Philipstown Accommodation

Philipstown is a small Karoo town situated in South Africa's Northern Cape province. Situated on the R48, it is very much off the beaten track and many people are not even aware of its existence. However, those who do venture into the 'middle of everywhere' (as the town's website calls it) will discover that Philipstown is the epitome of small Karoo town life.

You'll find the town 56 kilometres from De Aar, and 70 kilometres from the N1, the main north-south freeway in South Africa. It really is an out-of-the-way destination, however, the big Karoo skies, starry nights, small shrubs and the myriad people and animals that inhabit this area will make a detour worth it.

The town was named after Sir Philip Edmond Woodhouse who was governor of the Cape Colony in the 1860's when Philipstown was established. It is the agricultural centre of a farming community which is primarily invested in sheep farming - merino and dorper sheep to be specific. In typical South African small town fashion, the streets are dusty and the main businesses in town consist of a farmers' co-operative, a general dealer, which stocks overalls and tools and more, and of course, the prerequisite Chinese shop selling cheap tat and clothes. The charm comes along in the form of the typical Karoo architecture evidenced in many of the houses around town.

If you scratch the surface a bit, you'll discover that the only fuel station in town is, somewhat ironically, a hub for the town's art pieces. You'll also learn that there is an active quilting club which has open days from time to time, and that twice a year researchers descend on the town to monitor the population sizes of large birds like blue cranes.

On the surrounding farms you can experience traditional Karoo hospitality, as well as check out some ancient San rock painting sites, and all this just goes to show that even though Philipstown looks sleepy, there is a lot bubbling away below the surface.

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