In May of this year, while we were waiting out the opening of international borders we decided to celebrate leaving our corporate jobs with a Round Trip from Cape Town to the Kgalagadi. We spent an amazing 14 days travelling in a hired 4×4, camping under the stars and exploring. The Northern Cape was a previously unknown stretch of land for us and so we decided to slowly make our way up the West coast of South Africa, stopping in Paternoster, Springbok, Richtersveld and Augrabies before spending 3 days exploring the Kgalagadi. We decided to head straight down to Uppington and Sutherland, finishing our trip back in Cape Town city.
Our previous post, 14 Day Road trip through Northern Cape, we shared our entire trip itinerary with timeframes and kilometers travelled. So check that out. Other than spending copious hours on the road, we stayed in some of the most amazing places that the Northern Cape has to offer.
SeaShack
Where: Partenoster
Type: Glamping/ Rustic Cabins
Avg Price per night: R850 per cabin
Richtersveld Wilderness Camp
Where: Vioolsdrift
Type: Camping
Avg Price per night: R200 per person
Khamkirri
Where: Kakamas, near Augrabies
Type: Camping, Tented Camp, Chalets
Avg Price per night: R350- R1900
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Where: Twee Riverien & Nossob Rest Camps
Avg Price per night: R400 – R2600
Oranjerus Resort
Where: Uppington
Type: Camping, Tented Camp, Chalets
Avg Prive per night: R175 – R1550
Apollo de Karoo
Where: 75km from Uppington
Type: Teepees with communal facilities
Avg Prive per night: R330
We started our trip off in a very relaxed manner and headed up from Cape Town city to Paternoster and while we know this is technically in the Western Cape, but it is just too good not to include.
SeaShack is rustic glamping at its finest. It lies within the Colombine Nature Reserve in an inlet called Soldaten Bay. The accommodation is a collection of gorgeous timber hut or “shacks” dotted just a few metres away from the waters edge. The cabins are equipped with queen size beds and bedding. The ablutions are communal and the facilities include a fully-kitted out kitchen with crockery, cutlery, pots and pans all ready for your use. There is also plenty fridge and storage space to store your goodies. The communal “chill” area has ample seating and even boasts an outdoor braai and fire pit area. Should the weather be cold and raining (like it was on our stay) the indoor fire pit keeps you plenty toasty and happy. Wood is also available to purchase.
SeaShack’s ethos is one of serenity and sustainability. Gently fitting into the landscape as do the flora and fauna surrounding it. As such, it is fully off the grid, which means that there is no power to each of the wooden cabins and that the showers are gas-heated. However, the communal area has plenty of solar power, which allows for working and charging of any of your devices. There is even free wifi! Perfect for Digital Nomads.
We found ourselves falling asleep to the sound of the crashing waves after having toasted our trip snuggled round the warm fire. There was not a single thing we didn’t enjoy about our stay and cannot wait to head back, preferably during Summer this time so we can spend more time outside exploring.
Price: R850 per cabin per night (sleeps two)
Richtersveld Wilderness Camp was a massive highlight of our stay. Situated in Vioolsdrif about 20km from the Vioolsdrif border post, this accommodation offers riverside camping on the banks of the Orange River.
The campsite is idyllic, rustic and offers incredible tranquility. The ablutions are plenty, but due to the open nature, be prepared to share your shower hours with a critter or two. Not something that bugged us (see what we did there), as we love any excuse to get closer to nature, but something to keep in mind if that’s not your thing.
With fishing, canoeing and swimming in the orange river on offer, this is the perfect place to slow down and reconnect with nature. There is also no cellphone signal (with the exception of some signal from Namibia) which is amazing for those who want to disconnect and get away from the busyness of life.
Each campsite is incredibly private and boasts their own covered kitchen space with table tops, and sink which was a pleasant surprise for us. If possible, we recommend you request a Riverside campsite as these offer 180 degree views of the river.
We really enjoyed our two nights and it was the perfect way to begin our camping trip.
Price: R200 per person per night
Khamkirri is perfect for those who like convenience and plenty to do. It is wonderfully setup to cater for families and large groups. We spent three nights camping here and tested out both the private ablution stands and the open camping. The main camping is situated along the Orange River operating on a first come first serve basis. The communal ablutions serving this area are adequate and hygienic.
There are also four private ablution campsites. These are situated towards the rear of the main campsite and do not have views of the Orange River, however they are private and the ablutions are modern and clean. After many hours of traveling and showering in rustic places, we welcomed the warm shower. If you are seasoned campers like us, you will know that its such a treat to have your own private kitchen, shower and toilet setup. We had the privilege of staying on one of these stands for our first night and wish we could have had one for our entire stay. Sadly they were all booked out.
There are also many self-catering options from tented camps to family size chalets available, so there truly is something for everyone. There is also an incredible amount of activities to do both on and off the estate. From fishing, mountain bikes trails, padello hire and even sundowner drives, you name it they offer it in some form or the other. The restaurant and bar with views over looking the Orange River is the perfect place to enjoy some sundowners and a meal or two. We certainly made use of this when we needed a break from cooking.
For a full list of activities click here.
Khamkirri is very well situated to enjoy the surrounding attractions. Just a close drive to the Augrabies Falls, Riemvasmaak Hot Springs and Quiver Tree Route, we had an amazing time exploring.
Price: Camping from R350 per night per couple.
