Our Glamping Experience at Africamps Hoedspruit
We fell in love with glamping, which led us to Africamps. And while we had it in our bucketlist, we had to wait a bit longer to experience it, which happened when we were out in Limpopo and needed accommodation urgently. And that’s what gave birth to our Africamps experience in Hoedspruit.
When we thought of getting accommodation in Hoedspruit, choosing Africamps was a no-brainer. We wanted the experience of the hot tub again, in a different location, as we had fallen with Rosendal in the Free State, we knew the fun we had when we did that months prior, and we just had to go for it.
We booked the Luxury tent online and it was actually quite seamless. The drive into the resort was a tad rocky as there are no roads (literally in the bush). All I remember thinking was that I was glad we were driving a 4×4 and not our normal cars. When we eventually arrived, check in seemed pretty seamless as were in our beautiful tent 5 minutes later.
Africamps Hoedspruit: The Tents
As soon as we checked in, we made our way to our tent, that was overlooking the dam.
The tent was beautiful, it had the one bedroom with the double bed, and the 2nd bedroom with the double bed and the single bunk bed on top of the double bed, so it could sleep up to 5 people.
It had the open plan design, and the living area and the kitchen was spacious and had everything we needed to cook, be comfortable and relax.
Included in our glamping tent was a fireplace, a gas stove, a bar fridge, microwave and all the cutlery & crockery that we needed to cook.
We appreciated the air conditioner in the tent, as we visited Africamps Hoedspruit right in the middle of summer, and that was a huge plus.
The tent is also equipped with a private bathroom that has a toilet and shower.
Africamps Hoedspruit: Where to Eat
We love self catering accommodation, especially when we are in the middle of nothing, like we were in Africamps Hoedspruit. We loved that our tent came with braai facilities . . . there’s nothing quite like braaiing your favorite meat, with your favorite human, while enjoying the tranquility and the dam that is right by the tent.
If you are too tired to cook, or you are just on complete holiday mode and cooking is not part of your plans, you can order your meals from reception.
They have both Breakfast & braai baskets that you can order, to enjoy.
Africamps Hoedspruit: Things to do
There is no getting bored when you are at Africamps Hoedspruit.
Hot Tub: Our main thing that kept us super excited was being in the wood fired hot tub, sipping our wine. We had had quite an eventful morning, so all we wanted to do was get into our swimming gear, and relaxing in the tub.
Wooddeck and wildlife – Our tent was overlooking the dam, which is frequented by nyala, zebra, kudu, waterbuck and bushbuck, it is quite a beautiful sight. The dam is “also home to a large variety of bird species”, making it a great spot for birdlovers and birdwatchers.
Swimming pool – They have a swimming at the main camp, so you can cool off there while enjoying a cocktail and snacks.
Panorama Route – Hoedspruit is not too far from Mpumalanga, so perhaps you are looking to explore the jaw-dropping landscapes and cultural heritage. The Panorama Route has everything that tourists are looking to experience, including the beautiful views, the waterfalls and the natural wonders that make the Panorama Route. You can enjoy the Graskop Gorge, God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, Pinnacle Rock, Three Rondavels, and Blyde River Canyon. And the waterfalls, you want to include those too.
Guided Game Drives – “Choose between tours to Kruger National Park, nearby private game reserves, the Panorama Route, the Blyde River Canyon, a sunset game drive or a guided nature walk.”
Our Experience at Africamps Hoedspruit
Upon check in, we did not get all the information that we needed, to have a better experience at the tent. This included:
- It wasn’t communicated that we needed to purchase wood as we required it for the hot tub
- It takes about 2 hours to prepare the hot tub, which is time lost as our time in the hot tub was cut short.
- Guests have to order meals a day prior from the restaurant or they won’t be assisted.
Straight after check in I jumped into their very inviting pool, next to the reception. I must say the receptionist was very sweet and helpful as she even offered to take my photos.
After swimming, we tried to order food from their restaurant. However this proved to be a frustrating exercise as the communication given to us during check in quickly changed to “we needed to drive 4km to the nearest eatery” as they only sell pre ordered meals.
We then drove out to the nearest mall where we purchased KFC and made our way back “excited to jump into the hot tub”.
To our dismay, we had to buy wood and then wait 2 hours for the fire to be ready. We ended up using the hot tub the next day as it was too much hustle in the dark.
On the up side, the evening views are spectacular as the luxury tents are right on the dam. I loved my serene evenings whilst enjoying my glass of wine….did I mention that the stars just sparkle differently in that part of South Africa.
Overall, our stay had its hiccups…. But we absolutely loved our stay in Africamps Hoedspruit.
Would we go back there? Absolutely yes, especially now that we know the details.
