Bushnan's Kloof Wilderness Reserve

A slightly earlier breakfast and we were on the road by 10:30 am for a 4 plus hour journey to our next destination. It was interesting countryside and the roads were practically empty. We stopped at Clanwilliam and filled up with petrol and arrived at this Lodge some 30 minutes later.

From the turn off from the public road. a dirt road of 6 to 8 km which then led to reception. Here we were met by three people a receptionist, our guide for the next four days, Londi, and a junior girl who then showed us around the property and to our room. The hotel had been built in 1991 but I think the two swimming pools have been added since, the unheated one was an infinity edge with lovely views and was actually well above 20° so was not too bad.

Our room River Reeds One, was pleasant, but nothing outstanding in comparison to the other rooms we have had in South Africa. The bathroom was certainly slightly dated. The carpet was of a rough cord texture that was very unpleasant under the feet. We settled in and then went for high tea which was good although too much of it. After the high tea and before we went for our walk, Chris had a swim in the beautiful Infinity edge pool, although this was slightly marred by a tractor cutting the large area of grass beside it. We then went to reception and asked if it was possible to have a room with a more open view and we’re told that she will come back to us on this. This she eventually did during dinner and the outcome was that they would try to cut down some of the reeds outside our chalet in the morrow, so that we could see the lake.

At 5 pm we set out on one of their walks, the Daisy walk, which was marked out by Cairns along the way. It was rough underneath , but quite manageable with a stick. Great big slabs of uneven stones. There were lots of rock pools filled by the storm of last Friday and the Wi-Fi was very ropey as they were running on a generator since being cut off from the grid the previous Friday We were out for just over an hour and then showered and went out for a cocktail at 7 pm.

Here we sat in one of the lounges and had to ask for a television to be turned off and we were then subsequently ignored although we had been shown a menu during this time. We eventually ordered a bottle of wine but had to go into the restaurant to order the food and when we did this it was revealed that the menu that we have been shown in the bar was from the previous day and our choices we have not available. We had to look at a new menu. As a result of this the restaurant supervisor gave us a bottle of wine on the house and we then proceeded to enjoy some prawns, barramundi , and a mango desert and cheese platter. Far too much but enjoyable. Then back to the room in the pitch dark but with the aid of a flashlight.

We set off at 7:30 am on a Jeep Safari to view cave paintings. There was a bit of a kerfuffle at the start, as our guide Londi told us that our booking had been cancelled by the restaurant the night before. This fact annoyed David considerably. But the good thing was that it was obviously the other couple that had cancelled, so we had the jeep to ourselves and had a very pleasant ride through the rocks to a dam. This was a brilliant picnic site, and here we had coffee and half a muffin between us. Then on to the cave painting in okra which was viewable to Chris quite clearly through her binoculars. We spent 15 minutes here and then return back to the hotel by about 9 am ready for breakfast a. A pleasant breakfast apart from the ponsy waiters constantly moving our chairs in and put in napkins on our laps, et cetera et cetera. We just had fruit and poached egg each and some orange juice.

Once back in the room, we went to go for a walk along one of the trails before the sun got too hot. We spent about 50 minutes walking. Then Chris had a swim in a third swimming pool that we had not been shown on our hotel introduction. It was even nicer than the one where she had swam the previous day. And we also found a fourth pool where we sat for a while in the sunshine but decided that the other two pools were nicer for swimming.

We then read on our balcony for awhile admiring the terrific view that have been created by the gardeners removing all the reeds from the lake in front of us, this a result of our asking for a room with a view. We took lunch at 1 pm but Chris was not impressed by it and could have done without it. Far too much. By this time there have been a lot of thunder and now there was also rain. So there was no swim during the afternoon but we enjoyed sitting on the terrace and admiring our lake view. We succumbed to afternoon tea but just half a cake between us, before going on the evening nature viewing trip.

This time there were four others in our jeep. That was relatively little to view in the way of animals but we saw Cape Zebra, red Hartebeest, Elk, Springbok, Ostrich and three Cape Hares before stopping for a cocktail and very limited canapés, i.e. just dried fruits. Back at the lodge by 7 pm We were in dinner by 7:30 pm and enjoyed caipirinhas in the nicer lounge, before eating in the inside restaurant which we had not known existed. We both asked for a small, half portions of food but received the normal gigantic amount, but still enjoyed what we could eat. There was a power cut as we returned to the room but the generators kicked in within about half an hour

A really great trip to see rock art. Again leaving at 7:30 am. We drove to a superb Rocky point above the lake for our morning coffee and half muffin each. It was just so scenic. Then we walked from here for about 15 minutes to reach another rock painting site and stayed there for about 15 minutes discussing religion and all sorts of things. Then the same track back to the Jeep which was a little bit challenging at times for Chris but not too bad.

