Bloemfontein is sort of the Cinderella city of South Africa. It's stuck out there on the N1 between Cape Town and Johannesburg. It has no Table Mountain, no ocean, and no big-city vibe. And no rush hour traffic, no road rage and no urban sprawl. It's just a nice little city in the middle of the country. The name, Bloemfontein, means Spring of Flowers - a rather pretty name that it does actually live up to. The city is planted with thousands of rose bushes, which makes for a fabulously colourful roadside display. A small nature reserve, strangely enough called Naval Hill, right in the middle of the city carries the green theme a bit further.
Still on the floral and green theme, the Orchid House is a must for lovers of this beautiful plant family, of which South Africa has numerous species, and the Free State Botanical Gardens, on the outskirts of the town, is a real delight. Covering 70ha, large areas have been left in a close to natural state, showing the indigenous vegetation of the area, and creating a habitat for small game. There are lovely walks, a lawn to chill out on, a dam with a bird hide, a restaurant, an environmental education centre and an indigenous plants nursery. The more formal section of the garden includes a medicinal plants display and a garden highlighting water-conserving ways of gardening.
There's the usual smattering of art galleries and some interesting museums, including the War Museum and the National Women's Monument - a poignant reminder if ever there was one of the futility and downright stupidity of war. OK - so Bloemfontein is not exactly the tourist mecca of the universe, but it's a good stopover place if you're driving the N1, and it's probably worth spending a day there if you have the time. There are decent restaurants, some nice pubs and some good live music venues. It's also the closest city to the Kingdom of Lesotho.
Recommended accommodation: Rushoek Lodge
Rushoek Lodge is situated on the Rushoek Estate just outside Bloemfontein in the very private, peaceful and safe Bainsvlei area. The Lodge is well known for its hospitality, friendly service and personal touch. Expect to be treated like family, in other words, if you want privacy its yours and if you would like to party with the family, your also more than welcome. Like with our own family we would like to know what your likes and dislikes are. We can be very formal with our guests if that is what they require, but regular guests are used to the fact that we can go with the flow. There is more than enough rules, regulations and laws in the city and that is why we chose to live outside the city boundaries.
If you would like 5 star accommodation, we can supply on demand, our luxurious cat units will prove to be on international standards. If you would like something that is a little more laid-back, the cottage, although every bit as luxurious, is 200 meter away from the Lodge and there you can do whatever makes you happy. Rushoek can provide backpacker accommodation for a group of carefree students, but Rushoek can, and already did, cater for kings and presidents. We can keep up appearances, but we do enjoy a typical relaxed and homely barbecue with close friends. Rushoek can provide the best conference facilities in the modern and fully-equipped Nordan Chess venue and Rushoek can provide a boma fire, with African dance and a typical through the night Shebeen. American and European guests enjoy the way we bring Western hi tech and African culture together to provide a truly South African experience.
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