How It Started
We fell in love with Riemblaar in July of 2023. At the time it was known as 'Kopbeenskloof'. From the moment we set foot on the land, the staggering mountain views, the rare Fynbos, and the vast, unhurried silence quietly captivated us. It reminded us of a beloved trip to the Richtersveld, where total quiet and wide open spaces have a way of stilling something in you.
Having spent most of our lives in Johannesburg, family escapes to the bush were always something we cherished. After moving to Cape Town, we found ourselves longing for that same sense of wildness — the sounds and smells of Botswana or the open skies of the Northern Cape. The question became: why not find our own piece of it, closer to home? That question led us to the Klein Karoo, and eventually, to Riemblaar.
The farm we bought was rough and overgrown, but the vision was clear. We began a process of rewilding — removing non-endemic plant species, taking down internal fences, and erecting a game fence along the perimeter. We then reintroduced animals that once roamed freely here: Gemsbok, Eland, Bontebok, Black Wildebeest, and Springbok. The reserve takes its name from the Riemblaar Sugarbush — Protea lorifolia — a keystone Fynbos species native to these mountains, and a glorious symbol of what we are working to restore.
Building the two Mountain Retreats was the final piece. We wanted guests to experience the rugged beauty of the Karoo without sacrificing comfort — large windows framing the mountains, outdoor showers, a wood-fired hot tub beneath the stars, and spaces that are meant to be shared with loved ones. Whether guests come to hike, trail run, mountain bike, stargaze, or simply sit still and breathe, our hope is that Riemblaar offers them what it has always offered us: the joy of being truly present in nature.
- Johan & Karen Kritzinger
Wildlife
Riemblaar is home to a rich and varied community of wildlife, all indigenous to the Klein Karoo. We introduce only regional species, allowing the reserve to function as a naturally balanced ecosystem where animals roam freely across the landscape.
Your most likely sightings are the larger game herds — Gemsbok, Bontebok, Eland, Black Wildebeest, and Springbok are a regular presence on the reserve, along with troops of Baboon and the ever-watchful Dassie on the rocky outcrops. With patience and a little luck, you may also encounter some of the more elusive residents: Grey Rhebuck or a Klipspringer picking their way across the cliffs, a shy Duiker in the scrub, or the ghostly silhouette of a Caracal at dusk.
The smaller world of Riemblaar is just as rewarding. Raptors and waterbirds circle overhead, tortoises move unhurriedly through the Renosterveld, and as night falls, the Karoo comes alive with frogs, insects, and the distant bark of a Black-Backed Jackal. For those who take the time to look closely, there is always something to find.
Flora
Riemblaar's three dominant vegetation types — Matjiesfontein Shale Renosterveld, North Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos, and South Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos — give way in the northern reaches of the property to a fascinating transitional zone.
Along the valley floor and lower slopes, the flora shifts toward Succulent Karoo species: dwarf succulents, vygies, and stonecrops that have evolved remarkable strategies for surviving in an arid environment, storing water in their fleshy leaves and flowering brilliantly after rain. The Klein Karoo is recognised as one of the world's great centres of succulent plant diversity and this corner of the reserve offers a quiet but striking example of why.
It is a landscape that rewards the curious — where Fynbos and Karoo meet, the botanical variety underfoot is extraordinary, and the interplay between these vegetation types is part of what makes Riemblaar such a botanically rich and ecologically significant place.