Bushbaby Lodge

#BushbabyLodge #camping #thelazycampers Camping R120pp

Location: D49 Rd, Hluhluwe/Duma Zulu, South Africa

Situated in the savanna landscape of the northern section of KwaZulu Natal is a marvellous little bush lodge that offers wide open camping spaces, plenty of shade and wildlife on your doorstep. Bushbaby Lodge is located only 20min from the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve and is a fantastic place to setup up camp.

Getting there

Drive the N2 northbound out of Durban (for about 2-2.5 hours), take the off ramp after the Hluhluwe Total Petrol Station onto the D566 and turn right to go on the bridge over the highway (the road turns to dirt almost immediately but the road is easily accessible by all cars). At the T-junction, you will turn right and then take your first left and very shortly after you have turned you will come across Bushbaby Lodge on your left. Be sure to watch out for game (Giraffe, zebra and impala) while you drive the dirt road, you could have your first game sightings before you even venture into any of the reserves.

The Campsite

Bushbaby lodge offers fabulous campsites, one of the top campsites we have stayed at. The lodge offers two different camping areas but if it is available I recommend that you ask for the campsites near to the game fence and waterhole. The property has zebra, wildebeest, nyala and bushbuck on it. In the evenings the animals come to the watering hole to get water and food and the campsite is right next to the fence. One highlight was getting up in the middle of the night to go to the loo and seeing the zebra and nyala standing near the fence, what a treat to have game-viewing in the middle of the night on your doorstep (or tent-step).

The campsites are very spacious and sport plenty of shade as well as electrical points (you need a caravan plug), there is a communal braai area, communal kitchen with sinks, fridge, drinking water and bathrooms all neat and cleaned daily. The lodge also has a beautiful swimming pool to cool down in on those hot summer days (and they can get very hot!) and a little shop that sells curios and ice-cream (no ice though) and wood by the wheelbarrows (the boys thought this was fantastic). There is also a cozy restaurant where you can order meals.

Things to do

- Walk: take a leisurely walk around the property. Follow the multiple foot paths and do some game viewing by foot. Look out for antelope and birds as well as some of the exciting creepy-crawlies like ant-lions.

- Bushbaby viewing: every night at 7-7:30pm the owners of the lodge feed the bushbabies and you are invited to watch the feeding and meet their wide-eyed visitors. After the feeding the bushbabies make their way home through the campsite and screech and shout in the trees above you making it easy to spot them with a torch. This was a real treat, there are not many places where you can see wild bushbabies up close. -Swim: Bushbaby lodge has a sparkling swimming pool in the centre of their venue which is available to everyone who is staying at the lodge. This was a lifesaver as the temperatures in December were already reaching 30℃ and it was wonderful to be able to cool off in the pool. This kids who were staying at the lodge had a wonderful time playing games in the pool as well.

- Meals at the restaurant: situated near the pool under a majestic tree is the lodge’s intimate restaurant which serves 3 meals a day. We had a lovely breakfast which included eggs and bacon as well as fruit salad, yoghurt and cereal.

- Visit Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve: the reserve is only a 20min drive from Bushbaby Lodge so it is close enough for a day trip. Hluhluwe does not offer camping and so if you are planning to camp then Bushbaby lodge is a great place to set up basecamp and then drive to the park every day. Entrance into the park if you are South African is R105 per person (be sure to have ID documents with you) and well worth it as the park has the Big 5 on offer. We had a beautiful morning driving around the park: we saw vultures, zebra, elephant, a few rhinos, lots of buffalo, and were treated by an up-close-and-personal sighting of 3 lionesses and 1 male lion; so close in fact that we had to roll up our windows so that we did not become lunch.

I highly recommend a stay at Bushbaby Lodge. The venue is beautiful and peaceful, the owners are friendly and welcoming and the food was lovely (breakfast was delicious and dinner smelt fantastic). We thoroughly enjoyed the sightings of the bushbabies, who are so cute, and it was wonderful to have sundowners in our campsite and watch the animals right next to the fence. There are very few places where this type of experience is available and at such a good price.

