow nation for a reason! The vast majority of people are friendly and welcoming, and can't wait for you to visit.

As with many other countries, there are also challenges, and one of those is in the road infrastructure. Unfortunately the rail infrastructure is crumbling, and because of this, the number of large trucks on the roads has increased. The road infrastructure was not made to deal with the heavy load, so there are places where you will find the roads in a sorry state. We're working on it! There are some amazing people taking matters into their own hands, and fixing what they can, but it is something that will take some time to address. In the mean time, it's important to watch out for the potholes, and keep an eye on those truck drivers, they can be quite unpredictable!

No matter where you travel in the world, there are some places it's best to avoid, and South Africa is no different. Best to speak to the locals, try the owners or managers of your accommodation, they should know their local area well, and stick to their advice.

The main routes and highways are all tarred, but Google will almost always try to send you on the shortest route, which could be dirt. Change your settings to shortest time, instead of shortest route, and that should keep you on the tarred main roads, instead of dirt back roads.

You'll find some of the provinces in the country better equipped with fixing their road infrastructure than others, but if you take it a little slower, and enjoy the beautiful scenery while you're driving, you'll be just fine!

The Bruintjies Hoogte Hotel

2023-06-30T00:00:00+02:00

In the days before we had motorized vehicles, the Karoo was dotted with many small resting places. A horse or cart or oxwagon could only go so far in a day, and living such solitary lives in the harsh Karoo landscape, people also needed sustenance on a journey, and company to while away the time. Why not sleep in the countryside you ask? Well, if you've tried that in the winter months, then you'll know that it can get extremely cold out there! And in summer, well, then it gets too hot to travel in the middle of the day. Any excuse!

If you look at the historical Inns, Hotels and eating places, you'll find that they are about a day's horse ride apart. Quite scary when you look at the distances today, in that we could travel in an hour what our ancestors did in a day.

We found out a while ago, that one such hotel, the Bruintjies Hoogte Hotel, was owned by one of Alan's school teacher's parents back in the day. Small world, isn't it? Very few of these small resting places are still operational today, and there is really not much other than a few foundations left of the Bruintjies Hoogte Hotel. But can you imagine waking up to this view?

Maybe we should arrange a tour around all the remaining country inns in our neck of the woods...

Thirsty Swallows

2023-05-29T00:00:00+02:00

Some time ago, we had a couple of visitors that specifically came to visit the area for a fly fishing experience. With the stunning waters we have in the area, it's no surprise! The trout waters are stocked annually as fingerlings and fry, and are left to fend for themselves. The insect life in these waters is diverse, and whilst some have small insect hatches, some of the waters have huge dragonfly nymphs that will actually target said fry!

Anyway, these visitors were novice fishermen, with a lot to learn. After fishing by themselves one day, we enquired as to how it went. They didn't catch anything, and said that they didn't see a fish moving all day. Were there no insect hatches, we asked. Nope, none of that. The only activity was around lunchtime, when the swallows came to the water to drink. Really? Yes, a whole bunch of swallows flew over the water, and had a drink.

Well gents, that was your clue. And clues are what fly fishing is all about! Next time you think the swallows are coming to the water to drink, have a closer look. They're not drinking; well, not when there are a whole lot of swallows swooping over the water. That there was an insect hatch, and you need to find out which insect, so that you can match the hatch for a successful fishing outing!

For more information our our fly fishing, visit our Wild Fly Fishing in the Karoo page, elsewhere on this site; or the Wild Fly Fishing in the Karoo website.

Graaff-Reinet, and the Camdeboo National Park

2023-04-30T00:00:00+02:00

Graaff-Reinet is the fourth oldest magisterial district in South Africa, having been established in 1786 by the Dutch East India Company. The town boasts a number of museums and art galleries, but is probably better known for the Valley of Desolation, just outside of the town.

The Valley of Desolation consist of sheer cliffs and giant rocks, precariously balanced. It was formed over 100 million years ago by a violent volcanic shift. The sheer cliffs drop sharply to the valley floor 120 meters (390 feet) below. It is an incredible sight!

