Camping, South African Break Aways

CAMPING, Cederberg Park Kromrivier

Camping in the well-known Cederberg Mountains

Last month we had a great camping experience next to the big Atlantic Ocean. Now, it was time for another camping trip, but this time in the mountains – and to be more specific, the majestic Cederberg Mountains!

We like to explore different camping grounds and not always going to the same one … we thought of giving Cederberg Park Kromrivier a try – and what an excellent choice it turns out to be!

A lovely view of Cederberg Park Kromrivier down in the valley

Different types of accommodation:

Cederberg Park is 250km north of Cape Town and a working eco-friendly farm. Their accommodation ranges from luxury chalets, cottages and luxury campsites – of course we chose to camp!

We could pitch our tent under the shade of large oak trees

Each camp site has its own-private ablution facilities (shower and toilet), a sink for the washing of dishes, power points and (very important) a “braai pit” – that is of course barbeque to our English-speaking friends.

The “braai pit” (left) and ablution facility (right)

There are 18 BIG campsites – we pitched our tent at the back of the ablution facility and from the front it looked almost deserted… if it were not for the fact that our car was parked under the trees. You can definitely bring your whole family and a bunch of friends to camp with you!

A partial view of the camp sites

Stunning views and a river:

While sitting at the fire, we had a lovely view over part of the farm and the impressive mountains. The Kromrivier flows past the camp site and we spent many hours there to cool off during the heat of the day.

A lovely view over the green fields of the farm, with the mountains literally on our doorstep
The Kromrivier is a welcome sight on a hot day
A bridge over the river
Permanent tents on the other side of the river
Cool water just below our camp site
We enjoyed the cold river water
We saw this growing on the river bank – could it be a wild blackberry bush?

With so many oak trees on the camp site, it was inevitable to see little acorns everywhere … on the trees, on the grass and every now and then one acorn would fall on our tent/head!

Small acorns on the tree – they are so pretty

Sunset is always a beautiful time of the day … and especially so in the mountains. The almost blue mountains change their colour to a bright orange with sunset – it was great to see nature delivering its own artwork.

Late afternoon colours – everything is still bright and different colours are displayed
But by sunset, the colours changes – everything is now in different shades of orange (here you can see the mountain pass from where you drive down into Cederberg Park Kromrivier)

Farm animals:

Of course, when you’re camping on a farm, there have to be animals. During one of our strolls on the farm, we saw a couple of animals together and just had to stop and take some pictures.

It was an odd picture … a cow and little piglet standing together
And this one made sure we heard him long before sunrise every morning
This little one played hide and seek while we were trying to get a photo
The pigs were quite entertaining

While on one of our excursions, there was a small building that got our attention – it may be old, but looked fairly renovated. Berto’s guess was that it must be an old watermill.

Possibly an old watermill

The weather:

We had really HOT weather while camping at Cederberg Park Kromrivier. The temperatures were in the mid 30 degrees Celsius and we were never too far away from a shady tree or water. But surprisingly, we had twice experienced thunderstorms during our visit. It started out with just one huge white cloud on the horizon and an hour later, it was almost dark with thunder roaring over the mountains – what a spectacle!

A thick white cloud changing into a proper thunderstorm

A daily visitor:

Oh, and I have not yet mentioned the “camp mascot” (well, that’s what we called him anyway). Early every morning, a horse grazed through all the camp sites … he was clearly not bothered by all the campers and went his way peacefully up and down every day. By the way, there are more horses on the farm and visitors can arrange with Reception to go on horseback excursions (they provide helmets).

The camp mascot

Food:

While camping, a highlight is always the food we prepare next to the fire. As always, we would like to share some pictures with you of what we enjoyed … but we’ll be starting off with something you definitely can’t be without during the summer here at Cederberg Park Kromrivier … ice! Fortunately, we could buy big bags of ice (daily) from the shop on the farm!

We have a big cooler box filled with ice – enough to make sure our drinks were always cold
Of course, any good camping weekend starts with a fire

We made something on this camping trip that we have not ate in ages … jaffles! It was so good, we made it twice (with different fillings). We borrowed my mom’s old jaffle pan (it’s probably around 40 years old) and it’s still working fine!

We filled the bread with cheese and biltong and then prepared them inside the jaffle pan on the hot coals
Bringing back memories of my favourite food as a child
Potato bake on the hot coals are an absolute winner
And chicken with tangy marinade – we just love it!
Berto made his famous curried pasta salad (unfortunately without any green pepper, but it was still delicious)
Who can say no to rib? This time, it was a mixture of lamb- and pork rib
Rib and cold salads – ideal food for a hot summer afternoon
And one more time – jaffles! This time filled with curry mince

Restaurant on the farm:

The added bonus at Kromrivier, is their amazing restaurant! Here you can eat like royalty – we enjoyed a delicious breakfast here on the morning we left (just what we needed after packing up our tent and all other camping gear)!

