Free State Tours

The Free State is a region renowned for its natural beauty, rural farmlands, mountains, goldfields and towns is a haven for the outdoor enthusiast. Some of South Africa's most valued San (Bushman) rock art is found here. The Free State is also home to the most productive gold and diamond mines in the world.

The Free State can be divided into five regions:

	The Thabo Mofutsanyana Region This region comprises of the most beautiful sandstone landscapes.... more		Northern Free State Just an hour from Johannesburg, the region offers game .... more
	Free State Gold Fields The region's attractions centre on the mining of gold and agriculture. Apart.... more		Trans Gariep and Eastern Highlands Region This region stretches from Mossel Bay along the East Coast to the.... more
	South East Region This is the largest fruit and wine producing valley in the Western Cape.... more

The Free State Climate
The Free State has a hot, dry climate with summer rains, cold winters and lots of sunshine.

Some Free State History
During the Great Trek some Voortrekkers moved from the Cape Colony and settled just north of the Orange River, forming the border between the Cape Colony and the rest of South Africa. These pioneers founded many towns and farms but soon came into conflict with the local inhabitants, especially the Basotho, whose nation was founded by Moshoeshoe. In 1854 the Voortrekkers declared the area the Orange Free State - a Boer republic and fought against Moshoeshoe many times, mostly over land ownership. In 1868 the Basotho lost the war asked the British for protection which meant that the Boers could not take over his kingdom. However, it also meant that the British could have control over his land. In 1870, Moshoeshoe died and the British made the kingdom a colony, calling it Basotholand. In 1966 Basotholand became independent and changed its name to Lesotho. When the Second Anglo-Boer War broke the Orange Free State helped fight against the British and in 1902 the Boers lost the war and their republics became British colonies and the Orange Free State was changed to the Orange River Colony. In 1910, it became one of the provinces of the new Union of South Africa, and the name was changed back to the Orange Free State before its final name change to the Free State In June 1995.

Contact us and we will gladly assist you with more information about our Free State tours, or simply click through to the region you wish to find out about.