Philippolis

Philippolis was established by the London Missionary Society in 1823, making it the oldest settlement in what would become the Free State. It was founded to serve the Griqua people, and Adam Kok II settled here with his community in 1826 as protector of the mission station. The town takes its name from Dr John Philip, the Society's superintendent. The Griqua presence lasted until Adam Kok III led his people on the great trek to Griqualand East in 1861, one of the lesser-told migrations in South African history. What remained was a small Karoo farming settlement that accumulated historical weight quietly over the following century and a half.

The birthplace connection to Laurens van der Post, the writer, explorer, and political advisor to British prime ministers who was also godfather to Prince William, draws visitors with a literary inclination. His ashes are interred in the Van der Post Memorial Garden, designed around the theme of life as a journey. The Sir Laurens van der Post Artist Retreat Centre operates from Philippolis and draws painters, writers, and photographers for residencies. The town also has more historical monuments than any Free State settlement except Bloemfontein and Bethlehem.

The John Varty tiger project at Tiger Canyons, roughly 25 km northwest of town near the Vanderkloof Lake, is one of the more unusual visitor experiences in South Africa. Tigers roam a large fenced Karoo landscape and are viewed from caged vehicles. It is not everyone's idea of conservation, but it exists and people go. The Gariep Dam is a day drive, and witblits distilled locally is available for those who want it.

Philippolis has a bookshop, a gallery, and the kind of slow-burning civic pride that old towns accumulate without trying. The Karoo light and the silence here are the things people describe when they come back.