Two-Day Itinerary for First Visit to De Hoop Reserve Without Hiking the Whale Trail

There are places visited for their scenery, and others where history is so palpable that a walk along the road feels like a journey to another era. Thomas River is one such place.

Located between Stutterheim and Kartkart in the East Cape, near the N6 highway, this small village can easily go unnoticed if one drives by without knowing its history. There are no large urban attractions or bustling tourist sites advertising their arrival. Instead, one can find an old railway station, stone watchtowers, a small church, and a series of buildings that gently tell the story of a rural community shaped by the railway.

In the modern era, the Old Historic Village of Thomas River is maintained as a heritage and tourism site, but its history began long before curious travelers with cameras arrived. The origin of the river's name has an unpleasant meaning. In 1801, missionary Jan van der Kemp traveled through the area when Thomas Bentley, an English deserter associated with the mission, was killed by an poisoned arrow while crossing the river. After this, the river was named in his honor.

Before Thomas River became a railway settlement, it served as a loading point for wagons transporting goods between the coast. Goods moved along complex routes toward the Kimberley diamond fields and later the Wittersrand gold mines. For travelers making these long journeys by wagon, Thomas River meant more than just points on a map; it was a place to stop, rest, trade, and continue the journey.

The arrival of the railway changed the village's life again. In the late 1870s, Thomas River acquired a railway station on the route between East London and the inland areas. The station became the center of the settlement, connecting what would otherwise have been an isolated farming community to a much wider network of people, goods, and ideas.

Today, it is hard to imagine how significant this was. The original station was situated between four stone military watchtowers built for defense during conflicts on the frontier of that period. Three of these towers are still preserved, including loopholes and heavy wooden doors. The fourth tower was dismantled to make way for a new station, which was built in 1926.

The railway brought more to Thomas River than just passengers. The station transformed the village into a place where agricultural produce could be transported and necessary supplies obtained. A small, self-sufficient community developed around it, including a post office, hotel, school, church, and farm hall. For a village of such a small size, the railway provided its connection to the outside world. And then the railway moved on.

A new station was built in 1926 as the railway infrastructure changed. The original station remained part of the village, but its days as a functioning railway hub drew to a close. A new line opened in 1948, and the last train passed through Thomas River.

Thomas River gradually fell silent after the center of its life—the railway—disappeared. The local general store eventually closed, followed by the post office. The school also disappeared, and the village, once serving a vibrant rural community, was left only with buildings, but with fewer reasons for people to pass through.

This period could have been the end of the story. Fortunately, it was not. In 2002, Jeff and Ann Sansom discovered Thomas River and saw something worth saving in the village, which had become largely abandoned. They acquired several properties and began the painstaking process of restoration. The restoration project was officially formalized in 2003 with the aim of preserving the buildings and collections while giving the village a new start.

What makes Thomas River particularly interesting is that the buildings themselves have become museums of daily life. The former blacksmith shop now houses vintage and classic cars. The old general store has been converted into Ramble Restaurant and Museum Pub, displaying souvenir collections. The former state school has become a library filled with old books, typewriters, and other artifacts from another era. The old wagon depot now stores carts and wagons, and another building has been dedicated to exhibiting petroglyphs and the history of the San people.

It is a place where you can spend more time looking at objects than you planned. An old telephone, a typewriter, a railway signal, or a wagon. None of these items alone are outstanding? But together they give an idea of how much life has changed and how time has passed.

The conservation of Thomas River, of which the village is a part, covers a much broader landscape where nature preservation, outdoor recreation, and heritage intersect. The conservation area spans approximately 31,000 hectares and is jointly managed with neighboring farmers for nature conservation and recreation purposes. Visitors can explore the surrounding landscape through activities such as hiking, mountain biking, birdwatching, fishing, and viewing petroglyphs. According to the Amalati Municipality, over 150 species of birds are registered in this area.