But, it's not just about the Valley. On the other side of the main road, you'll find the rest of the Camdeboo National Park. It is a relatively small park at only 194 sq km (120 sq miles), but still boasts several antelope species, including Red Hartebeest, Springbok, Duiker, Gemsbok, Eland as well as Cape Buffalo and Mountain Zebra. You'll also see other little critters, some of our favourites are the Bat-eared foxes, Meerkat (Suricate) and Dassies (Rock Hyrax). There are of course also numerous bird species to be seen in the Park.

One day, we'd really like to do one of the hikes that the Park offers. We'll probably start with the 5km hike, and work our way up to the 11km and then the 14km. The hikes include stop overs at the picnic sites.

One of the great attractions to the Park is the Nqweba dam. Whilst the level of the dam fluctuates widely as a result of the unreliable rainfall in the Karoo, the dam is used for a variety of water sports. Of course there would be an angling zone for the fishermen too!

Our favorite National Park

2022-02-22T00:00:00+02:00

Whilst we know that most people come to South Africa for the abundance of wildlife, one of the other things that both European visitors and American visitors comment about, is the space. We still have wide open spaces here, and this Park epitomizes that. You still see the animals that you’ve come to Africa for, but in between are the vistas and blistering horizons, that are difficult to find elsewhere.

The Mountain Zebra National Park is just an hour from our base in Somerset East, so a perfect day trip, but it also forms part of a lot of our tours, so that you experience the wildlife and wide open spaces as a day out on the way to a fishing venue, or perhaps another cultural experience. There are a number of activities in and around the Park, and hopping over to Graaff-Reinet or Nieu-Bethesda for a day on the way is not a problem.

One of the must do activities here is the cheetah walk. Not something that is advised for very young children, it is quite an eye opener taking a walk in the veld (think prairie) and suddenly your guide points ahead of you, and says: “there she is!”. You look and look, and can’t see her, but that’s because she’s only 30 feet in front of you, and not 300 like you thought. These activities are very safe, and the animal is not disturbed at all. Cheetahs do seem to be one of those animals that you can get close to, as long as they don’t see you as food, and preferably after they’ve had a meal so aren’t hungry!

But remember, this park is not just about views and cheetah walks, it boasts among others lion, cape buffalo, brown hyena, kudu, gemsbok, eland, aardwolf and of course, the whole reason for the park: Cape Mountain Zebras.

Read more about the Park here; or book a day trip here.

Our year in review - 2021

2021-12-31T00:00:00+02:00

We decided to do our year in pictures, and we think this needs to become an annual thing. It's so good looking back at the year, to see what you have achieved, the friends you've made and the strides you've taken. The video is great, but take a read, it will make a whole lot more sense if you do.

It was quite amazing starting the year off with this picture requested by Ed Herbst. In the middle of our so-called rainy season, the garden and the lawn looked really dreary. We took a trip to the trophy trout waters north of Cradock, and the scene wasn’t much better. You could only feel for the farmers, that have to try to keep livestock fed and watered…they all deserve a medal! Kareerbosch was fishing out of its socks, but the writing was on the wall – this water wasn’t going to last if the rains didn’t come soon.

We took a little break in January and visited a game lodge (yes, we do this for fun too!) north of Johannesburg, and man, what a difference in vegetation and rainfall! The grass was so long, that it was a struggle to see zebras and gemsbok. Its amazing what good rains can do!

February held a lot of promise, with beautiful cool and misty days, but alas, the rains, the real rains, didn’t come. Whilst visiting Kuzuko lodge, on the northern side of Addo, we could see that the veld was really struggling, and was in desperate need of the summer rains.

March is a wonderful time of year. Nice warm days, and the nights starting to cool down in anticipation of autumn. It’s also the month in which we get to experience Sterkfontein dam, near Harrismith in the Free State. This is an incredible yellowfish fishery, with crystal clear water and world class sight fishing. But back to the Eastern Cape, and the drought is still in full swing, so we set off to Kareerbosch again. An incredible fishery, and an incredible day, spent with some really special people.

The rainy season is over, but that’s why indigenous plants are so important, they are adapted to the environment, and can survive, even in the toughest times. It is said that the Karoo is best appreciated on your knees, and this is so prevalent during droughts, because even though the veld looks dry, there is always a little bit of life, you just need to get onto the right level to see it. It was quite incredible, we thought the rainy season was over, but got some really nice rains in April, just enough to see the farmers through the winter, but also, just enough for the locusts to start becoming a problem. They’re still around (in December), causing havoc wherever they go.

