Clarens, known as a little Switzerland in South Africa, was in my bucklet list for many years. We planned to visit Clarens last winter, but we chickened out because of the bitteringly cold winter. You may know about this if you follow my blogs. And finally, we could make it this time—in early autumn.
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| Clarens transforms magically with every season. However, early autumn, from late March to early April, is the perfect time to visit, as the magnificent displays of cosmos flowers are truly the cherry on top. |
My husbands had been to Clarens many times, but this was my first-ever time visiting Clarens. Knowing this, you may wonder why he went to the same place again and again. The interesting fact is that Clarens allures people for its charming and magnificent landscapes even though it's a small town. If you are not an outdoor person who loves hiking, horse riding, or mountain biking, the only thing you can do in Clarens is strolling from shops to shops, and enjoying local cuisine. There are many shops selling beautiful clothes and scarves, home decor, and many more, mostly for women, which you will not find in other places.
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| Two cute and sweet dogs welcome customers at a shop that sells clothes, assessories and home decor. They look so real! It broke my heart to not take them home, as they were too rich for my blood. I believe they must have found a loving home by now. |
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A closer look of 'my two new adorable
friends'. It wasn't untill I checked my photos on my computer after getting
home that I saw two sheeps standing quietly in the background. |
The highlight of our Clarens trip is cosmos which is in full bloom. They are fluttering like butterflies in pink and white along the roads. The N3 is embroidered with rivers of cosmos in both sides. We spot fields of cosmos in the veld and clumps of cosmos scattering all over the rolling hills.To search for solitude and tranquility and beauty of the countryside, we turned right on R26, instead of going further on the N3 and then turned right on R714. We spotted millions of cosmos again, but we don't get tired of seeing them again. We were in awe, otherwise. Nature is amazing. The joy of travelling on a less traffic road is that we can pull over and interact with nature. We stopped to take hundreds of photos and make videos of cosmos as much as we could. They would serve as a reminder of our trips and time spent together. My memories in Clarens would be painted in the soft and sweet hues of cosmos.
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| Another field of cosmos we spotted on R26 when we headed home from Clarens. It was about 40 km from Clarens. The cosmos stretched as far as the eye could see! |
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| HoChi and and his mom, framed by cosmos, looking out (probably for the frogs and grasshoppers!) towards the R26 . Same spot, just different view! |
We noticed that the fields along R26 were so wet. Water was everywhere. Some mealie fields were deep in water. Seeing this, I felt sorry for farmers. Too much rain damages the crop they invest in. However, too little rain also costs them a fortune.
Every singler pond, big or small, was full of water. The river was brimmed with muddy-colour water and its flow of water was so powerful.
Day 1: gavalanting around the tiny-but-charming town
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| A field of cosmos on R26 that is a short distance away from the road. My photo can not do justice to the grandness of this sea of cosmos. |
Day 1: gavalanting around the tiny-but-charming town
When we arrived, Clarens was grey and cloudy. The top of the mountains were covered in clouds. The grounds just got dry enough to welcome our steps. We pulled over in front of an exotic clothes shop, which is opposite the petral station and the Pakistani supermarket. HoChi the exuberant 'traveller' needed to stretch his legs and sniffed around after being languid and restless on my lap during the long trip. As soon as he got off the car, he got his life back: his tail standing up like antennae and his eyes shining like stars. He bounce merrily and pulled me as if he was leading me. He had to hop over the small puddles, but with the bigger puddles, he detoured around them as soon as he heard me saying "It's wet, my boy". He seemed to not mind being wet, although he does not like water.
While we were strolling around, my husband went to buy some braai wood, hoping that we would be able to braai tonight. HoChi and I bumped into other tourists who had also brought their fur kids along. Some dogs were even wearing jerseys because of the cool weather. When I spotted one with a pink jersey, I knew for sure that the dog was female. One fascinating thing I have noticed over years is that the dogs and their owners bear a striking resemblance to each other. I can't explain why, but it always seems to be the case. Whoever meets HoChi always says he is as friendly and smiley as me! He loves everyone no matter their age and colour, but he loves children the most. Just like me, he also has soft brown eyes.
More and more people are going on holidays with their pets, so pet-friendly accommodation has been booming across South Africa. Clarens also follows the trend: It's a pet-friendly tourist town. The options for this lifestyle are unlimted. I noticed that almost every café and restaurant provides water bowls for dogs.
