In gearing up for #TourismMonth, South African Tourism (SAT) hosted journalists and bloggers from across the country to experience #FreeState, through a 4 – day stay within the province to explore and have adventurous activities!
We kicked off the trip from SAT offices to get prepared and also divided into 3 – groups which were all going to end up in #FreeState but using different routes to get there and loads of activities along the way. Road – trips are a great way to bond and create new memories with family and loved ones and to travel around SA with its great views and scenery, what other best way to do a #ShotLeft with the most?!
Here is what went down in #FreeState
For a good #Shotleft, all you need is a full tank of petrol, a booking at a B&B, Hotel or lodge and a good plan of activities to do, some good music on the playlist and you are sorted. So in that spirit, we hopped on into our shuttle and made way to explore #FreeState. It was like a party from the beginning to the end! We had the greatest driver who played all the great music – our shuttle was like a club with a great DJ – thank you, Christopher, for being amazing.
We spent the most of day 1 – travelling and marvelling at the beauty of #TheGoldenGate Route – the rolling hills and mountains.
Due to the long travelling – we couldn’t do any of the activities planned for the day which included the visiting the #WhisperingCaves – so upon our arrival, we had a late lunch at The Basotho Village. Mugodu, trotters, samp, steamed bread, ginger beer and umqombothi that’s just some of the few things that were on the African Cuisine menu…Loved me some trotters – Yum!!
We watched the sun as it went down – sunsets are beautiful! After a few minutes of watching the sun – we made our way to the simple but yet beautiful #GoldenGateHotel and called it a night after dinner – fatigue had me big time!
Day 2 – Began swiftly as we started by saddling up and riding on them ponies!
Yasss man 
! Lumko all saddled it up and ready to ride on…
If you ever find yourself in the #FreeState do insist on a horse ride through the Golden Gate National Park – the beauty will have you in awe. This was the highlight of my whole #FreeState Experience.
After the beautiful experience on horseback – we went to Clarens Xtreme for some extreme activities. Here #TheSquadWithTheMost – from left Desiree (Citizen Connect), Molefe (Drum Magazine), Lumko (Urban Brew Studios), Busi (Capricon FM) and Sthadwa (Ukhozi FM) *not the best pic – midday sun will never allow you to prosper*
While we prepared for quad biking, the other team went for their adventure of river rafting and we learned later that one of the boats capsized – but all the team members were safe *none of them mentioned any of it as being fun*! Lol, which made me grateful for my choice to keep it on the ground on this trip…
Sthandwa Nzuza from Ukhozi FM gearing up for a fun ride!!!
And we did what we went to ‘Clarens Xtreme’ to do, accelerate and chase the adrenaline like a Rockstar…Fun times, hell yeah!
We then chased the sunset overlooking the picturesque landscape of Free State and the Maluti Mountains – every sunset has its own story – under this particular one, I was happy to be in the Free State!
We just had to try this – #LevelsOfPatriotism, when you think you’ve seen it all and the #FreeState happens, the realisation of the best that all provinces have a lot of experiences to offer no matter how small or big!
After the long and tiresome day full of great activities – we had our dinner under the South African sky with a bonfire going on – a great time to bond and reflect on anything and everything!
Day 3 – We visited Ficksburg and the name of the place is the one above, the place sells all things rustic from recycled materials.
Photo frames – any takers? After seeing a bit of Ficksburg – we went to our accommodation at St Augustine’s where we were told stories about the Prophetess Mantsopa, we saw her grave and a cave where she used to do her consultations as well as the well where people from all walks of life would go fetch water and then bring it back to the Prophetess to pray for it for any of their requests – from ailments, job promotions, wealth, health etc.
Day 4 – We spent most of day travelling from where we stayed overnight, to Gariep Forever Resort situated on the banks of Gariep Dam in the Free State Province, where Minister of South African Tourism, Derek Hanekom was going to deliver his speech at a gala dinner and formally launch tourism month under the campaign ‘’Tourism for all; Promoting Universal Accessibility’’.
South African Tourism Minister – Derek Hanekom as part of his speech at the media launch, the minister said the following… “Today we are driving the message that regardless of who you are, where you come from, or your physical or financial status – tourism is something open to be enjoyed by everyone. All South Africans deserve to experience the wonderful country we live in and have access to important sites that commemorate and celebrate our heritage and diverse cultures. The growth of domestic tourism depends on our ability to make our tourist attractions and facilities accessible and affordable for more of our people, and to improve our communication of the joy and value that travel brings. Let us continue working together and with the industry to ensure that travel is affordable and accessible so that our people can take leisure breaks whenever they feel like it throughout the year”.
As we gear up for the beginning of tourism month, I hope you have a little beacation, family vacation or just a nice road trip with your friends to discover and explore any province in SA. The only way our tourism is going to thrive and make an impact on our economy is if we travel around SA – spread the word about the places we’ve been to so that a lot more people can start exploring South Africa, not just to visit family but for leisure. Rea leboga Free State and South African Tourism for hosting us!
So where’s your next #Shotleft? Where have you been in SA that has taken your breath away and you can’t stop telling people about? Let’s share!
By Zintle Daraza
@ZDaraza