Fast forward to winter…is this when all the birds come out, or are we just starting to notice them? With all the travel restrictions, International visitors have been scarce, but that doesn’t stop us going out and exploring the area. Visiting the fishing waters, checking on their status, and taking in a game drive along the way. And every now and then, we get to experience something extra special. In February it was Kuzuko Lodge, and in August we got to visit Samara Private Game Reserve. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!

On our travels during the year, we found some very…interesting animals; the strangest Wildebeest we’ve ever seen, and then a Gemsbok that wasn’t a Gemsbok.

October – consolidation. Staying at home, no flitting all over the place, finishing off the bar cabinets at the Angler and Antelope Guesthouse, and spending some time trying to get the Walter Battiss Foundation on its feet. The pandemic really has hit the non-profit hard, with not as many feet through the door, and as it’s privately run and funded, the donations and entrance fees are really important. We managed to find a donor to help with some of the big expenses this year – extremely grateful! Now we can keep the doors open for a little longer!

And then November came, and with it, some rain. And then some more rain, and some more and some more and some more 😊. Big smiles all round! We don’t want to speak too soon, but the wonderful squishing sound when you walk on your lawn after yet another storm, makes the power outages due to trees fighting with powerlines bearable! It’s been a long time since we had to plan our outings around the possibility of rain, but we are relishing it. The area is looking beautiful and green, ready to start 2022 on a high note. We’re looking forward to taking it by the horns!

Playing with Plants in the Karoo

2021-04-27T00:00:00+02:00

No, the Karoo is not dry and desolate, it just looks like that, from a distance. Take the time to stop along the side of the road, and you'll find the most incredible plants.

The Matchstick plant (Loranthus elegans)

Also known as Moquiniella rubra, this interesting shrub flowers in winter in the Karoo. It is parasitic so you will always find it growing inside another plant, though it can photosynthesize Did you know that it is part of the mistletoe species? This is not a plant that you will notice any other time of the year, it's very secretive, but once the flowers start showing, and the host plant loses some of the leaves in winter, you can't miss them. The flowers are characterized by red flowers, with yellow tops, resembling matches. The fun part is that when you twist the top of the "match" the flower petals curl open to release pollen.

Sacramento ISE 2020

2020-09-15T00:00:00+02:00

What an amazing experience, exhibiting at the ISE show in Sacramento in January (2020). We met amazing people, made new friends, and just realized again what a special product we have! Wild Fly Fishing in the Karoo is a unique experience, and with the personalized experiences that we offer with our A&A Adventures tours, who could ask for more!

We must say that it was definitely a learning curve in what the American market is interested in. One of the items that was really well received, was top water fishing for our African sharptooth catfish. It's something that we really enjoy doing, as stalking these apex predators is challenging and rewarding, and we can't wait to share the experience with our American friends.

Now we respond to all the enquiries that we received during our visit, and start planning the next trip, although we've had a curve ball chucked at us with COVID-19, so that may only be in 2022. We hope to see some familiar faces again when we get back to the next ISE!

How will we manage the crisis?

2020-04-20T00:00:00+02:00

This is the start of our procedures, and we would welcome constructive input from our guests, on items that you feel will be important for your safety.

The nature of our entire business model is not to have hundreds of people on a tour, but rather to have couples or small family groups, and this ties in perfectly with social distancing from people that you don't know. As the owners and tour guides, we always ensure that we practice good personal hygiene, but will put special emphasis on hand washing, and try (desperately) not to touch our faces!

Here are a couple of things that we will be doing:

Temperature screening all guests, and ourselves, daily. Guests will be advised to have a test done, should their temperature be high or should they display symptoms. We will assist in the arrangements.
Wearing masks, especially when visiting tourist attractions where there are many other tourists.
Screening all the accommodation establishments that we use, and ensuring that they have sufficient schedules in place with regards to hygiene and sanitizing of their premises.
Wherever possible, we will provide lunch ourselves, in order to minimize time spent in crowded places like restaurants.
Providing each guest with hand sanitizers and disposable tissues.
Cleaning and sanitizing the vehicle at the end of each day, and deep cleaning after each tour group.

Once industry standards have been published, we will add to the above items to ensure the safety of both our staff and our guests.