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| A huge shop that sell anything you can find as gifts. Its name is easy to remember because of the rhyming wordplay: dizzy daisy |
We rewared ourselves with a glass of cool beer at the Clarens Brewery before we checked in at 14h00. Since it was still early, we simply chilled out: sipping beer together, watching tourists from all walks of life walk past. HoChi was too excited to sit still. A Maltese dog accompanied by three women at the next café spotted HoChi. The dog looked like a city girl with high maintenance, why my boy looks like a farm lad. Two of them looked at each other and wanted to do a meet-and-greet, but their leashes hold them back. The three ladies were seemingly not interested in the dogs' eager attempt at a quick exchange, so I just stayed put. My poor HoChi did not settle untill we were halfway through our shared beer.
Afterwards, we walked HoChi through the President Square—a lush green park that is well looked after. It was neat and clean and shady. Some young men were lying down in the grass, watching the world go by. Beneath a gigantic oak tree, a clique of boys and girls were sitting on the bench and chatting with one another. As expected, HoChi wagged his tail and tried to pull me towards them as he always does, but I didn't want him to bother strangers. Luckily, he was distracted by new smells and got back to his adventure in no time. No grass grew around the massive trunk of the tree because its thick canopy blocked the sunlight.
The road lay quiet, dotted with a few vehicles. The atmosphere was slow-paced and peaceful - a typical vibe in any small South African town. However, later just before sunset, as we walked back from our guesthouse, the town had transformed. The road was now jam-packed with vehicles, and every restaurant and cafe was brimming with people. One waitor who we had a quick chat with told us it was not as busy as on weekends and during public holidays. It turned out that we were lucky to escape from the bustling weekend crowds by visiting during the week.
The first thing I did after getting back from town was feeding HoChi. He must have been starving since during the journey he even didn't snack on his favorite food, droëwors. To our surprise, he just sniffed at his nutrient-rich pebbles and walked away. He even didn't touch paté, which he always wolfs down. My husband had butterflies in his stomach. He convinced there was something wrong with HoChi, while I thought he might have been carsick or lost his appetite from his overexcitement. However, he hadn't lost interest in playing with his comfort toys: a pink hippo and a purple-and-orange ball.
We didn't braai because it's drizzling and the guesthouse wasn't equipped with indoor braai facility. We had supper with our lasagna leftover we had cooked two days earlier, instead. It's leftover, but it's still tasty.
Day 2: wandering around the town
After sipping coffee in bed and eating a hot cross bun each, we drove to town because it's too wet to walk. We had brunch at the Lonely Rooster before strolling around. We took turn to do windowshopping. While I browsed inside, my husband walked HoChi outside and chatted with some passers-by who couldn't resist his charm. When I admired the abundance of food and souvernirs on display at the Purple Onion, it rained again. This time it was pouring. By the time I finished my tour and left the shop empty-handed, the rain had stopped. Actually, I attempted to buy a small bottle of nastergal jam, but its oversweetness put me off. Like all commercial jam, it's so heavily sweetened that the flavour of nastergal was lost as I had a taste. This African nightshade berry makes delicious jam with a bright purple like rare Tanzanite gemstones. I wanted to buy it for its vivid hue and rarity, since nastergal only grows in the highveld Mpumulanga, and certain parts of Kwazulu Natal and the Free State. They are often treated as weeds in the mealie fields and almost destroyed by weed control; very few people treasure them.
My husband is very fond of jam, but when I told him the story, he agreed with me not to buy it. Then he explained to me how nastergal is made. Picking these tiny wild berries are time-consuming and labour-intensive, but the challenge lies in the preparation. The berries need to be processed properly and with great care, otherwise they can be poisonous. No wonder why a small bottle is quite expensive!
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| Left: the Purple Onion is like a maze with a multitude of goods; Right: Decorative pieces that evoke memories of bygone days. Five Roses may have changed its bylines over time, yet it still remains South Africa’s most popular tea brand |
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| The tree has started to change its colours for autumn |
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| A vintage blue car that goes nowhere! |
When the sun went to bed, we braaied on the Weber. It was our first braai in Clarens, at last!
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| HoChi was watching the traffic, with his comfort toys around him, on the second afternoon we were able to braai. What a peaceful afernoon far from home! |
Day 3: A sunny day for cosmos displays and the Golden Gate Highlands National Park (GGHNP)
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| HoChi was a happy camper when he was with his parents. We brought our own sheet and his two blankets—one for his own bed and the other for lying with us. He was watching the world go by while his parents were having coffee on bed. |
After having coffee on bed, we went for a stroll. We walked past many accomodations, most of them are self-catering. This part of town is much quieter, with far less traffic and many more beautiful moutain vistas. Every road we turned into felt like a country lane, and each eventually led us to the main road. We chose to turn left to walk uphill towards the main road, rather than downhill, because the road down was not completely dry from the night's rain. HoChi paused at every step to explore new smells. We joked that he was reading emails other dogs had delivered!
