1 / 5 - One review
How to get there
3hrs 45 mins from Johennesburg by car
When to go
In spring and autumn when it's not too hot
Minimum stay
One day
Bloemfontein (South Africa)
©
Nathan Hughes Hamilton
Practical information on Bloemfontein
Reviews of Bloemfontein
This fairly important town at the centre of the country is the entry point to nearby Lesotho. Few tourists stopover here, even when taking a break between Johannesburg and Cape Town.
My suggestion:
The hotels are expensive and there's not much to do here. If you can, pass directly by Lesotho to stopover in Manzini.
My review
Bloemfontein is the capital of the Free State, a white, conservative state where, frankly, racism against the black population is still present, despite the end of apartheid. I felt very ill at ease in such a racially divided environment. I didn't like the vibe of this city at all: large, not very pretty, crushed under the dust and the heat. One feels a little as though they are in the African far west with white cowboys and their black farm employees.
Furthermore, there's nothing special to do in Bloemfontein apart from the National Museum which is in fact a museum of natural sciences. I preferred the nearby mountains of Lesotho where the Golden Gate National Park is located which has some of the prettiest landscapes.
©
Nathan Hughes Hamilton
111 travelers' photos