Mountain Zebra National Park

Camping R138pp

Park size: 284 ㎢ Location: Eastern Cape of South Africa, near Cradock

Tucked away in the Bankberg mountains near Cradock you will find one of the gems of the Eastern Cape, Mountain Zebra National Park. Defined by its savanna habitat and the abundance of the Mountain Zebra, this park is a must see. The beauty of visiting Mountain Zebra National Park is that the park is small enough for you to be able to explore the whole park but still big enough to house a variety of wildlife. The park has 3 distinct habitats: open plains, woodlands and a mountainous area and this makes for great diversity in the scenery of your game drives. Mountain Zebra houses everything from small, cute animals like squirrels to large, powerful game such as buffalo; large cats may also be on the menu so keep an eye out for Lion, Leopard and Cheetah. Getting there Drive through Cradock on the N10, take the turnoff onto the R61 out of Cradock and then follow the SAN Parks signs to the park. The road will become dirt but it is easily accessible by all vehicles. Drive through the park gates and follow the road to reception, which is only a few kilometers down the road, here you will find the campsite as well as the chalets. If you are staying any of the remote accommodation I assume you will still need to check in at reception before moving on to your alternate accommodation. The Campsite The campsite was lovely: there is a walk up the mountain that starts at the campsite which has a great view. The campsite itself offers plenty of shade and lots of bird life: the whitebrowed sparrow-weavers and the Pied Starlings came so close you could almost touch them, which was great because we had a 15 month old toddler with us who was captivated by all the birds. The ablutions are positioned well in the centre of the camping area and are easily accessible from all campsites. There is a large kitchen with sinks for doing dishes, and has a fridge and deep freeze, there is also a laundry room in case you need to do some washing.

Season temperatures can be quite extreme: make sure in summer that you have lots of suncream and liquids to keep you hydrated; but in winter the park is cold so make sure that you are prepared with warm garments. We camped in September and the few nights we spent camping where very different from each other: the first 2 nights were freezing and reached temperatures around zero, however, on the third night we found ourselves peeling layers off as the temperature was nowhere near freezing. Rather be safe that sorry, camping when you are very cold is not such a great experience.

1. Huddling round the campfire to keep warm. 2. Campsite at Sunset

Things to do - Walk up the hill: there is a short walk to the top of the hill that starts in the campsite. It is a great way to get outside and get a great view of your surroundings. The walk is not very long and suitable for all fitness types. - Self-drive game drives: Most of our game drives were not very fruitful in terms of big game but we did see quite a bit of springbok, wildebeest and zebra. Ordinarily this would have been disappointing, however, most of our game driving was done with a toddler which changed the game viewing experience. He was so excited to see every animal that we got excited too. It is fantastic that a little person seeing these things for the first time can be as excited to see a squirrel as he was to see the secretary bird flying in front of the car. Some highlights to our game drives were: * watching two Gabar Goshawks hunting a Greater Double-collared Sunbird. The sunbird was so quick, darting in and out of the acacia trees, keeping itself protected deep within the thorns but unfortunately as it darted to the next tree one of the Goshawks managed to catch it. *on one long afternoon drive, not even 5 minutes into our drive, we came across a cheetah with 3 cubs. The sighting was so quick we barely had time to get our cameras out. They crossed the road and were gone, disappeared into the bush alongside the road, not to be seen again. What a fantastic sighting! We thoroughly enjoyed the drives in the park even though we didn’t see as much as we would have liked. Mountain Zebra is a beautiful park with such a variety of landscape that game driving just to see the landscape is as enjoyable as seeking out wildlife.

1. Mountain Zebra 2. View of the Mountains 3. Baby springbok

- Private game drives: Mountain Zebra offers private game drives led by one of the park’s rangers and one of the nice things about the park being smaller is that the game drive vehicles are smaller too which means less people go on the drive and so the drive is a little more personal. They do however, need a minimum of 4 people to do a game drive unless you pay for the extra people. - Meals at the restaurant: located at reception is a sweet little restaurant that serves 3 meals a day. We ate dinner there on one of the nights, as we were too lazy to braai, and the food was lovely and fairly reasonably priced. The restaurant has a bush-lodge feel to it and is not a chain restaurant like in some of the bigger parks. If you live in the Eastern Cape this is a great place to frequent as the proximity makes this an easy holiday destination or weekend getaway. Multiple trips to the park throughout the year would mean that you can experience the park in different growth seasons (depending on the rain), this will also change the wildlife and bird-life that you will see.