Then breakfast back at the hotel and we decided we did not need a walk after our early morning walk to the rock paintings. So we sat on our terrace with our new view over the lake reading for awhile, the Wi-Fi had by now been restored to the rooms. Then I went for a swim in the far pool and following this I went in the near a pool and then back to the room again for awhile before a lunch at about 1:45 pm. We shared a small seafood paella and this was just right for us. Then we followed it by a shared plate of fresh fruit.

Back to the room again and I again went for a couple of swims during the coarse of the afternoon. We sat on the loungers on the lawns outside our chalet. We went to afternoon tea around 4.40 and then went straight on from this for the evening nature tour. This time there were eight of us in the Jeep. Luckily we were in the front seat as just the two of us.It was gorgeous weather, if anything too sunny and we saw the usual range of animals before stopping for our sundowner, and back to the lodge before 7 pm.

The dinner this evening was in the restaurant near the pool and there was a bomba (a South African open fire) situated just past the pool. We asked for cocktails, but the bar here did not serve cocktails, so we had a drink of white wine and enjoyed talking to a South African around the circular seats of the bomba. Then a pleasant dinner of a shared calamari and shared Kudu steak: the meat was not too tender or flavoursome but the vegetables were very good. Then we followed this up by a lemon tart between us, which was not of any great repute.

Another really leisurely day, starting with a trip to a rock art site that involved a 15 minute walk from where the jeep stopped. This time we had two very pleasant South Africans with us. It was a lovely morning . We enjoyed our coffee and muffin before the trek to the artwork.

Once back at the lodge another good breakfast and then, once changed, we visited the heritage room which was next to the main restaurant and in which there was lots of information about the rock art and other fines in the area. One book showed a lot of the paintings and then an enhanced version of them. This was really interesting. After this Chris had a swim in the heated pool in the restaurant patio, just so that she could satisfy herself that she had swam in all four pools on the site. Then back to the room for a read and a visit to our favourite Infinity pool for a swim and then another read before lunch just before 2 pm and after this another leisurely afternoon with Chris departing for a swim in the middle of it

The nature drive was at 5 pm and we had the jeep just to ourselves again and saw a good variety of animals, Hartebeest, Wilde beast, Cape Mountain zebras, ostrich and many more. Dinner was in the main restaurant and the duck was excellent but unfortunately the waiter annoyed David to a large degree. We took our cheese back to the room and enjoys it on our terrace with a cup of coffee.


Our room looked out over a small lake. Originally we could not ..	.see the lake, because of tall reeds. After we requested a move	to a room with a better view, they cut down the reeds instead	One of the pools up there

Chris tried all four pools

There was a fair amount of wild life in the hotel grounds


All meals were included in our room rate. Afternoon tea	..as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner

We took a couple of walks, from the hotel.	These were strenuous, without being too taxing

I enjoyed the morning drive to see different rock art each day. We would stop for coffee and a bun, usually near the main lake, then go on the that day's rock art site. The amout of walking/climbing to reach each site was not too difficult, but they might have been shielding us from the more difficult hikes

There were game viewing drives each evening , with a stop for a sundowner. The game was fairly limited. Their most numerous animals were Cape Mountain Zebra, where they are the main proteros of this sub species

An iffy morning but we’re still enjoyed our trip to see the rock paintings. Londi had told us we were not going to get a walk to them today (instead of getting thee directly by jeep) , but when he heard of our disappointment about this, I think he changed his mind and found a location that did involve a little bit of a scramble for me. The other two who had come with us yesterday were going on a really adventurous walk by themselves. We think the fact that an eight-year-old had broken his arm there yesterday may be influenced where Londi would take us. Anyway, a really good outing.

Then breakfast and back to the room for packing. I ventured out for my last swim with the air temperature probably less than the pool temperature but it did feel good. At noon we went to reception to pay and told the receptionist of the problems we had had in the hotel. We then had another problem which was at the car was not delivered until 12.30, and even then, David had gone back to the room to collect the two suitcases which we had assumed they would pick up.