Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve — Attraction in George

We stayed for the long weekend in August. It is a lovely place to escape to. The nature is perfect and everything looks picturesque.

The cabin is standard, as it has everything you need to escape the noise, air and light pollution as there is no signal/connection and everything is eco friendly. The cabin’s kitchen is well equipped and the fire place is really cosy.

The water has a brown colour but they state you must boil it before you drink it.

They do not allow firewood to be brought into the premises due to a certain bug that cause damages to the wood. Eco logs can be purchased by reception for R50, they also have firelighters and other items.

The staff communicate is truly lacking and you must play a guessing game. For instance we were only told how to enter the area of the cabins not how to exit so we assumed that you had to exit the same way you entered. There was shots fired in the area with no warning, however when I ask they stated that it is warning shot to scare off the baboons from the reserve. There are power outages that can last for a bit but luckily they have gas stoves so you are able to light it when there is no power. Make sure to bring a lighter.

The weather can be a bit unpredictable, the wind was extremely bad that it opened the roof trap door but luckily the operations staff were making rounds due to the power outage and they came to fix it.

You need to ensure that your windows and doors are locked at night as the baboons will come. Unfortunately our backdoor did not want to lock as it was broken, we did tell them but they did not fix it. My friend slept with her door locked at night as she was scared that the baboons would come. Also be careful where you step in the cabin as some of the floor boards have a lot of wear and tear and one wrong step, the wood will break.

The cabin is really spacious and there is so much to do. There is even a swimming pool and a playground for the kids. There are various accommodations such as campsite, cabins, glamping which can be easily booked on the Cape Nature Website.

Not sure I will visit again as I don’t generally go to the same Cape Nature reserve twice and the staff here was not as competent.

I would say make sure you ask as many questions before you go to your accommodation as check in is between 14:00 and 16:00 and the staff...

We spent 2 nights with our 5 month old baby in late May (early winter) Walking the trails with a Deuter baby carrier. The Eastern side of the Bushbuck trail is well shaded and trails are not to steep as opposed to that of the Western loop. Theres also more options for short cuts or extending your route on the Eastern side (red woods, milk wood and bird hides) apparently also rock pools which we didn't get to. Western side is more steep with a circular route which is more limiting should you need to come back.

The cabin was extremely warm with the wood burner, however keep in mind that no ax/wood choppers are provided, so make sure to bring smaller pieces for starting your fire. The inside braai area was more comfortable than the lounge couches which need some new cushions for the seats. The kitchen utensils are on the bare minimum scale. Bowls are for a small dessert maybe. We ended up eating out of the salad bowls, or doing multiple servings in the smaller bowls as we pre cooked soups and broths and brought them frozen. Defrosting was also a bit tricky as the pots medium walled and cast iron. I would imagine good for a small poitjie. (size is relative I know but I figure people hiking have a bigger appetite) As the whole house is wooden every step creeks. This was not ideal with a baby when trying to creep around not being heard or rocking baby to sleep. Beds are very firm. Luckily we kept the doors locked whilst inside as suggested/reminded by many signs around the cabin as a troop of baboons did come spend an afternoon around the cabins playing on the lawn. One of them tried our door. However they seem more skittish of humans than the troops along the Cape peninsula. Being there in winter we did not get to try out the pool although the sun chairs looked comfortable under a shaded area which had fans installed. I would imagine it being a great way to relax after a good walk or ride. The out door work out area at the pool was a...

It was time to go on holiday, this time a camping holiday at Grootvadersbosch. I was hesitant at first looking at the photos of Grootvadersbosch with regards to the camping sites. All the photos I could find online did not show the size of the camp sites.

I can guarantee you that all the camp sites have ample space for at least one large tent for the parents and one small tent for the kids.

The amenities at Grootvadersbosch are of top quality. They have a fantastic pool area with covered tables as well as deck loungers. There is also a nice big playground for the children to play on.

The communal batrooms are very well kept, with ample basins and showers. There is hot water provided by solar heating. There is also a communal fridge as well as a kitchen cleaning area.

We booked at the decked camping site, which has a table with a umbrella, it has a mini kitchenette with running water, cold water only. You can take a container and get warm water in the communal kitchen for cleaning your dishes. Speaking of water, the water is rain water so the colour is brown. Make sure you bring ample drinking water. There is also a firepit with a grid. We didn't use that as we made use of our gas bottle. They don't allow firewood, only charcoal or ecologs which can be bought at reception.

The hiking trails are very nice but also a bit tough, especially for the younger kids, as you are walking up and down the side of the valleys. There are two bird hides nestled high up in between the trees.

We have marked Grootvadersbosch as our go to camping holiday...