The Howzzzt quick guide to: Dullstroom
Dullstroom is one of those tourist traps that attracts more locals than foreigners. It’s about three hours out of Johannesburg and Pretoria – close enough to be a weekend escape for Safricans, but a little too out of the way for most tourists. Except the ones who want to fly-fish for trout. Dullstroom is smack in the middle of the only real fly fishing area in the country (though parts of the Western Cape do pretend to the throne.)
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That, unfortunately, is about all that Dullstroom has to offer. The scenery isn’t bad, so you can do the hiking or horse-riding thing, but frankly there are more spectacular places to do that all over the country. The major attraction, and we ain’t kidding, is the fact that it has the highest railway station in the country (just over 2 000 meters above sea level). So, with a flood of bored housewives abandoned by their fishing husbands and desperately eager to spend money somehow, Dullstroom has been transformed into a cute little shopping village. There is an astounding amount of ugly contemporary art, beadwork and suchlike on sale all over the place. The town also has some unexpected speciality stores, such as one offering nothing but clocks, mostly grandfather clocks.
It also has an incidence of restaurants that is utterly outrageous given the size and location of the town – and here you can find some of the finest trout dishes served anywhere in the world.
We’re not all that into Dullstroom – we bore too easily – but it’s a good place to run away to if you need to get out of the cities but still want to stay somewhere with running water, underfloor heating and satellite television.
Speaking of heating, beware of Dullstroom and surrounds in the winter. The place gets cold, really, really cold. It is no accident that the town features a fairly large purveyor of ski clothing. Take a scarf, and if you are staying over enquire as to the availability of fire places and electric blankets. If your car’s heater is broken, don’t go.
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Howzzzt recommends: 2Chefs Bistro, Dullstroom
