Quick Facts
E 18°58'27''
Budget Getaways Review
Say goodbye to those miserable childhood memories of hard ground, leaking tents, missing tent poles, gritty baked beans and cheap Melamine, and say hullo to GLAMPING: A form of camping involving accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping. (Oxford Dictionary)
Brilliant news for us long suffering nutty-wheat Souf Efricans is that new outfit Buffalo Drift, 15km from Tulbagh, has embraced the new global trend in outdoor living with passion and attention to detail, in the form of four deluxe tents fringing the lush banks of the Berg River on Ruigtevlei Farm.
The tents are ideally located within secluded natural pockets along the river, well out of earshot of each other. Private walkways flow from tent to private stretches of riverfront - guaranteeing virtual solitude if this is high on your romantic agenda.
Examining the tents themselves, these are suspended on timber decks, with permanent roof structures above to ward off the harsh African elements.
There's a choice of double or bunk bed options. Now take note: each tent has a built-on ensuite bathroom - a vital glamping feature that Oxford should add to their definition. Meaning: No more queues in front of blocked bogs.
Out front, a spacious deck overlooks the river, while on terra firma your braai lapa awaits. At Buffalo Drift there's no need for fiddly and potentially lethal camp cookers, as each tent is pre-packed with a small kitchenette with two-plate stove, cutlery and fridge.
And if you thought glamping couldn’t get better, then take a peek into Buffalo Drift’s 'luxury' package (additional cost): this includes a load of firewood, a braai pack, salad and rolls for dinner, and crisp towels.
Activities on and around the farm (which also serves as a group getaway that we've been assured will have no effect on your stay) are in no short supply: mountain bike routes and hikes, clay-pigeon shooting, paintball, archery and obstacle courses. A little daunting for us lizard types at Budget Getaways, who are more inclined to set off for Riebeek Kasteel and Tulbagh's wine farms, or better still, kicking back at base camp within arm-reach of that fridge and its cargo of frosties.
Camping doesn't get much more glam than this.
"All we needed was a pool to cool down in."
(visited December 2014)
"Rating had potential to be 'fantastic' or close to had it not been for all the operating faults when there and the lack of personal attention from management whom we've still not heard from after giving feedback directly to them."
(visited October 2014)
"Great place to do nothing and chill out. We stayed two nights, wish it were longer, and I am sure there are other things to do but we were too comfy to go anywhere except our tent, the river and braai area. Tents are nicely decorated and well equipped, comfy beds, plenty pillows and a kitchenette with all the necessities. They sleep four but it would be a bit too cosy with friends so suggest only have four if it is your children. Also suggest no toddlers as the decks don't have railings. If you are staying a few days take a cooler box with ice for drinks as the bar fridge will probably only keep your produce cold. Hannes the manager is fantastic, friendly and extremely helpful. Caught a few barbel (take some chicken livers to feed them) and there were plenty of carp surface feeding around a fallen tree that we couldn't get to. The bird life is amazing, the sounds are so pretty. It is a working farm so you will hear farm machinery in the distance. We almost don't want to give buffalo drift a good review so we can keep it to ourselves."
(visited October 2014)
"This place was a complete and utter disappointment! Most irritating of all was the fact that we had running water for one out of the four days we were there! We were advised not to drink the water in the tent and that we would be provided with drinking water; we had one jug delivered the entire four days. The river that is touted as the main attraction for lazy days and swimming in had been dammed up due to a storm so outside our tent (no. 1) was more of a dirty, clogged-up pond, which we were advised by the staff not to swim in. There was one canoe available that did not have holes in it. The concrete around the fire area had nails sticking up out of it. In the tent there were no knives, one of the patio chairs was breaking (which was brought to the staff's attention but not replaced), and the wood on our deck was not nailed down and lifted up when you walked on it.As for the tents being out of earshot of other guests .... there was a boot camp of sorts in the main cabin and we could quite clearly hear the goings-on of the people there, (including being woken up at 7 am on Sunday morning by their noise). I can safely say that we will NEVER return to this establishment and we will not recommend it to either our clients nor our many friends and family. It is a shame because of the four tents that were occupied this weekend, ALL were unhappy, so you have lost at least 8 potential repeat customers and who knows how many first-time customers."
(visited October 2014)
"We were expecting more, could be so much better if a bit more attention was paid to certain areas."
(visited September 2014)
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Where You'll Also Find Us
Arniston (Waenhuiskrans) • Barrydale • Beaufort West • Betty's Bay • Bonnievale • Bot River • Bredasdorp • Caledon • Calitzdorp • Cape Agulhas and Struisbaai • Cape Town area • Ceres • Citrusdal • Clanwilliam & Cederberg • Darling • De Rust • Franschhoek • Gansbaai • George • Grabouw & Elgin Valley • Greyton • Heidelberg • Hermanus • Knysna • Ladismith • Laingsburg • Lamberts Bay • Langebaan • Malgas • Matjiesfontein • McGregor • Montagu • Mossel Bay • Napier • Oudtshoorn • Paarl • Paternoster • Plettenberg Bay • Prince Albert • Pringle Bay, Betty's Bay and Kleinmond • Riebeek West and Riebeek-Kasteel • Riversdale • Riviersonderend • Robertson • St Helena Bay • Stanford • Stilbaai • Strand, Gordon's Bay and Somerset West • Swellendam • Tulbagh • Velddrif • