It’s the Ficksburg Festival, my cherry!

Cherry Festival

Ficksburg didn’t mean that much to me until I visited the pretty little town set on the banks of the Caledon River. It lies at the foot of the beautiful Imperani Mountain in the Free State, for those of you who didn’t know, and I had only heard of it before the festival because a school friend of mine hailed from there (and since we were at school in Durban at the time, you can understand how she was regarded with a fair amount of  incredulity).

First off let me say that if you’re a fan of cherries, then this is the festival to attend. For the last couple of years at least, cherries seem to have given the shelves of my local Pick n Pay the run around. That, or they were in and off the shelves so fast that I didn’t even catch a whiff of the dainty red stoned fruit! Thus a trip to the Eastern Free State around the third week of November may be the closest you will get to this delectable dainty … Continued

Horses on a Free State Farm

“Horses on a Free State Farm” was sent to us by Peter Taylor from Botswana. If horse riding is your thing you might want to combine your holiday in South Africa with horse riding. The Free State with its wide open spaces and fantastic scenery is an ideal place to do just this. See our suggestions on where to go horse riding in South Africa or Free State Horse riding if you are looking for things to do on your next holiday … Continued

Shout-out to all mountain bike enthusiasts

Aldam Lion Man

This is a shout-out to all mountain bike enthusiasts!!  Get out your cycling gear and start practicing because the 3rd Annual Aldam Lion Man Mountain Bike Race will take place on 12 September 2009.

The first Lion Man Mountain Bike race was held at Mabalingwe Nature Reserve in Limpopo 9 years ago. The race has grown from under a 100 cyclists partaking in the event in 2001 to a very exclusive race that now allows a maximum of 1600 cyclists.  This race is now rated as one of the Top mountain bike races in the country … Continued

Discovering Free State

At first glance, the Free State may not seem like the ideal choice of holiday destination. For one it is landlocked and has an economy based on agriculture and large-scale mining – which can lead to some pretty bland scenery. The Free State is, however, starting to emerge as a holiday destination with towns like Clarens patricularly gaining in popularity.

Free State Landscape

This small town, situated in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains in the East of the province, has firmly established itself as a trendy destination and offers fine dining, arts and crafts, trout fishing, and outdoor activities. This, together with its small town charm, friendly locals and magnificent scenery has made it into a prime artistic destination the town has become a haven for artists with a growing community of famous residents. Continued