Thyme and Again B&B

With true Karoo hospitality, Thyme and Again specifically caters for the disabled and is wheelchair accessible throughout, with roll-in showers. Thyme and Again is centrally situated within walking distance of lovely restaurants and many places of interest. It is not often that you discover a place that offers caring comfort like Thyme and Again. Brenda (a registered nursing sister) and husband Johnnie, with the guidance of The Wheelchair Travel Club, have created a space that provides ease of access for those who, by circumstance, find their options severely limited when it comes to traveling away from home everything is at the correct height, no stairs, awkward passages or narrow doors. There's even an emergency button in every suite.

Area Info

The oldest town in the Eastern Cape, the fourth oldest in South Africa and certainly one of the most atmospheric, Graaff-Reinet lies enclosed by a bend in the Sundays River, overshadowed by the rocky Sneeuberg Mountain within the Camdeboo National Park.

With over 200 buildings claimed as National Monuments and an entire street restored, including its slave cottages, Graaff-Reinet has retained much of the character of a typical 19th century town and is well worth a visit because of it. Known as the "gem of the Karoo", Graaff-Reinet was founded in 1786 by the governor Cornelius Jacob van de Graaff, whose wife's name was Cornelia Reinet. Her namesake - Reinet House - was originally built as a parsonage and is now a museum with one of the largest living grape vines in the world in its garden. This still bears fruit today.

Although Graaff-Reinet is in the heart of the Karoo Heartland with its flat, sandy plains and incredibly hot summers, it is encircled by the Camdeboo Park, which breaks the sandy monotony with its rich greenness and mountains. Within the park are the Nqweba Dam and the Valley of Desolation, providing some of the best examples of the unique jointed pillars formed by dolerites, which rise to heights of 120 metres in places. This 'cathedral of mountains' provides many visitors with an incredible spiritual experience at best and one of environmental awareness at least.

Because of the diverse geography of the area, there is a rich bird and animal life. Within the Camdeboo Conservancy are some 22 farms, providing visitors with a range of accommodation and hikers with some amazing trails. There is trout fishing, horse riding, Graaff-Reinetâ's bird club and the national park is stocked with game. There are also specialised tours in Graaff-Reinet for game viewing, rock art, fossil study, township walkabouts and Boer War monuments. A visit to the area would be incomplete without a visit to the little hamlet of Nieu-Bethesda and the Owl House.

Units and Rooms

Rosemary

Guests: 2

King or twin beds, bathroom with roll-in shower, shower chair and grab rails, living room with small kitchenette. Space for 2 extra mattresses for children in living area or a bed for a carer. Kettle, tea and coffee, TV and Wi-Fi, secure parking.

Origanum

Guests: 2

Wheelchair friendly. Air-conditioned, King or twin beds, bathroom with roll-in shower, TV and Wi-Fi, small kitchenette with fridge, microwave, Kettle, tea and coffee and secure parking at the door.

Sage Room

Guests: 2

Wheelchair friendly. Air-conditioned, King or twin beds, bathroom with roll in shower, TV and Wi-Fi, small kitchenette with fridge, microwave, Kettle, tea and coffee and secure parking at the door.

Thyme (Family Unit)

Guests: 6
Max Adults: 2

Air-conditioned, King or twin bed, 2 single beds and a cot open plan with TV, Wi-Fi, a small kitchenette with fridge, microwave, kettle tea and coffee. A bathroom with a bath and hand shower. Enough space for 2 extra mattresses.