NORTHERN CAPE
Until recently, I would have been just as stumped. If someone had asked me what there was to do around Upington, I probably would have shrugged and replied,“ Well … Augrabies Falls?” Like many people, I’ d always viewed Upington as a place you drove through or flew into on your way somewhere else. Five days later, I was already planning my return.
Somewhere between sipping award-winning brandy beneath vineyard skies, chatting to the woman responsible for growing thousands of South Africa’ s iconic quiver trees, wandering through farm stalls overflowing with homemade treats, soaking up stories from local characters and discovering volcanic mountains I’ d never even heard of, I realised something. The Quiver Tree Route isn’ t simply another scenic drive. It is one of South Africa’ s most underrated travel experiences.
The route, formerly known as the Kokerboom Route, was established in 2008, through the vision of Maxi Compion of De Werf Lodge, Marina Bothma of Koms Quiver Tree Nursery and Johan van Schalkwyk from the Northern Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism. Although it is one of the province’ s smaller scenic routes, it packs an astonishing amount into a relatively compact area.
Whether you fly directly into Upington or arrive by road, don’ t make the mistake of treating the city as your destination. It’ s merely the start of a journey where the unexpected quickly becomes the norm. One thing became obvious almost immediately. Around here, nobody is in a hurry. Five-minute coffee stops somehow evolve into hour-long conversations. A quick browse through a farm stall becomes brunch, followed by homemade gelato and another coffee. A wine tasting turns into an impromptu art lesson. Even asking for directions often results in stories about the family who’ s lived on the farm for generations. It’ s wonderfully refreshing.
My first memorable stop was Bezalel Wine & Brandy Estate, where the Bezuidenhout family has been farming along the fertile Orange River for four generations. Award-winning wines and exceptional potstill brandies might be what attract visitors, but they’ re only part of the experience. The current owner, Martiens Bezuidenhout, originally studied Fine Arts before returning to the family farm. Fortunately, he never abandoned his artistic side. Every single Bezalel wine label has been painted by Martiens himself in delicate watercolours, transforming each bottle into a miniature work of art. If, like me, you’ re the sort of person who appreciates beautiful packaging almost as much as what’ s inside it, consider yourself warned. You’ ll arrive intending to buy a bottle or two and leave convincing yourself you need the entire collection simply because every label deserves framing. I dare you to resist.