The Free State is definitely the home of unusual wildlife experiences. Bloemfontein boasts one of the most unique reserves in the world – a wildlife reserve surrounded by a city. The 250ha Franklin Game Reserve offers wildlife, including giraffe and wildebeest, and great city views.

For another unique experience, visit the Moolmanshoek Game Reserve in the Moolmanshoek Valley. Here visitors can spend a few hours in the company of a colony of meerkats. The reserve is also rich in plains game, including springbok, zebra, the rare black wildebeest, blesbok and ostrich, and is home to 230 bird species.

The spectacular Golden Gate Highlands National Park is great for game viewing and birding. Here visitors will find black wildebeest, eland, blesbok, oribi, springbok, Burchell’s zebra and baboons. There are also over 170 bird species.

Visitors may also be interested in the Cheetah Experience in Bloemfontein, a 10ha sanctuary started in an effort to help save these animals from extinction. The sanctuary is also home to leopard and lions.

American gangster Al Capone allegedly used to favour wearing blue-white diamonds from the Free State diamond mining town of Jagersfontein above all other jewels.