Oppistoep Guest House, Philippolis

Oppistoep's hospitality has been sampled by many local celebrities, including Lucia van der Post, Lochner de Kock, Richard van der Westhuizen, Ruda Landman and other members of the Carte Blanche team, Franci Swanepoel, Kurt Darren, Dozi, Stef Kruger, Richard Cutler and Sewende Laan actors Connie and Petra. Philippolis has seen a positive side of the re-routing of the N1 in 1972, serious crime is very rare, property is affordable, national monuments (the most in the Free State after Bloemfontein and Bethlehem) have remained protected. You can switch off in Philippolis with its tree-lined dirt roads and simple Karoo-style cottages. On surrounding erven you'll find springbokkies, horses, diverse birds life, peacocks, cows, sheep etc. Philippolis was founded in 1823. As the oldest settlement in the Free State, it boasts a rich and colourful history. Among the attractions are the imposing Dutch Reformed church, quaint shops, a museum, Adam Kok's home and kraal, Kruithuis (gunpowder house), Sir Laurence van der Post's recreated study and memorial garden and Emily Hobhouse's first weaving and spinning school. The surrounding countryside is as flat as only the Free State can be, with koppies interrupting the horizon every now and then. Occasional breathtaking rocky outcrops and natural grazing veld provide an authentic Karoo farming landscape and at night, the stars seem close enough to touch in the ink-black sky. While in the area, visitors usually also visit the Gariep Dam and Van Der Kloof dams, the Orange River and several nature reserves located close by.