Diepwalle Forest Station

#DiepwalleForestStation #SANParks #camping #thelazycampers

Camping R270 for 4 people Location: Western Cape of South Africa on the Garden route, between Knysna and Plett.

Intimately nestled among the towering trees of the Knysna coastal forest are the camping decks of Diepwalle Forest Station. A tranquil setting where nature lovers can immerse themselves in their surroundings, enjoy the peaceful rustling of the trees and chirping of the birds.

Getting there
Getting to the Diepwalle Forest Station is really easy and although the last few kilometres are dirt road it is easily accessible by any type of vehicle.
- if you are coming from the Port Elizabeth side you will travel on the N2 and a little bit before Knysna you will take a right turn onto the R339.
- If you are coming the Knysna side then just after Knysna you will take a left onto the R339.
- Follow the tar road which will become a dirt road; then follow the Diepwalle (SAN Parks) signs and you should make it there quite easily.
Watch out for animals on the road as well as big logging trucks.

The Campsite
The Diepwalle Forest Decks offer a unique camping experience: all the campsites are elevated on wooden decks and offer deck space for one 4-man tent or two 2-man tents as well as neat braai facilities, electrical points and an undercover counter with stools and under-counter storage. The decks are set into the forest so they are protected from any wind and shaded from the midday sun The ablutions are nearby and offer simple but clean facilities for showering and washing.
One thing to be aware of is the presence of monkeys, so you need to ensure that all your food stuffs are stored safely away.

Things to do - Self-guided forest walks: The forest reserve has quite a few walks that you can do that vary in length and difficulty. All walks begin at reception near to the campsites. We did the 7km red route Elephant walk and wandered through the forest where the trees create a continuous canopy and the floor is covered in mushrooms and mosses. The walk was so peaceful: all we could hear was the wind whispering, the crunching of the leaves under our feed and the birds chattering in the trees; interrupted periodically by the activity at the quarry a little way away.

7km Red Route, Elephant Walk.

 - Museum visit: there is a small museum near reception at the Diepwalle Forest Station. It is worth a half hour of your time to mosey through the small house and learn a little about the area, the local forestry industry and the elephants that used to roam the Knysna forest.

- Birds of Eden & Monkeyland: these two enclosures are spectacular. We spent 4 hours strolling around Birds of Eden and were completely mesmerized by the variety and animation of the aviary. My highlight was the giant fruit bat and the blue duiker. Monkeyland was a lot of fun and the monkeys were very entertaining. Hold onto your loose items though as we did see one of the tourist’s spectacles get stolen by one of the monkeys. *Note: it is cheaper to buy a combo ticket for both places than to buy them separately.

Birds Of Eden

Monkey Land

- Bungee jumping: My husband was brave enough to do the bungee jump at Bloukrans. Once we had paid for his jump (well for him to jump and me to walk out onto the bridge) we had to sit around for 45 minutes, waiting for the next time slot, stewing in our nerves. The walk out onto the bridge is exiting, nerve-racking and really beautiful. Once on the bridge the jamming tunes and the enthusiastic staff get everyone really excited for their jump and they are very efficient. The next thing you know it is your turn, you are clipped in, have had your photo taken and are standing on the edge - 3, 2, 1 Bungee...

Bloukrans Bungee Jumping

There are so many activities to embrace in the Tsitsikamma area but time constraints only allowed us to do a few. Some others that come very highly recommended are: - Knysna Elephant Park - Tenikwa Wildlife Centre - Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours There is so much to do in this area that you could easily spend a week exploring and you would not run out of activities to amaze, excite and enthral you.

The Garden Route/ Tsitsikamma area is absolutely stunning and the Diepwalle Forest Station is a fantastic place for camping, especially if you live between George and Port Elizabeth as it is close enough for a weekend away. Diepwalle Forest Station is the ideal place to escape the bustling concrete jungle for the serenity of the forest and spend some quality time with friends and family.

Tankwa-Karoo National Park

# TankwaKaroo #SANParks #camping #thelazycampers

Camping informal R60pp; formal R148
Park size: 1436 ㎢
Location: Western Cape of South Africa, 70km west of Sutherland

Entrance to Tankwa-Karoo National Park

An expanse of purple flowers greeted us as we entered the Tankwa-Karoo National Park. We gradually and cautiously wound our way down the grand Gannaga Pass as we soaked up the breathtaking view. As we reached the bottom of the pass we were welcomed by the expansive Karoo plains flanked by the majestic Roggeveld Mountains.