We hope that you are all keeping safe. This too shall pass, and we will travel again!

Karoo Family Getaway

2019-12-28T00:00:00+02:00

We had the pleasure of the company of a Danish family not so long ago. They came from all over the world and met up in Port Elizabeth, where we collected them for their Karoo Getaway.

Everyone was very happy to get settled in to the Angler & Antelope in Somerset East to rest up after dinner for their adventure to start the following day.

We started off with a beautiful hike in the indigenous forest on the mountain surrounding Somerset East. This place is really special, brings you back to nature, restores your soul...and a little trout fishing while you're there, just makes it all the more special! We enjoyed a relaxing day, taking in the clean crisp air with a lovely picnic lunch, with, of course a gin and tonic to round it off!

Next day was planned for a hunting safari, but being a family with diverse interests some of them decided that another day's fly fishing should be on the cards. No problem, we're flexible like that! We dropped off the hunters at East Cape Safaris, and took the rest of the group to a nearby dam stocked with trout for a day of fishing. Everyone happy! It was lovely finishing off the day at East Cape Safaris, with a good old South African braai (BBQ).

No visit to our area is complete without the Mountain Zebra National Park. This is one of our favourites, with wide open spaces, plenty of antelope species, and even buffalo, rhino and lion. As usual, it did not disappoint, even though it was a cool day. We were very happy to end the day off, driving back to Somerset East in cold rainy weather. The Karoo is always happy to see rain!

Looking forward to spending time with this wonderful family again, next time, with the extra two babies that were on the way!

Travelling from Abroad

2019-07-28T00:00:00+02:00

Visiting a foreign country for the first time can be quite daunting if you're anything like me, someone who likes to plan every little detail. I don't quite walk around with a clipboard, but it's close!

Google can be amazing, but also extremely confusing. There are things that you want to know, and doing an online search is great, but there are other things that you don't even think about, and that is where local knowledge is a great help.

Having just started planning our own trip abroad, I suddenly find that there are things I'd like to know, but can't quite get the answers I'm looking for. Here are a couple of things that I found I wanted to know about a country I've never been to. The list is by no means complete, but will hopefully help you in planning your African Adventure.

The Weather:

The general perception of South Africa, especially from Europe, is that the sun shines, all the time. Well, yes, it is Sunny South Africa, but be warned, you could hit a patch of cold or wet weather, so make sure you bring a rain jacket or wind cheater, just in case you hit a weeks of drizzle.

The seasons are:

Autumn / Fall: March to May
Winter: June to August
Spring: September to November
Summer: December to February

The Western Cape (think Cape Town and the Winelands) have their rain in winter, so it can get cold, wet and miserable during winter. However, we must qualify, that cold in Cape Town is 13°C... Inland, and in the mountains, it can get considerably colder, especially at night.

We are in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, and here, we get most of our rain in Spring and Summer. Along the coast, the weather is very moderate with winter days peaking at about 20°C and summer temperatures rarely above 30°C. But inland, and especially in the Karoo where we are, the temperatures are not quite so moderate. Winter night time temperatures can get to -6°C, and summer day time temperatures can go up to 45°C. Having said that, Somerset East and surrounds are not quite as extreme as it can be in other parts of the Karoo. There is not really much chance in our area of having to delay your trip because of extreme weather.

The Roads:

The National road network in South Africa is very good, and constantly maintained. We're talking National Roads here, not the streets in the small towns (and sometimes bigger towns). Public transport is not one of our strong suits, so it would be best to hire a vehicle if you want to get around on your own, or book an airport transfer with us to come up to Somerset East. All your tours here at A&A Adventures are guided, so we'll do all the driving for you. Somerset East is a small town, and whilst we do have a small airfield, there are no commercial flights to Somerset East. The closest domestic airport is in Port Elizabeth, 185 km from here. This is a rural area, and we do still have some wild animals roaming around, so it is not a great idea to travel at night, especially in winter, as there are quite a lot of antelope that cross the roads, posing a huge risk of accidents, so if you're flying into Port Elizabeth, try do it mid-day, so that you can do all your travelling in daytime hours.

There are three main international airports in South Africa. Cape Town International Airport, OR Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg), and King Shaka International Airport (Durban).

Languages

South Africa has 11 official languages! Most people do speak English, so communication is relatively easy.

