TOURIST INFORMATION
63 Donkin Street
Beaufort West
Tel: 023 449 1000
E-Mail: jjonkers@skdm.co.za
Website: www.tourismcentralkaroo.co.za
Find yourself in the Central Karoo. Where the horizons are infinite and footprints few under a sky you can almost touch.
The Central Karoo is one of the worlds most unique arid zones. In South Africa it stands alone, globally it is an envied rarity. The Karoo, the Hottentot word for dry thirst land, is considered a wonder of the scientific world. Some of the worlds most important archaeological sites are located in the Central Karoo, particularly the Beaufort West and Nelspoort areas with their multitude of stone-age sites and Bushman petroglyths. The plains and mountains are home to game animals that make of the Central Karoo an outpost of nature where mans intrusion is still but a light touch.
Central Karoo, a faraway highway of discovery.
Many famous people of South African history have links with the Karoo. Among them are South African writer Olive Schreiner and her husband Cron, once MP for Beaufort West, The countrys first premier, Sir john Charles Molteno, a scenic little pass built by Thomas Bain outside Beaufort West was named in his honor. But the Karoo is much more. It is an undiscovered world filled with wonderfully friendly folk in historic settlements and villages. Tourists are welcomed in tiny towns like Merweville, Nelspoort, Murraysburg and settlements like Matjiesfontein, a privately owned village and unique historic attraction.
Prince Albert at the foot of the mighty Swartberg Pass has its own architecture and particular tourism culture based on traditional food and unique experiences in guesthouses. The Karoo National Park is found north-south N1 on the doorstep of Beaufort West. Beaufort West has a variety of accommodation to meet any budget and for those who have a time to tarry a farm holiday in this unique world is an unforgettable experience.
