Groot Marico lies about 2.5 hours' drive from Gauteng in the middle of malaria-free bushveld and, despite its name, is not big at all. It is described as an out-of-the-way town well known for its beautiful surrounds and a particularly warm style of hospitality.

This is Herman Charles Bosman country - one of South Africa's greatest short story writers - who taught for a time in Groot Marico and managed to encapsulate the typical backveld Afrikaans speech rhythms in his Oom Schalk Lourens stories. His work evokes the Groot Marico of the 1930s.

The fact that Groot Marico still manages with a manual telephone exchange, is famous for its Mampoer (a traditional South African drink) and has only just hooked up to the Internet, is a significant indication that things have not changed much. However the breathtaking scenery, rolling fields of maize, citrus and tobacco and the bushveld plains make Groot Marico an ideal escape from city life. Attractions include the Riekertsdam, the Groot Marico Ramble and the Marico Hiking trail.