The outside sitting area of the restaurant with a great view over the mountains
Inside the restaurant
We were greeted by the Cape Leopard at Reception (of course not a real one). Kromrivier plays a key role in biodiversity and conservation
Our delicious breakfast (served with farm bread)
Don’t miss out on their famous rooibos iced-tea

Farm Stall:

You will not walk empty-handed away from Kromrivier – that I can guarantee you! Their farm stall offers a variety of nice goodies, such as olive oil, jams, sweets and unique gifts to name just a few. You can also buy wood, firelighters, ice and even toiletries … a really well-equipped shop for anyone who spend a few nights here.

The farm stall at Kromrivier

Microbrewery & Kromrivier Wines:

Yes, we have saved the best for last! Kromrivier is home to the first microbrewery in the Cederberg, named Nieuwbrew. There are 6 different beers which are on sale at the farm stall. We did not buy any beer, but next time we’ll definitely not miss out on this quality craft beer.

But what we did taste, was their excellent Kromrivier Vineyards Wines! Since it was Valentine’s Day while we camped at Cederberg Park Kromrivier, it was the perfect opportunity to enjoy one of their bottles of wine together with a cheese platter. It was delicious … the wine, the cheese platter, the view … just perfect!

Kromrivier Rose wine and a cheese platter

We did well on the wine shopping! We bought a bottle of each of the wines to bring back home and enjoy next to our home fire … to remember what a great time we had at Cederberg Park Kromrivier!

Kromrivier Vineyards Wine

We enjoyed a great camping weekend at Cederberg Park Kromrivier! If you ever want to camp in style in the mountains, this is the place for you!

Hiking in the mountains:

But, as some of our regular blogger friends will know, we did not just camp … in fact, we went camping to actually do something else we enjoy a lot … to hike!

In the next couple of posts, we will share our hikes with you. It was HOT, but the scenery stunning! We will soon see you in the mountains – geared with a hat, sunscreen and lots of water!

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54 thoughts on “CAMPING, Cederberg Park Kromrivier”

  1. Wat n fantastiese plek!

    Ek kan my indink dat julle julself gate uit geniet het.

    So n “acorn” maak nogal seer as mens kaalvoet daarop trap, en as mens kamp is jy mos nogal gereeld kaalvoet! 🙂

    Ek hoop jou Ma het hierdie pan solank aan jou bemaak want vandag se jaffelpanne werk nie naastenby so lekker soos daai oues wat al lekker ingelyf is nie. Ons het so n spesiale jaffelpan wat ALTYD in die kampkrat is – ons het al op die mees spesiale plekke jaffels gemaak en kan amper nie n kamptrip indink daarsonder nie. Water my mond nou…

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    1. O ja, jy’s reg oor die “acorns” … ek het vergeet om te noem dis nie so gemaklik op jou kaal voete nie 😁. Daardie jaffle pan het my naam op, dis verseker! Van nou af gaan die pan saam waar ons ookal gaan kamp – kan nie glo ons het dit nou eers weer “ontdek” nie!

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  2. What a lovely camping trip Corna and those Jaffles look delicious – are they a type of toasted sandwich? The Kromrivier Vineyards look just my sort of place and what could be better than to pick a few bottles to take home with you and remind you of your trip. Hope you gave a good weekend.

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    1. Yes, jaffles are indeed a type of toasted sandwich (in fact, a jaffle is the Australian name for a closed toasted sandwich). I’m sure you’ll enjoy the Kromrivier Vineyards Wines – the one bottle is as good as the next one ☺️ … it’s a boutique wine and you can’t buy it in the shops (only on the farm and on-line), it’s therefore great that the wine is so exclusive. Thank you, we are expecting another warm weekend … but we’re not complaining, it’s the best weather for a “braai”! Hope you have a good weekend too 🌸.

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  4. If I show Grant your food pics he will get very homesick! It all looks so good and there is something special about eating by a campfire. My camping experience was not glamorous at all, but I still count it as a very valuable life experience. The red earth there is very similar to what you see in Utah…another of my favourite places. I went with my dad to a place called Moab. Loved it. It’s nice to se you enjoying the summer.

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    1. Ah, the food is pure South African “braai” food Carolyn – that’s the one thing I always missed when we used to travel overseas (before Covid of course). I have so many wonderful memories of camping – some not so glamorous as this one – but we always make the best of these trips 😊. Yes, I’ve seen pictures of Utah and you’re right, the red earth is very similar. We love summer (like you love winter) and hope to have a few more camping trips before the season change here in South Africa.

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  5. Corna dit is ‘n pragtige plek! Die kampgeriewe is uitstekend en die rivier daar naby om lekker af te koel! Die kos wat julle daar op die kampplek geeet het lyk heerlik! Oulike winkeltjie en die kaasbord en wyn lyk ook fantasties.
    Sien daarna uit om van julle staptog te lees!