Electrical stuff

The standard voltage in South Africa is 230V, and we use a 3-round pin plug, mostly. We also use the 2-round pin plugs, but not all establishments have sufficient adapters to convert from the 3 pin to the 2 pin. Mobile phone, tablet and laptop chargers generally do convert the input current to what your device needs, but other appliances such as hair dryers may be a problem if your home country uses 120V. If your device does not automatically convert the current, you will need a voltage converter. Most reputable guesthouses, B&B's or hotels do supply hair dryers though. It is advisable to travel with a universal travel adapter.

Staying in touch

Mobile / cell phone networks in South Africa are good. We would suggest sticking with one of the two main providers, Vodacom or MTN if you would like to purchase a local pre-paid SIM card to stay in touch. Unfortunately not all establishments provide free WiFi, but there are numerous coffee shops and some restaurants where you would be able to connect on unsecured networks. We try to provide limited data to our guests on our tours, in order for them to keep in touch with loved ones back home. Please bear in mind though that you could be travelling to some Game Parks or fishing venues where there will be limited or no cell phone coverage.

If you have any specific questions, please email us, and we will provide as much information as possible.

The Karoo

2018-08-08T00:00:00+02:00

Semi-gration, a word that I've borrowed from Chris Marais and Julienne du Toit from their new book "Moving to the Platteland". What a wonderful read! It explains all the ups and downs, joys and pitfall of moving from a city to a small town. Definitely worth getting!

I grew up in the Johannesburg area, and Alan and I semi-grated to Somerset East almost 15 years ago. What a ride. All our holidays as children were in the "Bushveld", so for me the desert-like landscape of the Karoo was not something that had crept into my heart from an early age as it did with Alan. However, it does just that, it creeps into every nook and cranny, and before you know it, you're in love! TV Bulpin describes the Karoo beautifully: "Vast, moody, lonely, melancholy, autumnal in its moods and stillness. Remote, elusive, harsh in the midday sun, but transformed by the approach of night into a place of gorgeous sunsets, with cool shadows rising out of valleys and hollows, slowly enveloping the land in a dark blanket of sleep while the heavens sparkle with so brilliant a display of stars that the Karoo seems to be washed with a soft dew of their falling light."

We do quite a bit of travelling in this area, and I know, the Karoo is not everyone's cup of tea, but man, if you're open to the suggestions of Mother Nature, it captures your very soul! From the vast mountains on the horizon to spotting Africa's heaviest flying bird the Kori Bustard, or getting down on your knees to see a minute little Karoo flower, just take a little extra time, and enjoy it. Next time you travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town, don't just drive on the N1 hoping that the desolate landscape will pass. Stop, look, see, feel, the heartbeat of the Karoo.

Visiting our favourite National Park

2018-04-23T00:00:00+02:00

Mountain Zebra National Park is like no other in South Africa. Whilst it does have a good variety of wildlife, it is the spectacular scenery that takes your breath away. The Park is known for it's Plains Game, but as it does have vast open spaces, they can be quite elusive at times, especially in the hotter months, when the antelope seem to blend in with the shadows under the trees and can be very challenging to spot. This last visit, though, could not have gone better. The Autumn weather was absolutely beautiful with clear blue skies and just a little bit of heat, so that the animals weren't all seeking shelter from the scorching sun.

We managed our best ever sighting of the lions in the Park, and when they moved off, you could tell how easily they can be missed if they're just having a rest in the long grass and dappled shade.

The park was proclaimed in 1937 in order to protect the endangered Cape mountain zebra. The success of the project can be seen in the park with the Cape mountain zebra now numbering over 1000, from the original 11 that were donated!

This Park is perfect for a day trip to view the spectacular scenery, but if you would like to experience the cheetah tracking, or night drives, an over night stop would be advisable.

Halali Magazin TV

2017-05-11T00:00:00+02:00

One of the trips that Side by Side Safaris arranged with us, was for Halali Magazin TV to do two shows on hunting in South Africa. They also wanted to include our fly fishing experience, and Halali made a fantastic video to give visitors from Europe and idea of what it is like here in our beautiful part of the world. Granted, no photography can do it justice, but I must say, they really got close!

Have a look at this video, and see what you would experience when hunting with Side by Side Safaris, and fishing with Wild Fly Fishing in the Karoo.