Agritourism

The Faraway Estate manor house stands in the foothills of Villiersdorp’s Stettynsberg on a working olive, fig and pomegranate farm. The self-catering country escape with its large gourmet kitchen will delight culinary enthusiasts looking for a breakaway among mountain scenery, writes Brian Berkman.

Brian Berkman recently travelled to apple and wine country in the Overberg region to experience true Cape farm hospitality at Paul and Nicky Wallace’s property in the Elgin Valley. Paul Wallace Wines offers a tranquil getaway for anyone looking for a farm break close to Cape Town, and is a special treat for wine lovers.

B’sorah Luxury Tented Camp, located between the Hartbeespoort Dam and the Magaliesberg, offers a scenic and relaxing weekend break less than an hour from Gauteng for hiking and mountain biking enthusiasts, nature lovers and birders.

Brian Berkman discovers a tranquil, luxurious and perfectly located farm near Beaufort West, and suggests that it’s a road-trip stop deserving of at least a two-night stay.

Welcoming farm sounds and smells, a large stoep, activities in nature, and tranquillity await visitors of the farm Houtenbek in Mpumalanga.

Since diversifying into accommodation and fine dining in 1991, Free State Merino farm De Oude Kraal has become a landmark. Brian Berkman recently visited it and soon understood why it has gained its excellent reputation.

Fly fishing is as synonymous with the Eastern Cape district of Barkly East as are Merino wool and snow-capped mountains in winter. As Mike Burgess writes, the legacy of fly fishing in the region is not only rich, but evolving.

Recreation in natural areas is an excellent way of reconnecting people with the environment. Besides the educational function, it is also a possible income stream for farmers.

Avitourism, or birdwatching, has the potential to provide farmers with an additional source of revenue, write Dr Adam Viljoen and Christelle van Zyl, researchers at North-West University’s Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society.

Instead of competing with the giant wine brands, Jacques and Saretha Conradie take advantage of the location of Vogelsang farm to put their wines and estate on the map.

The Khomani San of the Kalahari are revered for their intimate knowledge of bush lore. Now they’re practising these skills commercially and offering hunting packages on the vast tracts of land they own around the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. In so doing, they are creating sustainable livelihoods for their community, too.

Johann Erwee of Kuduwane Game Lodge provided Gerhard Uys with insights into what it takes to keep a small hunting operation economically sustainable, and its environment ecologically sound.