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Glamping at Africamps Klein Karoo

Glamping at Africamps Klein Karoo

I read recently that instead of thinking about solving your whole life, rather just focus on adding additional good things one at a time. And simply let your pile of good things grow. This life advice seemed very easily do-able and I decided to put it into practice immediately.

One of my family’s favourite good things is to go camping and one of my best good things is to spend quality time with my family, so with that in mind I set out to find somewhere to camp for the weekend.

We decided that it was time to explore one of South Africa’s oldest and most loved tourist attractions so our destination of choice was Oudtshoorn and the Cango Caves.

Around the same time as we were searching for somewhere to camp in Oudtshoorn, South Africa braced itself as sub polar air blew up from Antarctica, bringing with it some of the coldest weather ever experienced in our sunny country. All of a sudden camping in the middle of the Karoo in sub zero winter temperatures sounded a bit ominous.

Never one to be easily deterred, I was delighted to find out that Africamps Klein Karoo offers family sized glamping tents complete with inside fireplaces, air conditioning and electric blankets.

Glamping is a luxurious form of camping, mixing all the things we enjoy about being in the wild – being close to nature, sleeping under canvas and sharing stories around a campfire – with the creature comforts of luxury accommodation, like en-suite bathrooms, built in kitchens, plenty of electric lighting and climate control.

The Africamps Experience

Africamps has got this mix absolutely spot on and has taken the South African glamping market by storm – opening 12 boutique camps in breathtaking locations around the country since its inception in 2015. Africamps Klein Karoo, on a farm right on the outskirts of Oudsthoorn was the very first camp to open and it seems fitting that this was our first camp to visit.

Each camp has about 12 tents, and each tent around the country is absolutely identical in its design, layout and furnishings. The tents are perfect for families and sleep up to five people in two bedrooms which share an en-suite bathroom with a shower. The front half of the tent contains a cute kitchenette, dining table and lounge with an indoor fireplace and each tent has a patio with a picnic table, wooden Adirondack chairs to take in the amazing view and of course the South African staple – a built in braai.

Being entirely made of canvas, there are no doors and we zipped open our front walls as soon as we arrived and rolled up the flaps to create a lovely flow from inside to out. We lit our campfire and watched the sun set over the Swartberg mountains in a thousand shades of pink as the boys explored the farm and searched for scorpions under the rocks. As night fell and the Karoo skies started twinkling, the winter chill kicked in and we zipped up our front wall again, lighting the inside fireplace to warm up the dining area for supper and heat the lounge for a highly competitive game of Uno.

Cango Caves

We awoke in the warm cocoon of our electric blankets to the sound of lions roaring at the nearby Cango Wildlife Ranch and after a lovely hot morning shower, headed straight for the Cango Caves. Travelling during Covid times means that everywhere is much emptier than usual, and we were the first car to arrive in a weirdly apocalyptic-like empty multi level parking lot, usually a hive of tourist buses and rented cars.

The Cango Caves was SA’s very first tourist destination and it’s not hard to see why it has been delighting and astounding people from all over the world since its discovery in 1780. As our cave guide led us through a series of four enormous chambers, we marvelled at this underground wonderland of stalactites, stalagmites, pillars and flowstones. When she switched the lights off and we stood in absolute pitch-black darkness, it was easy to imagine being the first person to shine a primitive lantern into these magnificent caverns and be the first to discover something so otherworldly and magical.

It was lovely to be in such a small group and it felt like we had the entire cave system all to ourselves. The smaller parts of the caves are closed due to Covid and although we didn’t get to scramble through any tight tiny passages or the famed Devils’ Chimney and Letterbox, we did manage to spot a couple of hibernating bats and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the parts of the caves that were open to us on the Heritage Tour.

Gamkaberg Nature Reserve

In our opinion, a weekend away is not complete without a hike, so after relaxing on our second evening at Africamps, we decided to head to the nearby Gamkaberg Nature Reserve – a World Heritage Site for its rich biodiversity – that offers multiple day hikes.

We drove West of Oudtshoorn, through kilometer after kilometer of dusty fields full of ostriches, peppered with charming little homesteads with families sitting outside, looking just like those described in Dalene Matthee’s book “Fiela se Kind”.

From afar, the Gamkaberg does not look like much, but as we approached the rolling green mountains the dry valley blossomed into a wonderland of incredible succulents and wild flowers. There are five day hikes on offer and we chose to do the 4.5km Pied Barbet trail which meanders up the rocky Tierkloof valley and celebrates the heritage of the area with interpretive boards along the way on the geology, flora, fauna and fossils in the area.

The trail is extremely well marked and is edged with rocks making it really easy to follow the path. We enjoyed walking the rock labyrinth at the start of the trail and seeing the original bushman rock art on the rocky mountain cliffs. The kloof valley echoed with birdsong and I was delighted to spot the trail’s namesake – a cute little black and white Pied Barbet flitting around the trees ahead of us. This was a thoroughly enjoyable outing and all of us yearned to explore further into this pristine paradise and vowed to return in the future for a multi-day hike deep into the mountains.

Campfire Stories

All too soon, we were sitting around the campfire for our final night. As we reminisced about our Oudtshoorn adventures, we laid plans for our return. There is such an abundance of things to see and do in the area that one weekend was just a tiny taster of the Klein Karoo. Our stay at Africamps has whet our appetite to return to Oudtshoorn, as well as to add visits to the other 11 Africamps around South Africa to our ‘good things’ pile.

Yours in travel

Where to Book

Africamps – rates are from R1990 per tent per night, or book a 3 night special from R2990*

Cango Caves – The Heritage Tour is R190 per adult, tickets are available at the caves*

Gamkaberg Nature Reserve –  Day entry fees are R50 per person*

*Rates are valid as at August 2021

6 Comments
  • Mericia Le Roux says:

    I enjoy reading about your travel adventures very much. We truly live in a beautiful country with so much to see. Thanks for sharing.

  • Liz Terblanche says:

    Hi Sarah, after reading this I’ve just booked for our family at Africamp Klein Karoo 😊 Covid means we can’t do a party for the second year running for my daughter who turns 12 on the 1st September, and I’ve been praying to find something special to do as a family. So, we’re going glamping to celebrate with her instead. Thank you for your inspiring travel blog! 🤩

  • Emma Ellis says:

    It look so fantastic and relaxing. It would have been nice if the glamling was made for people with disabilities. As we are in a wheelchair or somehow disabled abd stairs is difficult to axcess.
    But must say a good thought and a perfect get away
    Thx Emma Ellis

    • Hi Emma
      I checked with Africamps and their tents are not officially wheelchair friendly, however they have had guests stay at certain locations where they managed well and enjoyed their stay.
      If guests have a location in mind, they can contact Africamps direct for further information on 0213005694.
      We have been on quite a few hikes where there are wonderful wheelchair friendly options – I will put together a list for the blog, watch this space 🙂
      Yours in travel
      Sarah

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