This means that Thomas River is perfect for slow-paced relaxation. The most appealing aspect of Thomas River is that it offers the opportunity to stay directly in the buildings you came to study. The station house and the station master's house have been converted into self-catering accommodation overlooking the village. Accommodation is also available in a restored former cowshed, and the old post office has been adapted for a rustic backpacker stay.

Instead of arriving, looking around, and leaving, you can wake up in the middle of history. There is something wonderfully simple about that. The village is small enough to explore on foot, and the surrounding conservation area provides enough space to immerse oneself in the landscape.

Thomas River is not a railway town in the traditional sense, and that is what makes it so intriguing. The railway is gone, but its remnants remain in the village that grew around it, and which should have found another reason to continue existing when the line departed.

The revival of Thomas River is not about completely recreating the past, but about refusing to let the past completely disappear. Perhaps that is the most compelling reason to take the detour.

People from South Africa often consider themselves mountain experts because their country features places like Drakensberg, Cederberg, and the Cape Fold Mountains, along with numerous dirt roads that make a road trip incomplete without dust on the car. They are well aware of how quickly the weather changes, how much water to carry, and that even a hike that seems easy on a map can make you doubt your choice mid-ascent.

However, when you venture into hiking in Norway, the situation changes drastically: fjords open up below, peaks are covered in snow, waterfalls crash off cliffs, and mountain roads are designed to make you stop every five minutes.

For South Africans who enjoy hiking, driving, and outdoor activities, Western Norway presents an ideal option. You can spend the morning conquering a mountain road, go hiking in the hills during the day, and stay in a fjord cabin in the evening. Essentially, it is the highest level of nature road tripping, only with significantly more waterfalls.

A good starting point is Ålesund, as it is very quick to reach the mountains from the city. The Sunnmøre Alps rise majestically around the fjords, and Hjørundfjord offers scenery that seems underrepresented. It possesses the classic Norwegian combination of deep blue water, steep green mountains, and small settlements nestled in the landscape. This is where the real adventure of the road trip begins.

For South Africans, driving in Norway might feel strangely familiar: there are winding mountain roads, gravel sections, and many opportunities to choose a scenic route. However, there is an important difference for those accustomed to 4x4 style: in Norway, you cannot simply drive off the road and venture into the wilderness. Off-road driving in nature is restricted, so the adventure lies in exploring accessible roads and then hiking.

And frankly, after parking, you won't be bored of places to explore. If you have hiked in the Drakensberg, you will immediately recognize the appeal of the Sunnmøre Alps. There is the same feeling of being surrounded by large mountains, but here the mountains abruptly drop into the fjords rather than gradually transitioning into valleys.

Norway is also excellently equipped for hikers. Trails are often marked and equipped with signs, and red 'T' signs from the Norwegian Trekking Association are widely used on hiking routes. Furthermore, the tradition of free access to nature grants people broad rights to uncultivated land, although local rules and restrictions should be remembered.

But one must not assume that a well-marked trail automatically means an easy hike. The weather in the Norwegian mountains can change rapidly, even in summer. A sunny morning can suddenly become cold, wet, and windy, especially at higher altitudes. If you are used to checking the forecast before hiking in Cederberg or Drakensberg, keep doing it here too.

The golden rule is simple: know your route, know the weather, and don't hesitate to turn back. From Hjørundfjord, head towards Geiranger. Geiranger is one of Norway's most famous destinations, and yes, it can be crowded. But once you get behind the wheel, you will quickly understand why it became famous: the roads climb through the mountains, the scenery constantly changes, and there are viewpoints where you will almost certainly take out your camera.

The secret is not to rush. One of the advantages of traveling through Norway by car is that the journey itself can become part of the adventure. Stop for a short walk. Find a viewpoint. Have lunch by the fjord. Choose a slower road if possible. It is somewhat similar to a South African road trip, except that instead of stopping for biltong or at a farm stall, you can stop by a waterfall.

