Rhodes Caravan Park — Village Campsite at the Foot of Naudé’s Nek

Rhodes is a tiny Victorian-era village tucked into the southern Drakensberg foothills, and the caravan park here is the simple, no-frills basecamp for anyone running Naudé’s Nek. Expect a grassy municipal-style site with basic ablutions. It’s a short walk to the pub, the local stoeps and the stone-and-tin streets. This is the place to sort out your kit, share a fire-side beer with the locals and get your head right before climbing South Africa’s highest gravel pass. Winters are cold and frosty at this altitude, and snow can close the passes. Summer brings afternoon thunderstorms.

Getting here means gravel. The roads in from Barkly East and Elliot are dirt and can get slick or washboarded after rain, though a careful driver in a regular vehicle can usually manage in dry conditions. Fuel and supplies are limited in Rhodes, so top up in Barkly East or Elliot before you commit. Facilities, rates and booking details change, so call the village office or a local guesthouse to verify before you roll in. Cell coverage is patchy.

Village camp at the foot of Naudé's Nek