This was our first ever family camping trip, not counting the glamping in Swellendam 4 yrs ago, which was amazing too. Check out Kambati resort, swellendam to try it, especially if you are a newbie and want the experience but also the convenience of everyday life. This year we decide we should give our 3 kids a new experience, camping. Being very new to camping we ofcourse did a ton of research from joining camping sites western cape Facebook group to get some advice from experienced campers on whch sites would be suitable for us, especially camping with small kids. After some last minute research looking at checklists for camping and all the youtube videos and reviews on the camping site, we did a last minute booking literally 2 days before leaving. This was one of the blogs we looked at to prep www.roaming-fox.com/blog/2022/2/24/basic-camping-essentials-checklist After gathering all the things and kids....we were off to Beaverlac. It's a solid 2 and half hour drive from Cape Town so be sure to pack "padkos" which is snacks. We stopped at piketberg for a refresher coffee at Vida e Cafe and give the kids a bit of a moment out of the car. The drive up the mountain into Beaverlac camping site was a bit of a shocker, quite steep narrow gravel road but with beautiful scenery of the farmland below. If you're afraid of heights I would not suggest this camp, although kids were anxious they managed to relax after reaching the site. On arrival we were greeted by a lovely friendly lady and paid cash (they don't do card payments) and then proceeded to drive around the campsite to find a suitable campsite since they don't do designated bookings. After looking at posts on Beaverlac and the map provided, we more or less knew where we wanted to be which was closer to the secret pool area and amenities. We set up our brand new tent and goodies. We went with a 6 person campground tent we found on takealot which was easy to set up and spacious too. The car boot was basically our kitchen. Our camping gas stove and whistle kettle and cast iron pots were essential. The camp has a communal freezer for use, which we stored oir meat in. Beaverlac turned out to be full of trees although smaller trees in some spots. The sounds of circader and birds was very prominent but somehow more like a soothing white noise. The walk to the secret pool is around 1.5km but bearable for small kids as its relatively flat pass the orange orchid on a demaracted pathway without signs. Its all worth it once you reach the waterfall secret pool that streams from the mountain. Best to take an umbrella for the sun. We also took some inflatable tubes for kids with us. The other rock pools are the main pool and totem pool but we liked the secret pool more. Just be aware that the camp is pet friendly so you will be swimming with the doggies. Overall beaverlac is an afforbale campsite, no electricity points but with decent toilet and washroom as well as a little shop if you run out of anything or feel like some homemade jams and local honey. There is also a no noise or music policy which makes your stay serene. Some reviews said to look out for snakes and baboons although we never encountered any thankfully. A great adventure with the family with green grass, swimming with fish, board games, ball games and exploring nature. A lovely getaway for the family.
This was our first ever family camping trip, not counting the glamping in Swellendam 4 yrs ago, which was amazing too. Check out Kambati resort, swellendam to try it, especially if you are a newbie and want the experience but also the convenience of everyday life. This year we decide we should give our 3 kids a new experience, camping. Being very new to camping we ofcourse did a ton of research from joining camping sites western cape Facebook group to get some advice from experienced campers on whch sites would be suitable for us, especially camping with small kids. After some last minute research looking at checklists for camping and all the youtube videos and reviews on the camping site, we did a last minute booking literally 2 days before leaving. This was one of the blogs we looked at to prep www.roaming-fox.com/blog/2022/2/24/basic-camping-essentials-checklist
After gathering all the things and kids....we were off to Beaverlac. It's a solid 2 and half hour drive from Cape Town so be sure to pack "padkos" which is snacks. We stopped at piketberg for a refresher coffee at Vida e Cafe and give the kids a bit of a moment out of the car.
The drive up the mountain into Beaverlac camping site was a bit of a shocker, quite steep narrow gravel road but with beautiful scenery of the farmland below. If you're afraid of heights I would not suggest this camp, although kids were anxious they managed to relax after reaching the site. On arrival we were greeted by a lovely friendly lady and paid cash (they don't do card payments) and then proceeded to drive around the campsite to find a suitable campsite since they don't do designated bookings. After looking at posts on Beaverlac and the map provided, we more or less knew where we wanted to be which was closer to the secret pool area and amenities.
We set up our brand new tent and goodies. We went with a 6 person campground tent we found on takealot which was easy to set up and spacious too. The car boot was basically our kitchen. Our camping gas stove and whistle kettle and cast iron pots were essential. The camp has a communal freezer for use, which we stored oir meat in.
Beaverlac turned out to be full of trees although smaller trees in some spots. The sounds of circader and birds was very prominent but somehow more like a soothing white noise. The walk to the secret pool is around 1.5km but bearable for small kids as its relatively flat pass the orange orchid on a demaracted pathway without signs. Its all worth it once you reach the waterfall secret pool that streams from the mountain. Best to take an umbrella for the sun. We also took some inflatable tubes for kids with us. The other rock pools are the main pool and totem pool but we liked the secret pool more. Just be aware that the camp is pet friendly so you will be swimming with the doggies.
Overall beaverlac is an afforbale campsite, no electricity points but with decent toilet and washroom as well as a little shop if you run out of anything or feel like some homemade jams and local honey. There is also a no noise or music policy which makes your stay serene. Some reviews said to look out for snakes and baboons although we never encountered any thankfully. A great adventure with the family with green grass, swimming with fish, board games, ball games and exploring nature. A lovely getaway for the family.