Nestled against natural rock formations within the Cederberg Mountains and far away from the big city lights lies the Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve. Situated amid stunning rock formations and incredible scenery in the majestic southern Cederberg Mountains, the resort is unlike anything you'll ever have experienced. This historical reserve connects visitors of today with the soulful heritage and landscape that was once inhabited by the Khoi and San.
Kagga Kamma is unique in that it comprises an untouched Karoo-like wilderness - an arid area characterized by sparse, hardy vegetation, including small bushes, shrubs, and succulents. Dotted with wildflowers and towering rock formations, the Reserve is a treasure trove of fascinating fauna and flora species, ancient rock art sites and vistas of pink-and-purple-hued sunsets and shimmering night skies.
The Cederberg Mountains lie approximately a 2-hour drive north of Cape Town and the Winelands. As you travel over the Piekenierskloof Pass, you descend into a different world. The countryside has changed; it's wilder and warmer, with raw, dramatic beauty.
Cederberg Mountains landscape.
Accommodation: Blending with Nature
Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve offers a diverse range of unique and immersive guest room options, each designed to harmonize with the breathtaking natural surroundings of the Cederberg Mountains. Guests can opt to stay in a Cave Suite, tucked into and merging with the dramatic rock formations, with a small terrace and sweeping views over the landscape; or a Hut Suite, reminiscent of the traditional dwellings of the Khoisan tribes that once inhabited the area and set against the backdrop of craggy outcrops, scented fynbos and endless views. Choose between the spacious Hut Suites overlooking the fynbos plains and distant mountains, the Cave Suites that are ingeniously built into the rocks or secluded campsites nestled among the boulders.
Read also: Discover the Beauty of Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve
Cave Suites
Kagga Kamma offers ten unique man-made 'Cave' Suites that were skilfully constructed to integrate with the natural sandstone formations. The beautiful rock formations can be experienced up close in these man-made suites that blend into their environment seamlessly. The facade of the 'Cave' Suites are man-made, while the back interior wall is natural sandstone. Each 'Cave' Suite has a small terrace with a view and is simply furnished with comfort in mind.
The Honeymoon ‘Cave’ Suite is Kagga Kamma’s biggest and most romantic Unit, perfect for a honeymoon, anniversary, or another special occasion. The Suite has a double bed, open plan bathroom with romantic bath, air-conditioning, tea and coffee making facilities, hairdryer, bathrobes and guest amenities. The terrace overlooks the beautiful fynbos plains and mountain ranges.
The Premium ‘Cave’ Suite is situated at the top furthest right end, allowing for a wide-angle view of the fynbos plains and majestic mountains in the background. The Premium ‘Cave’ has a double bed, an en-suite bathroom with a shower, air-conditioning, a tea and coffee station, hairdryer, bathrobes, and guest amenities.
Hut Suites
The five spacious thatched huts at Kagga Kamma resemble the traditional dwellings of the San clans that inhabited the Reserve many years ago.
Sky and Star Suites
Once you begin learning about the night sky on a stargazing tour, you may wish you had reserved one of the open-air or star suites for the entire night. The Reserve offers two outdoor suites, the Sky and Star Suites, where your entire overnight experience is beneath the stars. The Sky Suite, an open-air room, provides the opportunity to sleep under the stars in a luxurious queen-sized bed. It is complemented with a queen sized bed, open-air shower and toilet, tea and coffee making facilities, bathrobes, guest amenities and absolute privacy. Secluded from the main lodge, these suites feature a wood-fired hot tub, an outdoor shower, and a private rock pool. The Star Suite is set on a private platform about three kilometres from the Main Lodge, amongst beautiful rock formations.
Read also: South African Nature Reserve
Camping
The main camping grounds are made up of five stands which each accommodate a maximum of two or six guests. Swartrug is situated near one of the swimming pools for a refreshing dip and is easily accessible.
