Get your GLAMP ON THIS FAMILY-FRIENDLY GETAWAY IN THE MIDLANDS

Get your GLAMP ON THIS FAMILY-FRIENDLY GETAWAY IN THE MIDLANDS OFFERS LUXURY CAMPING AT ITS BEST, WRITES

KATRINE ANKER-NILSSEN

Have you ever been glamping? It’s the best way to spend a weekend – you can enjoy the benefits of camping without sacrificing on comfort. No more lugging a heavy tent and heaps of other camping equipment around, not to mention spending ages setting everything up … only to pack it all away a couple of days later. The tent and all necessary amenities are right there waiting for you, you just have to rock up and be ready to connect with nature.

AfriCamps has got this concept down to a T, and with 11 different camps situated on working farms and estates spread throughout our beautiful country – there’s lots to explore for glamping enthusiasts.

The boutique tents are very spacious with fully equipped kitchens, comfortable bedrooms and large showers. The freedom of a self-drive holiday while being close to nature is wonderful – and the convenience of having it all set up and waiting saves precious time, which can be better spent exploring the surroundings or relaxing in your own private outdoor hot tub.

Five new tents have recently been set up at Gowan Valley Guest Farm in the Midlands – one of AfriCamps latest additions. The farm is truly enchanting with its rolling green hills, endless fields and mighty river. Hosts Deanne and Brett Bouwer farm Nguni cattle and Golden Kiwis on the property, and offer delicious cookyour-own breakfast and braai baskets – which can be ordered ahead to make your stay even more hassle-free.

My daughter and I recently spent a night, exploring the farm through a lovely four kilometre walk. Passing through indigenous forest, stopping to enjoy an exciting swing and marvel at an enormous 500-year-old Yellowwood tree, you then walk along the Mpofana River and can settle down at a grassy picnic spot. There’s also plenty to do in the area if you wish to stay longer – the familiar and muchloved Midlands Meander has endless opportunities of food, fun and frolic.

The boutique tents are very spacious with fully equipped kitchens, comfortable bedrooms and large showers

The AfriCamps business philosophy is strongly based on the foundation of sustainability. All tents and furniture is made in Atlantis Western Cape – where hiring and training staff in an area with a high unemployment rate has empowered locals with skills within the fields of sewing, woodwork, welding, painting, electrical and more.

Taking on this notion of education, AfriCamps aim for families to discover farm life and the serenity that can come from being in nature, while at the same time educating kids about the animals on the farm, the fresh local produce, and providing them with a closer look at their direct connection to and impact on the world around them.

FOR MORE INFO www.africamps.com