Being the furthest either one of us has traveled south, we honestly did not know what to expect. However, we were both pleasantly surprised by the Bontebok National Park. The staff were extremely friendly, the gravel roads are very well maintained and was quite an easy drive with the caravan to the campsite.
Lang Elsies Kraal campsite –
The cleanliness alone gets a big 10 out of 10 from me. Choosing a campsite was not an easy task, it took us a few drives through the camp to decide on a spot. We ended up going with the site right infront of the ablutions – if you’re anything like me and have a baby bladder, you know that’s atop priority site, number 22 was also right by the power points and we had our own tap.
Every site is marked off with beautiful shrubbery and plants, creating a bit of privacy.
Hiking –
There are 4 hikes at Bontebok, from an easy and quick 1.3km hike to a bit more challenging 6km hike.
We managed to do 3 of the 4 hikes before running out of time and having to move on to the next camp. We really enjoyed the short Acacia trail, it was more of a scenic walk than a hike and did it almost every afternoon as a little sunset walk.
Wildlife –
I’m blind as a bat and have a very short attention span, but love looking for wildlife, which means I usually miss alot of things. So when I got a pamphlet from reception showing some of the common plants, animals and birdlife to look out for I was over the moon. On our first day we went for a quick drive and saw almost all of the things on the list. We also saw the biggest variety of naturally occurring succulents we’ve personally every seen.
The important part, Bontebok, yes, there are quite a few of them, just over 200. Laying in bed, looking out the window and you see them walking past, just casually grazing, that definitely was a highlight of the stay for me.
Game drives –
The park is by no means huge and you could easily drive through the whole park quite quickly – even at a very slow pace. BUT – around every turn, it feels like you’re in a completely different place. No 2 areas look the same, from the plants and landscapes, to the actual road. One minute you think you’re in dry grasslands, the next you’re surrounded by beautiful flowers and colors.
If you feel like getting out of the park for a bit, there’s a stunning little Faerie Garden. The continent of Sulina is a must and it’s roughly 20 minutes away.
All in all, we would 100% recommend Bontebok National Park as a lovely camping experience.
