Diamond T coffee and gift shop, Askham

2ND PLACE

The R360 is the road between Upington and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and there’s more to it than dunes, Dorpers and dry shrubs. Knock on the bright red door of Diamond T in Askham’s main road for Kalahari hospitality and something good to eat. (Clue: It’s milk tart!) This coffee and gift shop is the brainchild of neighbours Johanna du Toit and Cilla du Toit and it’s just the place to load up on goodies for your cool box. Enjoy the cool breeze on the broekielace stoep while a fountain bubbles in the garden, or sit on the back stoep with a view of the dry Kuruman River while the kids play on the jungle gym. The milk tart at Diamond T is made using a family recipe of Cilla’s, but it has a modern twist: It’s a fridge tart served with a delicious crumb crust and a cinnamon stick (R28 per portion). Once you’ve scraped your plate clean, browse the shelves which are packed with home-made goodies like jams, chutneys and preserved olives (from R45). The springbok, mutton and beef pies are also famous – they’ve won plenty of awards at the !Naba Food and Wine Festival (R25 frozen; R35 warmed up). The tub in the bathroom is filled with bath salt mined in the region. Buy some for your mom (R40 for three scoops) or a rag doll for your niece. There’s an information centre on the same premises with lots of ideas for things to see and do in the area. Where? Askham is about 180 km north of Upington on the R360. Diamond T is in the main road. Opening times: Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm; Saturday from 8 am to 1 pm; closed on Sunday. Contact: 054 511 0025; “Diamond T Coffee Shop” on Facebook.