Trollstigen is probably one of those roads you've seen on Instagram. The famous hairpin bends dramatically ascend through mountains surrounded by waterfalls and huge rock formations. But don't just drive past—take a photo and move on. Use Trollstigen as a gateway to the Romsdalen and Åndalsnes regions, one of the best bases for mountain adventures in Norway. Here you can significantly increase the difficulty of the hike. Routes like Romsdalseggen offer a serious day in the mountains with stunning views of the valley and surrounding peaks.

It is important for South Africans to remember that distance does not tell the whole story. A 10-kilometer hike in Norway is not necessarily comparable to a 10-kilometer hike in the Cape. Altitude gain, rocky terrain, exposure, and weather are what matter. The same applies to a route that looks perfectly manageable on a map. In other words, do not leave common sense at the trailhead.

One thing I particularly like about hiking in Norway is that you don't necessarily have to finish the hike and immediately return to the car. Norway has a long-standing culture of cabins, where mountain refuges and lodges allow tourists to spend several days traveling through the mountains. For South Africans, this is a different approach to hiking: they tend to plan around a specific trail, peak, or campsite. In Norway, the mountains themselves can become the journey.

Camping is another option. Norway's free access rules allow pitching tents on a large number of uncultivated lands under certain conditions, although restrictions vary, and a responsible approach to camping is expected. As a result, it is a country where spending several days in nature is considered a completely normal occurrence.

Continuing towards Strynefjell, you will notice another change in the landscape. Green valleys and fjords give way to a more open alpine environment. There are wide plateaus, rocky peaks, and snowfields, and roads wind through landscapes that seem almost otherworldly. Eventually, you can head towards Jotunheimen, home to some of Norway's tallest mountains. If the first part of the trip was dedicated to combining sightseeing with hiking, here you can make the hike the main event.

Jotunheimen is a place where you can happily leave your vehicle for several days and just hike. Norway is not necessarily better than South Africa for hiking; it is simply completely different. We have our own magnificent mountain landscapes, from Drakensberg to Cederberg and the high peaks of the Cape. But Norway adds another dimension: fjords, glaciers, snowfields, waterfalls, alpine valleys, and a culture of active recreation that makes planning the entire vacation around time in nature incredibly easy.

This also changes the perception of what an adventurous road trip can be. You don't need to spend days wandering remote 4x4 tracks. Sometimes the adventure is just a winding mountain road. Sometimes it's a gravel pass, a ferry across a fjord, or a trail leading into the mountains. And this is what makes Western Norway such a good choice for active recreation lovers from South Africa. The formula is simple: get to a beautiful place, put on your hiking boots, explore until you are tired, find a place to sleep, and repeat tomorrow. Only this time, there will likely be a waterfall involved. And if there isn't, drive another 10 minutes. There probably will be one.

There are road trips whose goal is the destination itself, and there are those where the journey becomes part of the reason for the trip. The drive from Clerrens to Golden Gate National Park perfectly fits the latter category.

Only 20 kilometers separate the small town of the Free State from the sandstone cliffs of Golden Gate, but this is not a journey to be rushed. Following the R712 road from Clerrens, the landscape begins to transform almost radically: galleries, cafes, and sandstone buildings of the town give way to vast grasslands, rugged mountains, and majestic walls of ochre stone.

This is one of those routes where you will probably stop simply because the view demands it. Clerrens, known as the 'Pearl of the Free State,' is an obvious starting point for this adventure.

The town is surrounded by mountains and is famous for its sandstone architecture, art, crafts, galleries, and restaurants. It is also part of the famous sandstone route of the eastern Free State, where the colors of the rock change dramatically throughout the day, especially early in the morning and late in the evening.

Before setting off, take enough time to enjoy Clerrens itself. Have a hearty breakfast, stroll through the galleries, buy something interesting for the road, and do not rush to view this town merely as a convenient overnight stop before entering the rocky mountains. Because once you leave, the landscape will speak for itself.

From Clerrens, the R712 road leads directly to Golden Gate National Park. The drive to the park is only about 20 km from the town, making it a rare example of an escape where you can transition from coffee and croissants to dramatic mountain scenery in less than half an hour.