As we are both avid game viewers, we could not wait to get to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and spend our days driving around, searching for the famous Gemsbok, Kalahari Lions and Springbok. Since we planned this trip last minute we were very limited with the accommodation that was available. Therefore in order to make the most of the park and prehaps even get the chance to stay in the Wilderness Camps, we suggest planning and booking your visit as early as possible. We ended up spending 3 nights in the park at two of the main rest camps- Twee Rivieren and Nossob Rest Camps, however we could have easily doubled that stay and tried different camps in the park.
It is important to note, that while not explicitly required, a 4×4, or at least a car with good clearance is definitely recommended, even for the main roads as the grass can get incredibly long which makes it difficult to spot game in a smaller vehicle.
Our first night at Twee Rivieren we had booked a wonderful campsite with a braai and electrical power. As we got into the camp after an evening drive at 6pm and planned to leave as soon as gates opened at 6:30, it was perfect for our short little stay. As this is the main camp of the South African portion of the park, it was rather busy, but there are enough ablution and washing amenities for all. Everyone was also really respectful and started quietening down between 9-10pm, giving us ample time to get our beauty sleep for our early start.
The Rest camp also boasts basic supplies from petrol, to basic groceries and even some meat at the park shop, making it the perfect place to stock up before heading more North to the more rural wilderness camps.
On our second night, we booked a 4 person chalet. These are comfortable and basic, with all the appliances, crockery and cutlery we needed for the night. This chalet will comfortably house a family, with two beds setup in the main room and a further two beds setup in the kitchen/ main area of the chalet. There is also a large outdoor seating area over looking the rest of the camp. Very basic, but clean and comfortable, given that these were probably just designed for you to rest your head in between game drives.
Price: R400 per site, per night (camping), R1425 per family cottage per night
On our third and final night in the park, we made our way up to Nossob Rest Camp, the second of South Africa’s 3 main rest camps (the third is Mata Mata).
Here we had booked a two person chalet for the night. Like Twee Riverien, this chalet was basic and simple with all the amenities we needed for the night. We had one of the small duplex style chalets located facing the campsite, however next time we will try to secure one of the river facing chalets situated on the dry Nossob river bed.
Like Twee Riverien, this Rest Camp also allows for you to stock up on basic supplies at the shop and even petrol. There is no cellphone reception in this portion of the park but WIFI vouchers can be bought at the main shop. Note that this rest camp is +-150km from Twee Rivieren gate, so give yourself plenty of time to get there once entering the park as you cannot travel fast on the sandy roads.
Price: R1300 per chalet per night (for two)Find Out More >
Since we had three days from Nossob Rest Camp to Cape Town, we decided that Uppington would be the perfect spot to rest our head for the night. A last minute call to Oranjerus Resort located about 30km from the Town Centre, on Kanoneiland, secured us a spot. They offer a range of different accommodation options, from camping to chalets and even permanent “glamping” tents. The campsites are equipped with spacious clean ablutions, clean water and braai areas (some have power).
Since we only needed a quick little spot for the night, we opted for the camping option and spent the night overlooking the Orange River (a reoccurring theme of our trip) and toasted to an amazing trip thus far.
Price: R175 per night per person
Our last nights stay was an impulsive book after seeing a photo of the place pop up on Instagram explore. Boy did it deliver! Apollo de Karoo was by far our favourite accommodation of the trip and we were so sorry that we didn’t plan to stay longer. Situated around 85km from Sutherland in the Onder-Karoo, near the Thankwa National Park, this absolute gem is most certainly an oasis off the beaten track.
Visitors sleep in the warmest teepees with use of the communal kitchen, ablutions, braai and bonfire facilities. There is even a plunge pool to cool off in the summer months. Each Teepee sleeps two in comfortable, warm beds and there is even provision made for mattresses and blankets to be used outdoors during those clear star-gazing nights. Sadly the weather was miserable for us, but we have added this one on the top of our “cannot wait to return to” list.
The host Paula is fantastic, so warm and welcoming, making us even more raring to return. Every once in a while, a place steals your heart and Apollo de Karoo was such a place for us.
Price: From R330 per person per night
Have you visited any of the places mentioned? We would love to hear your thoughts and opinions below.
Stay Adventurous, Keep Exploring & Play more,
Until Next time, Sarah and JP.
We had heard a lot about Le Morne mountain, it dominates the south western peninsula and its striking presences have always made us keen to hike to the top.
The rocky cliffs and steep ascends makes the climb very technical and extremely dangerous. This is why up until recently you were not allowed to hike the mountain without a guide. Here we explain how you can hike this mountain safely.
We spent an amazing 2 nights glamping in Mauritius ONLY Eco Tent Experience. We feasted on traditional Creole food, explored remote island and chased waterfalls.
In May of this year, we celebrated spreading our wings by heading off on a whirlwind 14 day round trip exploration from Cape Town up to the Kalagadi. However this road trip wasn’t just about time on the road or nights spent in the tent. We had a little bucket list of activities and sights to cross off.
Welcome to our life, we are just “a couple of architects.”
Almost two years ago, we left our corporate careers to set off on a journey to find ourselves, to find our place. During that time we took our passion for design, architecture and life and merged them to create our own creative studio, ACOARCH Studio. We now live on the beautiful island of Mauritius, offering a multitude of design and architectural resource packages to both individuals and companies all over the world.
Here we share our personal life experiences, stories of travel and island living.