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    1. Og Aletta, dit was so ‘n verrassing om hierdie pragtige plek in die berge raak te loop! Dis beslis een van die beter kamp terreine wat ons nog besoek het – die privaat ablusie geriewe is beslis ‘n bonus! Jy weet mos, ons eet altyd lekker op so ‘n kamp … dis hoekom ons moet stap om ons boude “in toom” te (probeer) hou 😄 – maar dis glad nie so maklik nie! Ja, die plaas winkel is baie oulik en hulle restaurant hoef vir geen stad restaurant terug te staan nie! Ek’s seker jy sal die rots formasies geniet wanneer ek die staptogte plaas.

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    1. I must add, this camping ground is probably what you will call luxury camping. Normally, you won’t find own ablution facilities at camping sites … I won’t be disappointed at the rustic campgrounds, in fact, we love it that way!

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    1. Thanks for reading Leighton – it was such a long post with so many photo’s, but it was impossible to shorten it … so much beauty (wait ’till I get to the hiking)! Oh yes, the jaffles was definitely the highlight food-wise on this trip. We were super impressed with Kromrivier’s wine – and of course it just tastes better while looking over those beautiful mountains!

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    1. Wow Mel, you chosen a great place for hiking! Maybe you’ll be surprised to see that not much has changed … we visited the “Stadsaal Caves” with our recent visit and while I last saw it in 1986, it looked exactly the way I remember it!

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  12. This looks like such a charming place to camp. I must say, you guys prepared quite the feast. I’ve never heard of jaffles before, but they look amazing. How neat to also hit up a microbrewery and treat yourselves for Valentine’s Day. I laughed when I read how you bought a bottle of each of the wines. That sounds like something I would have done too. Looking forward to hearing about your hiking adventures in the mountains. Take care. Linda

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    1. This was probably one of our favourite camping spots thus far … it may be due to the availability of the beer and wine 😉. Jaffles are very much like a closed toasted sandwich (and here I thought it was so well-known). At first, we were thinking of buying one box of the same wine … but they were all so good, that we rather bought one of each (I would say that is quite clever, won’t you)! Since you love hiking, I’m sure you will enjoy our next few posts with stunning mountain sceneries!

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  13. This looks a super place to camp – although you know me enough by now to expect that I will opt for the chalets or maybe the fixed tents! Lovely views, great food and wine – it all sounds wonderful apart from the heat. 30+ is too much for me 🥵

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    1. Yes, I know you Sarah … that’s why I’ve mentioned the other accommodation options as well 😉. The temperatures are much more moderate during autumn and early winter (probably around 18 degrees, which I think is more manageable – even for us who likes to hike in the mountains).

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    1. I’m so glad you came along Lisa … and happy that you enjoyed the (live) animal pictures 😉. This was a great place to camp – the Cederberg Mountains are one of our favourite places to visit … it’s a great way of spending quality time together, forget about the world out there and to just appreciate nature.

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  15. What a great place to camp and explore. We make pizza and fruit pies in our pie irons. I start a campfire in our backyard, we have family that camps in our yard and we cook over the fire. When my daughter was young I had her brownie troop of young girls camp in our yard too. We hid their breakfast in bags all over our 2-1/2 acres and they had to find it and then eat. Lol

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    1. You’re right, the Cederberg Mountains are a fantastic place to explore (you’ll see why in our next couple of posts). Oh how nice, if we had a big enough backyard, I would have had a permanent tent there 😁. So, you call a jaffle pan, a pie iron … I like that! I can just imagine how much fun your daughter and the other girls had in your yard (now you can do it for your granddaughter 😉).

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      3. Daar is heelwat kampplekke naby Kromrivier. Ons het al by Sanddrif (by Dwarsrivier) ook gebly en dis ook ‘n oulike plekkie. Eintlik maak dit seker nie saak waar jy bly nie, dit gaan oor die lekker stap in die berge! Maar ek moet se, Kromrivier het alles (en meer) wat ‘n mens soek wanneer jy kamp!

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  18. Pingback: HIKING AT CEDERBERG PARK KROMRIVIER (1) – Wet and Dusty Roads

  19. Beautiful post Corna! Everything from acorns, to food looks so delicious and oh yes the jaffles, they bring back childhood memories too. The farm animals do add to the ambiance, thanks for sharing. Camping in in the mountains look and sound like a wonderful idea. I’m looking forward to reading and going along your hiking trip. Have a great rest of the week🌸💕

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    1. Thank you Henrietta ☺️. This was (another) great camping weekend … from the beautiful scenery, great food and of course the hiking. We love camping in the mountains (it becomes a difficult choice between sea and mountains 👀). Thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy post, hope your week is good too 💌.

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    1. Definitely a camp site not to miss, that’s for sure! But I must add, not all camping grounds in South Africa are so luxurious like this one – we were also quite surprised to find this one. We like wild camping (where there are no or very little facilities), but every now and then it’s great to just spoil yourself ☺️.

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    1. The Cederberg Mountains are a favourite destination – for both camping and hiking. The hiking didn’t go that well … it was extremely hot (as it can only be during February). But the last day’s hiking trip to the Maltese Cross was a great one.

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