And suddenly, you are there. Golden Gate gets its name from how the sun illuminates the park's sandstone cliffs, coloring them in vibrant shades of gold, orange, and red. These cliffs belong to the Clerrens formation, which was formed from sandstone deposited by ancient sand dunes.

Over millions of years, wind, water, and erosion have shaped the sandstone into the cliffs, caves, and unusual formations seen today. Brandwag Buttress is perhaps the most recognizable of these formations, towering over the landscape like an ancient sentinel.

It is here that the road trip begins to feel less like a drive and more like an expedition into another version of the Free State.

The temptation on any road is to keep moving. This time, do not succumb to this temptation. Golden Gate National Park is a destination in itself, offering hiking trails, wildlife, bird watching, scenic drives, as well as geological and cultural heritage to explore.

If you only have a few hours, choose one of the shorter walks instead of trying to see everything. The Mushroom Rock Trail takes about an hour and is classified as an easy walk, while the Echo Ravine Trail leads to a natural chamber carved by wind and water in the sandstone.

There is also the Brandwag Buttress Trail, which takes about an hour, and the longer Vodhaus Peak Trail for those who want to spend more time walking. And if hiking is not for you, just driving through the park is a reason enough to visit. A public road runs through Golden Gate, and the sandstone formations rise easily on both sides.

Don't forget to look around. Golden Gate is home to 54 species of mammals and 256 registered species of birds, so a scenic drive can easily turn into an unexpected wildlife viewing session.

One of the newest reasons to stay in Golden Gate is the Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre. Opened in June 2025, the centre combines the paleontological, archaeological, and geological history of the region with Basotho traditions, including exhibits of fossils, dinosaur eggs, and demonstrations about the region's ancient past, including some surprisingly old dinosaur specimens.

The centre is named after a Sesotho legend of Kgodumodumo, a mythical giant creature said to roam the mountains. It is an interesting reminder that this landscape has always held stories.

Currently, the centre is open daily from 08:00 to 16:00, although it is advisable to check SANParks before your trip for the latest visitor information.

If there is one thing around which to plan your trip, it is definitely the light. The sandstone cliffs of Golden Gate are stunning throughout the day, but at sunset they appear to blaze. Yellow hues deepen into orange and red, and shadows begin to stretch across the valleys. At this moment, the name Golden Gate suddenly gains its full meaning.

To experience this moment, you don't need to do much. Find a safe place to stop, get out of the car, and watch the color of the mountains change. There is something wonderfully simple in that. No route or tourist attraction to tick off a list, just the Maluti Mountains, the sandstone cliffs, and the slow disappearance of the sun.

The beauty of the Clerrens-Golden Gate route is that you don't need a week to appreciate it. A weekend is quite enough to explore the landscape and truly immerse yourself in all the beauty this adventure offers.

Dedicate the first day to exploring Clerrens, and then head to Golden Gate the next morning. Spend the day driving through the park, stopping at viewpoints, taking one of the short trails, and visiting the dinosaur centre. You can stay in the park or nearby, or return to Clerrens in the evening. If you have more time, Golden Gate offers many reasons to stay longer, including horseback riding, bird watching, hunting, and longer hiking trails. There is also the Basotho Cultural Village, which gives insight into the heritage and traditions of the Basotho people. And for those looking for something bolder, Golden Gate's newest attraction is a seven-cable zip line system launched in August 2026.

But you don't have to fill every hour. The freedom to do nothing or to do everything you choose simultaneously is both liberating and incredibly exciting.

The drive from Clerrens to Golden Gate may only be 20 km, but it feels like a much grander escape. And perhaps that is what makes it so extraordinary.

To feel like you have arrived somewhere, you don't need to drive for hours. Sometimes a quiet road, a full tank of gas, a combination of curiosity and adventure, and endless mountains waiting to be explored and admired at the end of the road is enough.