LITTLE KAROO
BARRYDALE
There are a bunch of eateries next to the R62: Diesel & Crème dieselandcreme.co.za), Karoo Daisy karoodaisy.co.za), Camel Horse Café 074 180 7241), The Country Pumpkin ( 028 572 1019), The Farm Deli 060 316 3229), and MUD mud.co.za), where you can buy products from Barrydale Hand Weavers. Mez Karoo Kitchen 082 775 980) is at 24 Van Riebeeck Street – go there for delicious Mediterranean dishes.
Barrydale has antique and art shops and you can explore the town's dirt streets on foot and start to dream about your own place in the Karoo…
More info: barrydale.org.za
Karoo Art Hotel
This hotel was renovated in 2021 by Rick and Sue Melvill and their team. “It took four months of restoration work,” says manager Wayne Robinson. “Everything was redone, from the front of the hotel to the back, floors to ceilings.”
Now it's a colourful place brimming with character and creativity. “We're a part of the community and want to introduce our guests to our people and their talents,” says Wayne. “The idea is to promote the work of local artists. At the moment there are works from four or five artists on display, which are available to buy.”
The “Art” in the hotel's name refers to more than paintings. “Rick always tells me it's also about ‘the art of joy’,” says Wayne. “In a way, everything here is ‘art’ – it's about the art of baking, of slow-cooking, pouring a cocktail in the bar…”
The 17 hotel rooms each have their own artsy flair – one wall in the room I stayed in, the Magnolia Room, is covered in a giant print of Tretchikoff's Zulu Girl (pictured, above right).
The rooms offer similar luxuries, they just differ in size. The Klein Karoo en suite