Self Catering Chalet
Nestled comfortably alongside the Timeshare Chalets, the single Self Catering Chalet offers every homely comfort set against the backdrop of rolling fynbos plains and intriguing rock formations.
Activities and Excursions
The Nature Reserve is a natural paradise and offers a number of excursions and activities to suit an adventurous spirit or laidback holiday-maker.
Activities at Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve.
Guided Excursions
Gain valuable insight into the history, wildlife and Cederberg region through the eyes of Kagga Kamma's Nature Guides.
Read also: Discover Wildlife
Rock Art Tour
Enjoy a journey back in time with skilled Guides as they uncover fascinating Rock Art paintings, left behind by the Khoi and San tribes. The Khoi and San tribes created rock art paintings on the exterior cave walls. Our guide explained the meaning behind each painting as we explored the rock art pictures. Once we reached the caves, we left the jeeps and walked directly up to the rock art at the reserve, including cave drawings that date back approximately 6,000 years. In addition to rock art, we stopped to learn about beautiful wildflowers, such as the Cape Snow Bush, a tiny, fluffy, white flower resembling snow.
Stargazing
The isolated destination offers unpolluted skies, while the guide provided an informative talk, identifying specific stars and constellations. The clear, dark skies, relatively high elevation and the lack of light pollution make Kagga Kamma the perfect stargazing spot. At night the sky comes to life with billions of stars, planets and shooting stars. Even the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye, although there is a mini-observatory at the resort, too. Stargazing typically occurs in conjunction with the lunar cycle.
Other Activities
You can also experience one and two-hour guided Quad bike adventures. Cross zebra, springbok and eland off your must-see list with an exhilarating guided quad-bike safari through the Cederberg Mountains.
- Guided Drive
- Sundowner Tour
- Hiking
- Quad Bike Adventure
- 4x4 Trail
Dining and Relaxation
Built into the sandstone rock formations, the swimming pool is a stunning place to just relax with a book or enjoy a cold drink. Indulge in a little well-deserved pampering with some hot stone therapy and a soothing facial. Kagga Kamma Spa offers a wide range of African-inspired, indulgent treatments.
Dump your things in the fully-equipped chalet before cooking up a storm in your indoor or outdoor braai area. Or, if the weather permits, head off to the open-air boma (fire pit) and enjoy a superb selection of Cape wines and a sumptuous feast of South African cuisine prepared by the Restaurant. Then sit back and enjoy the night sky.
Please note, bookings for the restaurant need to be made in advance.
Eco-Friendly Practices
Since its inception, in 1988 Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve has always valued and upheld environmentally friendly practices - preserving the natural landscape, protecting the indigenous and endemic wildlife and offering an eco-centric hospitality experience to guests. Outlining the project scope and determining the best system for the Nature Reserve was no small undertaking, as the Lodge has always aimed to preserve the environment and leave as minimal an imprint as possible. The solar farm project aligns perfectly with Kagga Kamma’s mission towards being a true eco-lodge, and functions alongside their many other environmentally friendly practices, such as the use of green amenities in-room and as part of their housekeeping services, the replacement of plastic straws with biodegradable ones, and the introduction of glass bottles in-room for guests.
The set-up is a 356kWp (kilowatts peak) DC Solar Array with 300kW (kilowatt) Hybrid Inverters, 1200kWh (kilowatt-hours) Lithium Battery Storage and a 400kVA (kilovolt-amps) Generator. It is ground mounted and north-facing and all 648 of the panels were perfectly positioned through a series of carefully planned engineering tests to maximise the sun’s surface contact with the panels throughout the day, while taking into consideration the changing seasons.
Here's a table summarizing the key aspects of Kagga Kamma's solar power system:
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| DC Solar Array | 356kWp |
| Hybrid Inverters | 300kW |
| Lithium Battery Storage | 1200kWh |
| Generator | 400kVA |
| Number of Panels | 648 |
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