One of South Africa's most loved small towns & poorts

De Rust & Meiringspoort, Klein Karoo, Western Cape I’ve often heard that De Rust is one of South Africa’s most loved small towns and wanted to understand why. I’d visited before, always briefly, but recently had the opportunity to spend a bit more time and get a sense of the community. A failed last minute attempt to book a place I’d seen online, called Aardts, meant I arrived with nowhere to stay - Aardts is apparently magic and in great demand. A cold beer and a warm chat with Alyson, at The Grumpy Goat, set the tone for my visit. I then headed to Herrie’s, where I met the owner, Marius and grabbed a bite. With his help, I secured a stay at The Travelling Tortoise, about 6 km outside of town. By the time I had finished my meal, the sun had set and I hadn’t paid attention to the directions that The Travelling Tortoise had kindly given me, but luckily a local farmer, Wynand (I think that was his name), guided me in - if you’re reading this, thank you good sir. My stay in The Travelling Tortoise’s quirky, cool Hobbit styled house, the Hare’s Lair, proved to be exactly what I was looking for. The next morning, stepping out of the circular door revealed a perfect day and classic Karoo beauty. I made my way back into town, where a tasty breakfast at Pluim followed. Stepping into the shop next door led to a conversation with 18 year old Chrismarie, who shared more about life, in the town, from a young adult’s point of view. That was followed by a wander through Mooi Karoo and Freeda Scheman Handmade. Then it was back to Herrie’s, where Marius shared insights on the community and doing business in a small town (not sure if he also wears another hat as a philosopher - very interesting conversation). Herrie’s is a pub and restaurant, but also has a type of supermarket section where I met Bianca, behind the coffee machine. She told me a bit about life as a young family in the Karoo dorpie. After that, I made my way across the road to chat to another Bianca at the Route 62 Wine Shop, who told me there was yet another Bianca! Then I met Nico at the Rooi Donki, a former geoscientist, who added to the story. I tried to chat to someone at Hotel De Rust, but didn’t win - an excuse to come back. It looks to have been lovingly restored to a former glory? Maybe someone reading this post can tell us more. All along the way I was taking pics and videoing the people I chatted to - with their consent, of course. Some were nervous at first, but all were informative and helpful. If I tag those interviews here my reach will be hindered, so hopefully you know where to find them - if not, watch for guidance in the comments. Tips from my stay (let us know yours in the comments) Stay - The Travelling TortoiseEat - Breakfast at Pluim, dinner at Herrie’sDrink - Beer at The Grumpy Goat, coffee at The Rooi DonkiSee & Do - Meiringspoort, Donkey Sanctuary, Route 62 Wine Shop, drive around town, stop at the museum