Looking far down to the valley, we could see the moutains in the horizon, which are partly hidden behind houses. If we had done enough homework, we might have rented a house here. It turns out that the town is bigger than we think. However, if we travel only along the main road and President Square, it feels no larger than the size of a fist.
Walking back home, we had a shower and had a quick breakfast with one hot cross bun each. Then, we headed to the GGHNP.
The road to this must-visit park was lined with cosmos flowers, with impressive mountains as the backdrop. The scenery was lush and green and artistically dotted with carpets of pink and white cosmos every where we had our eyes on. Mountains after mountains rolled past, each with its own shape and size. The crisp morning, with the blue sky brushed by fluffy white clouds made the landscape much more appealing. Every single thing seemed to reveal its magic at once and at the perfect time. We felt pure joy and deep contentment even though it was unpleasant to think about returning home the next day to our mundane daily life. We could only afford a short holiday: short but sweet! Our tight schedules did not allow us to gavalant as long as we wished.
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| The cosmos field we spotted on the right side of the road, en route to the GGHNP |
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| I created a monochromatic collage which looks so vintage and makes the white cosmos stand out. |
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| Out of the blue, a yellow beetle darted past as I photographed the cosmos, adding a touch of life to my 'masterpiece'. |
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| A farm road lined with cosmos leads to Royal Coachman lodge and many more fields of cosmos shimmering in the far distance. If only time allowed us to wander further. |
Arriving at the gate of the GGHNP, we were required to record the driver's arrival time, phone number and driver's licence number. Contrary to our experiences in other national parks in South Africa, no fee was charged. My husband explained that it would be impossible to collect fees here, since the road leads to Harrismith. This isn’t just the entrance to the park—it also serves as a national road for all.
The friendly guard told us not to walk our dog. He repeated that HoChi had to remain onboard at all times. He grinned from ear to ear when we promised him that we wouldn't let our 'hungry lion' out—even when no one was watching! Therefore, we simply drove through without stopping. We even didn't stop to tour the dinosaur museum on the left of the road. This museum must be busy throughout the year as we saw numerous school buses and children in uniform gather at both sides of the road.
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| The famous pink rocks, with magnificent panoromas in every direction |
The scenery took our breath away. The mountains were lush, green, and full of promise. We felt as if we were driving straight into them, yet once we passed one range, another appeared beyond. Their slopes shimmered with water, as if hidden streams were quietly seeping through the rock. We felt lucky that we were gifted with so much rain this year.
Back to town, we stopped at the Spar for some braai meat and then ventured to the opposite side, away from the main road. Similar to the area we walked yesterday morning, every road here also led us back to the main road. It felt like a real escape. The roads down here are less travelled. The uphill road opened before our eyes and offered impressive mountain views framed by green vegetation and white clouds. There is much more accommodation for tourists than housing for local residents. Lots of houses are under construction, while others stand empty. They are all holiday homes. Every house reflects a unique personal taste, with a manicured garden full of flowers, espcially roses. We just followed the road to see where it would take us. Amazingly, we drove up to the top of the mountain and discovered a bella vista of mountains where we visited yesterday.
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| To the right stand a few double-story holiday homes |
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| On the left is the fence of a newly built holiday home for large families. |
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| HoChi rested in the shade with us, quietly admiring the mountain view! We shared our quirky quick lunch here: bananas, apples, and droëwors that we had meant to snack along the way. Still, HoChi didn't touch any droëwors. |
Later in the afternoon, we took a walk to town again.
I popped into Arty Farty, a little handiscraft shop run by a delightful lady, to collect a pair of earrings my husband had ordered yesterday morning. From the outside, the shop looked so cosy and ordinary that many passersby might overlook it. Yet stepping inside felt like coming across a witch's workshop, neatly packed with handmade 'treasures': dark and mysterious in one corner, but bright and cheerful in another. As I eyed on each item on the hanging display, Claudina (if I recall her English name correctly) spoke with pride, her eyes shining as she told me who had made what. The earrings, she explained, were made by the girls from the township, while the necklaces and charms with more complicated patterns came from aunties and oumas. Above the panel, she had arranged photographs of the artisans, their hands busy weaving jewelry. When I asked her how her business was going, she smiled at me with an energetic look and replied confidently: the business is good!
Asked about the price of the mismatched earrings, Claudina told me to pay whatever I thought they were worth. She remarked that my husband had chosen them for me with love from the bottom of his heart. She was very grateful that my husband had already supported her business—he had bought a square mat she crafted from beer lids wrapped in fabric leftover. What a clever idea! Who would ever think that those two little things people throw away could turn into a lovely piece of art. We had seen her making it in one corner of President Square. Claudina loves to sit there creating her art, chatting with her friend who runs a township art business, and keeping an eye on her shop at the same time. Her shop is just a short walk away, so if she notices customers going in, she quickly runs over. In a small town, everyone knows each other, so she doesn’t worry about leaving her shop unattended.
