Heritage tourism is growing, but reaching remote historic sites often involves long, tiring drives. Graaff-Reinet, known as the “jewel of the Karoo” and South Africa’s fourth-oldest town, offers incredible architecture, art and natural beauty. Yet, getting there traditionally required hours on the road from major cities, making it a tough addition for tight travel itineraries.
That barrier no longer exists. Air du Cap recently launched direct charter flights from Cape Town to Graaff-Reinet, opening the door for quick weekend escapes and easy access to the historic Drostdy Hotel. We sat down with Tebello Polisane-Casper, Executive Director of Drostdy Hotel, to discuss this new flight route, the hotel’s luxury offerings, and what the future holds for Karoo tourism.
Q: The new Air du Cap flight from Cape Winelands Airport cuts travel time to under two hours. How will this direct access change the way travelers plan their trips to the Karoo?
A: Graaff-Reinet has always been worth the journey. The truth is that a nine-hour road trip from Cape Town, however beautiful, simply doesn’t fit most people’s schedules anymore. Travel time of under two hours changes the entire conversation – and of course the possibilities! We’re now a genuine weekend destination rather than a once-in-a-decade road trip. What that means is that guests arrive rested, with more time to actually experience the town, Camdeboo National Park, the food and the history and heritage. We’ve also seen it open the door for Johannesburg-based guests who fly into Cape Winelands and connect that way. The Karoo was never difficult to love – it was simply difficult to fit into modern travel schedules, and that distinction matters enormously in how people plan.
Q: Drostdy Hotel is a beautifully restored 1805 Cape Dutch residence. How do you balance preserving that deep historical significance with providing modern five-star comfort?
A: The building sets the scene, and we work within its terms. You don’t modernise a structure like this by imposing on it. Every renovation decision we make starts with the question of what the building needs, not what a five-star checklist requires. The thick walls, the courtyards, and the scale of the rooms are all what make what we offer so unique and so special. What we layer in – the spa, the food programme, the service – has to feel like it belongs here rather than being transplanted from a city hotel. Guests aren’t coming for a generic luxury experience. They’re coming because this place is specific, and our job is to protect that specificity.
Q: Graaff-Reinet features over 220 heritage sites, Karoo Origins – The Fossil Centre, and the Valley of Desolation. Which local experience do you think surprises first-time visitors the most?
A: Without question, the Valley of Desolation at dawn. People arrive expecting a scenic viewpoint and leave having experienced something that is genuinely difficult to describe. The dolerite columns, the silence, the scale of the Karoo basin below you – it recalibrates your sense of where you are in the world. The fossil centre surprises a different kind of visitor, those who didn’t realise this region sits on one of the richest Permian fossil records on earth. We’re talking about creatures that predate the dinosaurs. That tends to shift how people think about what they’re standing on when they walk through town.
Q: The hotel operates as a training hub for the SA College for Tourism. Can you tell us more about how this initiative supports young women from marginalized rural communities?
A: The SA College for Tourism programme is one of the most important things this hotel does. We take young women from the surrounding rural communities, many of whom have had very limited access to formal employment pathways, and put them through a structured hospitality training programme at the hotel. They learn every department: housekeeping, front-of-house, food and beverage, and kitchen. The goal is not just to place them in entry-level positions but to give them a foundation for a thriving career in hospitality. For a lot of these women, the hotel is their first real professional environment. We take that seriously. Several graduates are now in supervisory roles, here and at other properties. For us, success isn’t measured by how many people complete the programme, but by how many build lasting careers afterwards.
Q: Between the Africology Spa and the De Camdeboo Restaurant, there is a clear focus on regional elements like Karoo lamb and salt saunas. Why is it so important to source locally when building a hospitality brand today?
A: Because authenticity matters. If you’re offering a Karoo experience and the lamb on the plate was raised in another province, or the products in the spa have no connection to this landscape, you’re performing a place rather than representing it. Karoo lamb is what it is because of this specific semi-arid environment, the fynbos, the herbs, and the mineral content of the soil. The salt sauna draws on the Karoo’s halophytic plant life. These are not marketing decisions but an expression of where we are. Local sourcing also means the currency stays in the region, which matters enormously in a town like Graaff-Reinet where tourism is one of the primary economic engines.
Q: Looking ahead to signature events like the Road to Desolation or Gravel Burn, how will improved flight access support the town’s year-round event calendar?
A: These types of events already attract serious participants, but the logistics of getting here limit who could realistically attend. You need a long weekend – at a minimum – if you’re driving from Cape Town or Johannesburg. Direct air access changes the event window from a long weekend to a standard two-night trip. That opens the calendar significantly. We’re also seeing more interest from corporate groups looking to combine an event experience with a retreat, which wasn’t a realistic option when the travel burden was that high. The flight connection doesn’t just serve leisure guests, it makes Graaff-Reinet viable for event-led tourism at a scale the town hasn’t seen before.
Better access isn’t just good for hotels. It benefits restaurants, museums, guides, artists, retailers and the wider local economy. The more accessible Graaff-Reinet becomes, the more opportunities it creates for everyone who calls this town home. That’s ultimately what makes this development so exciting.
This discussion makes one thing clear: removing travel barriers changes the entire landscape of regional tourism. Direct access turns Graaff-Reinet from a brief road trip stopover into a primary destination. The partnership between Air du Cap and Drostdy Hotel brings high-end comfort to the region while actively supporting local communities through practical training and job creation.
As travelers look for authentic, historic destinations in the coming years, ease of travel will be a major deciding factor. The Karoo is fully prepared for that demand. With direct flights now operational, exploring South Africa’s hidden wonders and luxury retreats has never been easier.
To learn more, visit https://drostdy.co.za/ and https://airducap.com/