Old fashioned jewel - Zara, Jeff and Bean. Date of travel: Oct 2005
Matjiesfontein is a wonderful place stuck in time in the middle of the Karoo. All it is is a train station, and one side of the street, with the fabulous Lord Milner Hotel and a little curio type shop and a few houses, a museum underneath the station that was used as a military hospital and a car museum. We took advantage of the guided tour, which is a treat in itself. You cram onto an ancient double decker bus, and drive from end of the "strip" to the other, while the driver mumbles into a microphone! Do it just for the experience! We were there for a charity function which had pertty much booked out most of the hotel (it was a 1920s themed dress up dinner dance) which fitted the atmosphere perfectly. The dance itself was held in the antique car museum (which includes cabooses of 2 old trains outside) and this added to the magic. It is perfect, however, for a romantic getaway or with a few friends, for something different, yet wonderful.