Getting there
The drive into the Tankwa-Karoo National Park is absolutely stunning with a vast landscape of sparse vegetation. In the springtime you might be lucky enough to be welcomed by sweeping plains of yellow flower that resemble tiny pompoms. The roads that lead in and out of the Tankwa-Karoo National Park are dirt roads and a good 100km of dirt. The roads have serious rumble strips which makes for a slow and bumpy ride, especially if you are not in a 4X4. We entered Tankwa-Karoo from the Calvinia side and had a 126km 2h10min (according to our GPS) dive on dirt. When we eventually reached reception we were rather rattled and shaken. We left the park towards Sutherland which was another 100km of dirt and took us about 2 hours.  

Ganagga Pass

Campsites

The informal campsites are extremely rustic with little shade and offer very little protection from the wind and sun. The informal campsites are very minimalistic with no ablutions and only a fire pit. Unless you are fully kitted for this kind of camping it can be very challenging and I suggest you rather book into the formal campsites. Our night at the remote campsite was very simple and very exposed with one very naked tree for shade. Due to the strong berg wind we were not able to light a fire (as we did not want to be responsible for setting the Karoo ablaze) and ended up making packet pasta in our car on our tiny gas stove. With nowhere to shelter ourselves from the wind and sand we ate our pasta in the tent.

Informal rustic campsite

The formal campsites are beautiful, they are set in an area of the park where the vegetation is a little higher and thicker and so there is ample shape. Each camp site is allocated its own separate toilet and shower and they are spacious and very homely. In order to get to the formal campsite you need a high clearance vehicle. We made it in our Ford Figo, however, we did hit the bottom of the car a good few times.

Things to do
- Game drives are quiet and peaceful. Do not expect the same volume of game as places like Kruger. We didn’t do a whole lot of game driving as the rumbles strips were quite bad and our poor little Ford Figo was not handling them very well.
- Star-gazing: due to the lack of light pollution the night sky is very bright. We were lucky to be there when the moon was at its smallest and so the sky seemed alive as the stars flickered against the jet black night. Due to the wind we lay in our tent, removed the cover and admired the radiant star-filled sky, shielded from the weather. It was incredibly peaceful and the stars were magnificent and this was truly the highlight of our stay.
- See the flowers in the spring: due to the location of the Karoo the end-of-winter rains bring the blossoming spring flowers and visitors to the park can immerse themselves in the splendor of the colours that spring has to offer.

Things to keep in  mind
There are no fuel stations within the reserve so be sure to fill up before you enter the park.
There is no cell phone reception inside the park so make sure you drive responsibly.
The Karoo temperatures are extreme: winter night time temperatures can drop below freezing and summer days can get into the 40’s. Make sure you are prepared (warm jackets and sunblock).

Late-blooming yellow flowers

On leaving Tankwa-Karoo we drove out of the park and were treated to impressive scattered fields of late-blooming yellow flowers. Leaving the park was very slow as we found ourselves on a long dirt road with quite serious rumble strips. The Tankwa-Karoo is wonderful place to visit and experience but make sure you are well prepared.

Namaqua National Park

#Namaqualand #SANparks #camping #thelazycampers

Camping at Koringkorrelbaai: R135 (for 6 ppl)

Park size: 700 ㎢

Location: on the West coast of South Africa

Flower at Skilpad Restcamp

The Namaqua National Park boasts truly diverse landscapes including scattered fynbos, dense floral carpets and long ocean stretches. Known for the spectacular flowers that bloom in Spring, Namaqualand is the perfect place to escape the bustling city and to take a break from your busy life.

Getting there:

This really depends on where you are trying to go. If you would like to go straight to Skilpad to see that blanketed floral landscape then it is best to take the N7 to Kamieskroon and then follow the SAN Parks signs.

