Road Trippers

road tripping on Rout 62

WHAT'S THE ART OF A ROAD TRIP ? TO NOT OVERPLAN, TO GO WITH THE FLOW, TO BE OPEN TO THE UNEXPECTED, TO REVEL IN THE NOW.

The lushness of Barrydale is definitely unexpected as you round the bend from the Ronnies Sex Shop side and descend down into the valley from the dry Karoo heights . Van Riebeek street outside the hotel can be awash with clamour and colourful language of the local farm workers on a pay day visit to town. But then comes the serenity of an elegant black and white tiled verandah and a barman standing by. And then the joy of the interiors and a welcoming vibe that hardly ever escapes a mention in a Trip Advisor review. You take the art filled eclectic downstairs interiors in. Then up a rickety staircase you go to find a beautiful room. From there it's one long reveal of the various arts of a creatively driven country hotel and the promise of a daily program that begins with a cappuccino fueled swim at dawn in a rock pool on the Tradow Pass. Herewith some snaps in an around the hotel by Barrydale's brilliant analogue photographer Graham Abbott. 

Jo-Anne Richards and Jo-Anne Hitchens running the Art of the Memoir workshops at the Karoo Art Hotel Barrydale road tripping on Rout 62 Karoo Art Hotel Magical mystery tour