S1 - Ep 470 - Clarens, Free State!
Clarens, nestled at the feet of the Maluti Mountains in the Eastern Free State, had long piqued our curiosity with its reputation preceding it. As we arrived amid a gentle rain shower, it set a picturesque tone for our exploration. The allure of this village didn't disappoint. From the charming architecture to the palpable energy of its streets, Clarens exuded a festive charm that was infectious. Surrounded by majestic mountains and lush foliage, the scenery was simply breathtaking, complemented by an array of inviting restaurants and cozy local pubs. Our experience in Clarens was nothing short of fantastic, leaving us with cherished memories of our time spent in this captivating place. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #southafricavlog #travelongravel #Clarens #freestate
Accommodation in this episode was provided by:
Gypsy Life
Shane and Sandy
061-589-8516
sandy@gypsylife.co.za
shane@gypsylife.co.za
Book on www.gypsylife.co.za for a 10% discount.
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Hi my name is Anna byrne and I just want to thank the both of you for truly showing me just how beautiful our country is,,,,,I've often driven past some of these little towns always wondering how it looks like and now because of two wonderful souls I know,,,,am enjoying your videos so much and I'm very grateful to you both,,,and please don't ever stop sharing your wonderful life with me,,,sending lot's of love auntie anna ❤️
Clarens is an absolute jewel. Thank you for sharing. Love it
Of all the places you have shown us Clarens is the most beautiful!!!!!!!
Clarens!!!!! Spoilt for choice in this cute village with its beautiful mountain backdrops. Hard to choose when you are there where to stay, where to eat and where to shop. One of my favorite places in SA. Eastern Free State is gorgeous. Loved my back seat drive back to Clarens Thank you for all your efforts you two are awesome❤❤
What a wonderful and unusual view of Clarens through your eyes and lens! Thank you for portraying our town and our place Gypsy Life in such a wonderful way.
Clarens is so beautiful. I would move there if I could😊😊
Hi guys just when I think I've seen it all CLARENS appears Gypsy caravans mind blowing a mark of my heritage. I have one in my garden for my granddaughters. Accommodation was 5 star .the village with a green in the centre amazing quirky shops bars restaurants in the beautiful scenery surrounded by mountains its definitely up market being so close to Joburg .lovely to see people strolling along relaxed atmosphere and low fences loved the thatched house with the white roses .Curtis I could almost taste that food and beer .thanks for taking me to this jewel of a village and as always thanks for taking me along cheerio till the next one
Hi you two! Thank you for taking me to Clarens. I often used it a my overnight stay in the days I hiked the Golden Gate. It is a beautiful, interesting and artsy town, not for nothing called the" Jewel of Eastern Free State"! See you next time. Keep safe!
I am really enjoying your Free State series. I'm an expat living in New Zealand and longing for home after being away for 25 years and counting. As a big city dweller (Cape Town) I used to have a bit of a cynical view of the Free State - " We know it's there, we just don't know if anybody lives there..." But thanks for taking me on a tour with you and opening my eyes to the beauty and magnificence of the Eastern FS. You may have just shed light on a retirement spot for me one day...in the not too distant future. Thank you Dust Bugs, and keep up the great work!
Epic Trips , I love Clarence
Yes I have also heard such a lot about Clarens, and you have now proved that Clarens is a real beautiful well preserved little town. Thanx for showing us.
Now that is a real " nagosie winkel"..🙃🙏🎶🎶 thank you!!!
Love Clarens ❤️ Gypsy Life Is awesome Wow 👌 The trees in Clarens are so beautiful and the mountains are outstanding magnificent!! The Cosmos were stunning. Thank you 🥰
Fantastic.......bravo ❤
Dear Curtis and Sonia, i thoroughly enjoyed Clarens. Totally bowled over. It has loads more character than i ever imagined! WOW, WOW. You two are the berries.
Absolutely stunning and traquil place. Loved all you showed us. I love the trees and big plots. Thanks well done. Waiting for the next one
Was hoping you would stay over in Clarens. The Gypsy Life blew me away. Shades of my own roots. Love the Roma culture. No Roma would ever have a toilet inside the home, that would be dirty and unhealthy. At 15 children would be married, usually by parental arrangements. Their wagons were a lot smaller and horse drawn. Such a beautiful place to stay and so creative. When I was in my 20s I wanted to stay in Clarens and be an artist. Beautiful little town full of creative people. Love the antiques, except I can remember when they weren't antiques! Now I feel old!