If you have a 4X4 and would like to take the scenic route (which I recommend but it will take a few extra hours) then I suggest you take the road down the Wildeperdhoek Pass (it is absolutely stunning and I think I enjoyed the variety of colour, greens, purples, yellow and white more than the carpet of orange at Skilpad) and join up with the 4X4 track at Soebatsfontien which links up with Skilpad. They will not let you through the gate unless you have a 4X4.

Getting to Koringkorrelbaai… to be honest I have no idea! I think we made it there out for pure luck but one thing I can tell you is that we would have felt a whole lot more confident if we had been in a 4X4 rather than our Ford Figo. The only reason we even attempted the journey was because one of the rangers reckoned that we would probably make it along some of the back roads. Probably became an interesting adventure when we had to drive 90km of gravel and precarious beach sand while chasing the setting sun. As far as I can gather to get to any of the coastal campsites you need to check in at the Groenrivier Entrance and then take the 4X4 trails to your campsite.   

Camp site

We chased the setting sun all the way to the coast which was, all at the same time, nerve racking, exciting and breath-taking. The dirt road opens up into a stunning little bay where the campsite is situated on the coast protected from the crashing waves by the colossal coastal rocks. The campsite is very rustic (no ablutions, no water, no electricity) but has a lovely setup with a fire pit and a little wall to protect the site from the prevailing wind. The entire Koringkorrelbaai campsite only has 5 sites available, 3 pit latrines and no cell phone signal, this is real remote camping and incredibly peaceful and really removes you from real life.

Koringkorrelbaai

Skilpad Restcamp in Namaqua National Park does not have camping facilities, however, their neighbours do. Skilpad Rest camp only has chalets and so if you are looking to camp you will need to book into one of the coastal campsites. All the coastal campsites are off a 4X4 track and a good hour or two from Skilpad. These campsites are well worth the drive, however, and one of the most tranquil places I have ever visited.

Things to do

Namaqua Park - drive around and take in the scenery, take a drive down Wildeperdhoek Pass.

Skilpad - drive around and look at the flowers.

           - take out your camera and take some great pictures

           - Sit at the small restaurant and enjoy the flowers while having a cold one.

Koringkorrelbaai - take a peaceful/ romantic walk up the beach

                          - beach time (sun tanning, beach sports, building sand castles, swimming)

                          - Bird watching in the fynbos

                          - Lizard watching on the rocks in the fynbos

                          - Sundowners on the rocks as the waves crash in front of you

                          - drive the 4X4 track

                          - Visit the nearby places such as Hondeklipbaai

                          - Stargazing at night as there is very little light pollution

1. Flowers at Skilpad 2. Beach at Koringkorrelbaai 3. Sunset at Koringkorrebaai

We did the Namaqua National Park all wrong: wrong entrance to the park, wrong route to the flowers, wrong place for our accommodation, wrong car for the 4X4 Wildeperdhoek Pass and Koringkorrelbaai beach sand and yet it was an amazing experience that I would not change in any way. All these errors in our planning meant that we got to see so much more than if everything had gone to the book. If we had followed our plan we would have missed out on the very scenic and gorgeous Wildeperdhoek Pass as well as the variety of colour that the park has to offer: it is not only the flowers that make this environment as impressive as it is, but also the variety of greens that brighten the landscape from lime green to turquoise and everything in between. If you are looking for a peaceful getaway and are happy to rough-it a little, then you need to treat yourself and visit the coastal campsites of Namaqua National Park.

Augrabies Fall National Park

# AugrabiesFalls #SANparks #camping #thelazycampers

Campsite cost R108pp
Size: 820㎢
Location: Northern Cape, South Africa

Augrabies Falls

The pristine karoo landscape and the pounding of the waterfall greets you as you arrive at the reception of Augrabies Falls National Park.  From the time you arrive you are drawn towards the falls, you find that before you go to your accommodation (camping or chalets) you need to see the falls. The torrenting power of the falls captivates you, keeps you there and washes a kind of serenity over you.

Getting there
To get to Augrabies Falls National Park you can enter the park from the east via Upington (as you are passing Upington look out for the “Khi Solar One (KSO)” which is Africa’s only solar tower - it is quite impressive and very bright) into the Riemvasmaak Community Conservancy. The Conservancy is beautiful and the drive takes you through South Africa’s region of raisins.

