Bloemfontein (Free State Province) to Vosburg (Northern Cape Province) → 455km (282 miles)

Welcome to our road trip of December 2021. We are travelling by car across South Africa (from the west coast → north coast → KZN south coast → back to the west coast). The distance we will cover, will be around 5,000km (3,106 miles).

Our main purpose for this trip, besides seeing places we have not seen before, is for Berto to scuba dive in Sodwana Bay and then to be a little more adventurous … diving with sharks in the ocean in Umkomaas on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal. We hope to share lots of pictures to show you our beautiful country.

Accommodation – Day 20:

Elvee “LUSH” Accommodation, Vosburg

After our visit to the War Museum of the Boer Republics (you can read about it here), we left Bloemfontein at around 11:30 to drive to our last overnight stop of this trip … has it been three weeks ago that we embarked on this road trip? Well, now it’s time to head back to our beloved West Coast.

The rain of the previous day subsided and it was a hot day on the road

Since we are not travelling too far today, we decided to once again take some of the back roads to avoid the busy highways due to the start of the summer holiday.

A backroad – on our way to Koffiefontein

But yes … of course, backroads are synonym with … potholes! We were now probably on the worst of all the pothole roads we have endured on this road trip! At the very small town of Luckhoff where we filled our car with petrol again, we asked the petrol attendant about the condition of the road. His answer: “Sir, you will have to try and stay on the side of the road, there it’s much better to drive”.

The pothole road close to Luckhoff

On our route, we came to the mighty Orange River, the longest river in Southern Africa with a total length of 2,432km. Because I lived as a child in Alexander Bay on the West Coast where this river is flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, I’m always excited to see the Orange River.

Bridge over the Orange River
The Orange River
The end of the (one lane) bridge

When we crossed the bridge, the road improved immediately. Oh, the wonderful feeling of driving on a tarred road without looking out for potholes!

A tarred road without any “obstacles” (and hardly any traffic)

What we did not anticipate, was a gravel road from Kraankuil to Strydenburg. But it was a great road to drive – between farms with green fields as far as the eyes could see.

It’s always great to drive on gravel roads with our Suzuki Jimny

And then we entered the Northern Cape Province. Somewhere between Britstown and Vosburg we stopped for a brief moment to stretch our legs and just to appreciate our surroundings. After the recent rainfall, the fields are luscious and green.

A long and straight road leading to Vosburg
Green fields after recent rainfall

Elvee “LUSH” Accommodation, Vosburg:

At around 17:00 we arrived in the quaint town of Vosburg. We saw this town for the first time when we filled our car’s petrol tank at the start of our road trip … and just fall in love with this place! It was therefore a no brainer to decide where we would want to sleep on our last night!

We were welcomed like family by Lucius, the owner of Elvee. He showed us around and took us to our room … to say that we were totally blown away, is putting it mildly!

A room where dreams are made of
Ah, another great bath and soft towels with something sweet
The view of the garden from our room
And yet another outside shower – which we loved
The view towards our room on the right

The decorations in the garden is simply amazing. It’s rustic, but yet so beautiful. There is literally something to look at around every little corner.

Decorations in the garden
And more decorations
Our “neighbours”

When we booked our room at Elvee, Lucius phoned us to ask whether he can prepare dinner for us. We gratefully accepted the offer – there is nothing so nice to just sit down for a plate of cooked food after a long day on the road. That is what we call “Karoo hospitality at its best”!

The inside of the small dining area
Again, beautiful decorations on the walls at Elvee
A plate of food that fits the quality of any 5-star restaurant
Lucius and his lovely wife, Lizette

We met other travelers here as well and it was great to eat together while having great conversations. It was with great satisfaction that we went to our room (of course, after using the outside shower – a great way to cool off after a hot day on the road).

The next morning, we enjoyed coffee and rusks outside our room and took one last stroll through the garden, before we packed up to leave.

Early morning coffee in the lovely garden
Another view of our room
Just LOVE this garden

Whenever the opportunity comes again, we will not hesitate to sleep over here at Elvee again. Oh, did I mention there is a beauty spa on the premises … we will definitely have to come back!

But now, it’s time to drive the last 660km (410 miles) back home. What an amazing road trip we had! We discovered beautiful places in our country that we have not seen before, Berto enjoyed super dives in Sodwana and even more thrilling dives with sharks in Umkomaas. We have met so many wonderful people … what an unforgettable trip!

After travelling almost 5,000km (3,106 miles), we’re happy to be back in our hometown, Langebaan

Thank you to our blogging friends for travelling with us, as well as all your lovely comments on this journey. We will see you guys again somewhere on our next adventures.