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| Left and top right: A doily-sized mat handcrafted by Claudina (front and back) Bottom right:the mismatched earrings my husband chose to remember our trip to Clarens are now my favourite. The windpump and tractor remind me of the Karoo, where my beloved husband’s heart is. |
Just like Claudina, her friend—a young chap with only one eye—is also pleasant to talk to. They are both cheerful and optimistic about life even though they come from an unprivilidged background. I find it marverlous that people who have very little, materially, are often the most positive and laugh off their struggles, while those with resources tend to feel anxious and complain about how hard life becomes when something goes wrong. I believe there is no magic in it: people teach themselves to be happy and content with what they have, so they can carry on with their tough life. Happiness is a choice!
Oh, I need to mention to you that Claudina looks like a model! She's slender, lithe, yet swift. She dressed beautifully on both occasions I saw her. She inspired me to look good in order to feel good. More importantly, she proved that beauty doesn't need custom-made or expensive clothes.
Clarens treated us well today as we experienced sunshine throughout the day. We took this opportunity to braai again, but this time we braaied at the pit in the corner of the communal garden. I enjoyed making the fire, as I always do. Thanks to ongoing loadshedding since 2020, I taught myself to make a fire with little kindling and no firelighters. I'm not sure whether I should thank Eskom or not, but I can now make and tend a fire like a real South African.
As luck would have it, just as our beefsteak was grilled, the rain started to drizzle. As a result, we had to eat our dinner on the stoep. Like the two previous dinners, HoChi still didn't eat. He only sniffed the small piece of steak I gave him, even though he usually can’t wait to snack on meat whenever we have a braai.
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| A perfect pit for a family braai! |
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| The view of the pit with our house in the background. Top: It's still bright at 18h06; bottom: 20 minutes later, the sun dipped below the horizon It looked like HoChi did the driving and all the hard work! He cerainly deserved a decent rest, didn't he? |
Day 4: One more cup of coffee
The next morning, we woke up to a blue sky and rays of sunshine. After packing and feeding HoChi who still refused to eat, we prepared to drive back home. We bid a farewell to Clarens with a cup of capuccino and a giant blueberry muffin in a charming café where we had coffee the previous day. The coffee was nutty and creamy, while the muffin we shared was as sweet as any treat. But I was sure we would not get a sugar spike, and we would be strong enough to keep going till we get home.
We aimed to arrive before 2 p.m. to avoid the mad Friday afternoon traffic in Joburg, so we didn't hang around any longer. As soon as we finished our modest breakfast, we hit the road.
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| An iconic rock named the Titanic bid us farewell, its shape resembling a sinking ship. |
En route back to Pretoria, we had an easy, low-speed drive to admire the views and cosmos flowers. We stopped for cosmos shoots on the R26. And then, we stopped at Frankfort to look for grass for HoChi to do his business as he was restless.
Frankfort takes its name after from the city of Frankfort in Germany.
Like many other small towns which have run down badly, there isn't much to see and do in Frankfort. However, we came across a lovely coffee cart under the shade. After letting HoChi explore his new surroundings, we headed over for coffee. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't simply a coffee cart on the pavement. It was a café with a feminine touch and even a guesthouse. It seemed perfect for a tea ceremony, which made my husband think that the lady running the café must have spent a lot of money from her farmer husband. I wondered who would choose this off-the-radar town for a holiday, though it would make a peaceful stopover for a long road trip.
We ordered coffee at the cart, but the young lady who took our order made it inside. She suggested we sit in the café, but we preferred the shade, with fresh air and the autumn vibe around us.
For the rest of the journey, we stopped once at the garage for HoChi to stretch his legs. We didn't even have any coffee, as we normally do.
HoChi was so happy to be home, back to his familiar environment. His tail went up as he mooched around, darting in and out, as if he had checked for any unexpected intruders.
When it was time for dinner, he devoured his pebbles mixed with some paté and braaied meat. He polished off every bite! I was certain he had been starving after three days without food.
That's it for my long blog about Clarens.
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| Clarens will always stay with me! |
Tata for now
Mai from Vietnam
More to read/watch about Clarens:
Clarens in winter, with a magnificent transformation of coloursHistory of Clarens https://visitclarens.com/about-clarens/
Royal Coachman, where we stopped at the entrance to take shots of cosmos flowers https://www.lekkeslaap.co.za/accommodation/royal-coachman
My short video on cosmos flowers at the entrance of Royal Coachman:
Dogs and geese in Clarens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XQGJcfweBY
