The Eastern Cape is home to 3 National Parks, The Camdeboo National Park & Valley of Desolation is located in Graaff-Reinet which is South Africas 5th eldest town. This town is full of character and historic buildings which gives off a sense of living back in the day. The Recollection Village and Museum is home to a stunning array of vintage cars in immaculate condition! A stop off at this coffee shop & museum takes you back in time with any & every car you can think of.
To enter the Camdeboo National Park costs R50 pp which is definitely worth it! You receive a map with activities, view points, pick nic spots and even 4x4 trails through out the park. We headed straight for the Valley of Desolation which is a road leading you right up the mountain. As you reach the top of the mountain there is a view point overlooking the entire town. After enjoying a birds eye view of the town, the drive to the summit is about 2km to a parking lot. You then walk along a stone path to the edge where you finally see the magnificent Dolorite rocks rising 120meters from the valley floor. The rocks are precariously balanced on top of each other. This rock formation is the product of volcanic and erosive forces of nature that happened 100 million years ago and still stands!
It is definitely worth spending at least a full day in the Camdeboo Park, so pack a picnic for the day and spend a night just outside the town in a stone cottage with a view of the Valley of Desolation in the distance. The Shepherds Tree cottage is a 2 bedroom, self-catering cottage with an indoor fireplace & heater/aircon to keep the entire cottage warm and cosy.
Have a look at our YouTube tour below to get a better feel of the place