Cape Town - There are different kinds of silence, stillness in nature. At Kagga Kamma, a private nature reserve in the Western Cape on a plateau with the Cederberg mountains to the west and the Karoo to the east, the silence on a still, dry summer night is one of respite from the sun. In winter – at around -6ºC – it’s no doubt very different again. It may be freezing at night but the sun rises early and by midday it warms up, guide Nicholas van Zyl assured me.
Extreme geological conditions and time have combined to create a stunning landscape in gloriously isolated surroundings. Long before we arrived at the gate, signs of human habitation were – apart from one small homestead – nowhere to be seen.
I could fill a page about only the beautiful drive to Kagga Kamma: the climb through the twisting pass above Ceres, one of South Africa’s fruitbaskets, past Op Die Berg and fertile farmlands, then entering a different world. We climbed the vertiginous Katbakkies Pass and not long after were within the 15 000-plus hectares of the reserve.
Four star Kagga Kamma receives folks from all over the world and from all walks of life. The seemingly incongruous (but popular) beauty salon is evidence of this. That and some well-kitted out 4x4s, which enjoy the many, many trails on the reserve. So while blokes are bundu bashing, the gentlefolk are pampered.
The accommodation and package choices are extensive – from camping, a self-catering cottage (and others reserved for timeshare), airconditioned thatch huts and man-made “caves” – even an open air romantic “bedroom” in the rocks.
We were in a comfy hut – not grand but perfect for escaping the heat between activities and with a view from the stoep to savour – even at night when we left the curtains and door open. That despite, or because, of warnings about dormice in search of chocolate. We left our Quality Street pillow warmers but, alas, the cute critters weren’t tempted.
Thank goodness for the complimentary sunblock as mine ran out. There is a shop at reception for essentials, keepsakes and snacks, though the substantial meals in the adjacent restaurant or boma more than sufficed.
Our first outing was a sunset drive. While others were admiring the antelope and other game I was getting a crick in my neck trying to photograph the scenery, which peaked at our well-timed drinks stop.
The setting sun silhouetted mountains on one side while we looked over the distant Tankwa Karoo, South Africa’s driest region, on the other. Sjoe!
The evening was completed, as all the others, with dinner under the stars in the boma with good food, friendly service and making new acquaintances.
During the day there were multiple choices: hiking , mountain bike trails, quadbike safari trails and, of course, guided drives, not just to learn about the wondrous nature but the Bushmen rock art and culture.
There is a salt flat driving range and a telescope for stargazing in the evenings. I was there on a full moon, which was beautiful but which meant no stars. Not that I felt cheated.
There was so much to do that, despite the heat, I didn’t even have a dip in the sparkling swimming pool among the rocks. I did, however, leave with hundreds of photos and memories of gorgeous, unspoilt vistas and fantastic rock formations.
Kagga Kamma: 021 872 4343/ 023 004 0077, www.kaggakamma.co.za
Sunday Tribune