Tel/fax:
045 974 9900
Tel/fax:
045 971 0528
email:
43 Graham
Street
The charming town of Barkly East is home to Siskin’s Bed & Breakfast. A century-old rambling home with oregan floors & doors, high ceilings, an old coal stove & fireplace, Siskin’s started life as the original Dopper Kerk Pastorie. Now lovingly restored, it is a spacious, comfortable rest for a traveller’s weary feet. Delicious meals are served by your host (a qualified cordon bleu chef) in the dining room with fireplace and one can quietly relax in the lounge (with TV & DVD) or sunroom. The quaint outbuilding has been converted in to two tastefully decorated en-suite twin rooms (ready in January 2007), and there are 2 beautiful bedrooms in the main house sleeping up to 6, sharing a bathroom. Safe parking on the premises. Chris & Kath Isted have added Siskin’s to their accommodation collection that includes Reedsdell Guest Farm, also in the Barkly East district.
Set in one of the most scenic areas of the Eastern Cape Drakensberg Mountains,
this small town of Barkly East has much to offer.
Excellent trout angling beckons in crystal clear mountain streams that
eventually flow in to the Kraai, a tributary of the Orange River. Barkly East
has a well-stocked town dam, where float-tubing is welcomed & access can be
gained to more than 200km of running water. The area is one of the most
spectacular in South Africa for San Rock Art – trained guides are available to
take you on tours of the protected art. Visit the quaint Barkly East Museum for
a wonderful Bushmen display, as well as a well-documented history of the area
that includes the early settlers of Xhosa, Sesotho, Trekboers & 1820 settlers.
Species such as the Drakensberg Siskin, Yellowbreasted Pipit, Orangebreasted
Rockjumper, Ground Woodpecker & Bearded Vulture make it a birders paradise and
an endless array of wildflowers adds depth to the wealth of features that
fascinate visitors. Serving the surrounding agricultural community (sheep,
cattle, raspberries, fish, dairy & wheat), Barkly East experiences snowfalls in
winter and is a mere 1hr45min drive from South Africa’s only ski resort –
Tiffindell, making it an ideal stopover on your way to or from the resort. Day
drives from Barkly East to Wartrail / New England, Lundeans Nek, Sterkspruit,
Rhodes, Bastervoetpad, Naude’s Nek (third highest pass in the Cape) and the Otto
du Plessis Pass promise the visitor spectacular scenery and views down the
Drakensberg escarpment.
The challenging mountainous terrain makes this area ideal for the plentiful
activities on offer:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Barkly East boasts a 9-hole golf course (also a light aircraft landing strip),
tennis, squash & bowls facilities. There are also 3 restaurants in town as well
as 2 takeaways, a 24hr petrol station, post office, chemist, doctor’s rooms, 3
banks & ATMs and magistrates office.
Annual events in the area include:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Discover this unique part of our country renowned for its unspoilt,
breath-taking scenery & beauty, huge open spaces, dark starry nights, incredible
hospitality, superbly interesting people & much more