The Camp site
The Augrabies Falls campsite is inside the main gate but just outside the park gate. The campsite is quite large with ample shade, however, the day we arrived the temperature was over 30°C and all the large shady sites had already been claimed. Since it was a scorcher of a day that little piece of shade was very important so we drove around a little and managed to find a great spot right next to the grass where the dassies hang out. The site had a concrete work surface and a braai area which was cleaned daily. The ablutions and kitchen facilities are in the centre of the campsite and therefore easily accessible to all sites. Augrabies Falls is a beautiful campsite and is alive with dassies, red-eyed bulbuls and common waxbills. In the early evening, we watched the dassies playing on the grass near our tent and at night we lay in our tent listening to the quiet of the bush and the peaceful cascading of the waterfall in the distance.

Although we were told to be aware of the monkeys and baboons, we underestimated their sneakiness. I had messed water on the floor of the car on our drive in and so I left the front door open to dry the carpet. We were sitting right next to the car and the next thing we knew a monkey dashed into the car, stole a bag of sweets and was gone. Not only was this the only food item that was not in our storage box, the sweets were also hidden under a jersey - sneaky, sneaky! Be very aware of the monkeys and baboons!

Augrabies Fall campsite

Things to do

This first thing that you have to do when you get to Augrabies falls is read the fact boards about the falls: their flood seasons and low seasons and the flora and fauna - it is fascinating. Once you have done that you can take a stroll along the winding wooden walk ways to view the falls. The Falls are majestic and picturesquely set in a deep gorge. The surrounding rocks are covered in brightly coloured lizards scurrying all over the place catching the insects. The river was quite low when we visited but at sunrise you could still feel the light mist of the waterfall tickle your skin. I highly recommend taking your early morning coffee down onto the decks to enjoy the daily unveiling of the falls to a backdrop of gold and orange hues as the sunrises from behind the waterfall.

1. Above the fall looking down the gorge. 2. Lizards on the rocks 3. Rainbow over Augrabies Falls

Self-guided game drives are a great way to see the park at your own pace. The park’s landscape is nothing like I have ever seen: elegantly littered with black rocks and Desert Broom and Milkwood trees. We didn’t see a lot of wildlife but thoroughly enjoyed the drive as the landscape is exquisite. There are also many viewpoints (Moon rock, Echo Corner, Oranjekom to name my favourites) where you can get out of your car and really take in your surroundings. It was at one of these viewpoints where we got stuck in the sand and after trying to dig ourselves out for about 20 minutes we were rescued by a very kind couple in a 4x4. We were very weary of sandy patches from here on.

Augrabies National Park offers morning and sunset guided game drives. We did the sunset game drive and our guide, Richard, was fantastic and very knowledgeable about the area. We saw a spotted genet, striped polecat, spotted eagle owl, klipspringer, kudu, eland and gemsbok which was a whole lot more than what we saw on our self-guided day drive. The highlight of the game drive, however, was when we stopped on a rise, got out of the vehicle and turned off all the lights to do some stargazing. Richard spent some time pointing out some of the major constellations and identifying significant stars. Standing there on the hilltop in the wilderness, in the darkness was a humbling experience as you realise how small and insignificant you are and how vast and wonderful the world around you is.

1. Echo Corner 2.Giraffe on our day drive 3. Sunset game drive

The restaurant at the reception is a fantastic place to get a drink or a bite to eat. The outside deck is the perfect place to settle in and enjoy sundowner drinks while you look out towards the falls. The restaurant also offers lovely meals for all 3 meals of the day as well as WiFi for those who find it hard to remove themselves from the digital world.

Drinks on the deck at the restaurant

One of the great things about Augrabies Falls National Park is the number of walks and cycle paths that are available within the park. So, if you are feeling energetic you can work up a sweat while enjoying the wildlife. Midday can get very hot in the Karoo (especially in summer) so make sure that you walk/cycle in the early morning or that you are well prepared with sunscreen and water for time out in the sun.

If the midday heat has taken its toll on your energy levels, spend some time relaxing in the swimming pool. You might find a dassie or two joining you too take advantage of the dense shade.

Augrabies is a great place to really immerse yourself in the bushveld and since there are no large predators this is easily done on the walks, cycle paths and viewpoints in the park. If you need a timeout from your busy schedule, Augrabies falls is the place to go to wash away the stresses of life and rise re-energised to embrace to world.