Free State

The highlight of The Free State is the Golden Gate National Park, designated a national park not for wildlife, but because of the beauty of the Maluti Mountains and its stripey red sandstone outcrops. From Golden Gate you can drive to the Sentinel car park via Phuthadijhaba, and hike up to the highest plateaus of the Drakensberg, an easier way than starting from a much lower altitude in the Royal Natal National Park. En route to Phuthadijhaba is the worthwhile Basotho Cultural Village. Since Golden Gate is an easy three- to four-hour drive from Johannesburg, it's very accessible, and from here you could do a round trip of the Highlands, taking in Lesotho as well. A fully tarred road runs inside Lesotho's border, mirroring the Highlands route, though quite different in the slices of rural Lesotho life you'll see. Just west of Golden Gate is Clarens, by far the nicest of the string of towns running south along the Lesotho border, with a distinctly arty feel, and some of the country's best riding at Bokpoort Farm. For young travellers, party-goers and ageing hippies the real focus of the region is Rustler's Valley, south of Clarens, where you can ride, hike in the hills or simply hang out on a truly magnificent farm.