Set in South Africa’s mystical Great Karoo, Graaff-Reinet is known for the Valley of Desolation and a number of malaria-free private farms and Big Five game reserves, including Samara Karoo Reserve and Mount Camdeboo. Dubbed the ‘Land of the Thirst’ it’s been left untouched for millions of years, so it’s no surprise that a new fossil museum called Karoo Origins will soon showcase one of the largest private collections of fossils in the world, revealing life as it was pre-dinosaurs. Today, travellers-in-the-know cherish this unspoilt land of wide-open skies known for its ancient Shepherd’s Trees, succulents and cheetah.