Soos altyd, baie dankie vriende.
What a beautiful, picturesque fairytale village. I now fully understand why Johannesburg-based friends of mine have chosen Clarens as their retirement destination later this year. The village appears to exude a certain calm and tranquility, and a carefree lifestyle. The Gypsy Life guesthouse was the cherry on the cake. Clarens is definitely being added to my bucket list. Thank you for the awesome visitation.
I love Clarens. Beautiful place
That Clarens Craft Beer must have been some beer. The next morning you walked the entire Main Street. Great Documentary. Have watched 15 episodes in 4 days. They are brilliant !!!!!
Hi Curtis Sonia and Dusty, what a charming village Clarens is, filled with many a splendid things, stunning location at the foot of the Malutis, such a fantastic drive ❤ 🥾
I lived in the smallest, cutest cottage in Clarens for most of my 10 years there. I am sorry you did not stumble across it. Sonja, you would have loved it! Thanks for a great video and bringing back some wonderful memories of my time there.
Hi you guys,it would be nice to see your wife.we hear her bubblie laugh, and we love her history account. You guys are a blessing
Oh man so awesome. What to say... Thanks for taking us there. This country is out of this world through the eyes of Dust Bugs. 😊😊❤
I'm.so glad you enjoyed visiting Clarens with us! 🚙🇿🇦
I could easily lie there
My go to town, once the Clarens tranquil catches you, it becomes your regular holiday destination, we can't wait for our next weekend visit in a month
Awesome town and so magnificent! We visit the farm on the way to Golden Gate that is called Sunny-side Guest Farm - a beautiful farm !
Family of ours have a guest house called Lavender en Rust in Clarens…beautiful place.
I spent an entire weekend out there about 2 years ago. Hiked the hills around the town, and the one day that I was hiking I stumbled upon a cow that had just given birth. When I initially saw the cow I was wondering why it was so far away from the rest of the cows, and then I discovered why, when my trail lead me to where the cow was.
Dust bug next to the camera at 18:50 😆
Wow, you have good eyes! 👀🐞 I never even saw that.
@@DustBugsTravel What is it? A vinyl record cleaner?
I also though some kind of cleaner and, it being so long, vinyls would make sense. Super cool! 😎💿 Thank you for pointing that out to us. 👌🏼
you miss the dagga shop...lol
I absolutely love your videos! They showcase our country in such a beautiful light, and I appreciate all the effort you put into taking us on these wonderful journeys. I hope you don't mind me asking, but I've noticed that we never get to see your wife in the videos, even though we hear her. I was curious about why she stays in the car while you explore. Please know that I ask this out of genuine curiosity and mean no disrespect or intrusion. Keep up the fantastic work!
Thank you, I'm very happy to hear you enjoy our videos so much! 🚙😁 I'm totally happy to answer your questions. My wife Sonia isn't keen on being filmed. I'm hoping she'll change her mind one day, but I'll respect her decision until then. 🥰 She has very serious knee issues, so uneven surfaces, stairs / steps and longer distances are difficult for her to navigate. She prefers remaining in the vehicle where it's more comfortable and she can avoid injury.
Thank you 🙏 😇
Close to Clarens is Surrender Hill where Genl Prinsloo surrendered to the British in June 1900 with 4300 Free State burgers.......he lived then cozy in Natal for the duration of the war, [was seen as a traitor] the monument is next to the main road
We stopped at Surrender Hill on our way to the Golden Gate Highlands National Park and included it in Episode 469 . You probably didn't see that one. The parking area was very overgrown, the gate was locked and there was no monument visible to us. 🤷🏻♂️🏛️
You missed the sweet delights at The Purple Onion.
What a beautiful little town. The church garden so well maintained. Simply adored that antique shop.and the view of the sky, trees and the mountains as you drove down the road. I do think you need to explore Clare's again.❤
Yup, we'll definitely visit Clarens again. This time without the camera. We'll just chill and laze around while we admire the incredible natural beauty surrounding the town. ⛰️😍 We have a list of places which we add to as we get to places such as this gorgeous town. Thank you for joining us! 🚙😁