Johannesburg to Cape Town – Bloemfontein

My home for the night, but I discovered that there’s much more to Bloem than simply a stopover town between Johannesburg and Cape Town. It’s one of the country’s three capital cities, so there’s a wide range of guesthouses and comfortable places to stay, but there is also lots to see.

The Free State Botanical Gardens was my favourite spot. It runs along a valley on the outer edge of town. The perfect green lawns just beg you to take off your shoes and stretch out under a tree for a while. The tree route ambles through the gardens, bringing you to all the different indigenous trees growing here and a scent garden will give your nose a chance to enjoy a bit of stimulation.

The garden also has two walking trails that will take you a little beyond the manicured gardens and into the koppies beyond. I enjoyed the Garden View Trail a lot as you get to climb one of the hills and look out over the entire garden and Bloemfontein from the top. It’s definitely the best way to get active before setting off in the car again.

If you catch Bloemfontein on a rainy day, Loch Logan Shopping is a great place for a meal. I didn’t think that I’d enjoy visiting a shopping centre, but this one sits on the beautiful Lake Logan and most of the restaurants and coffee shops run along a wooden boardwalk that overlooks the lake.

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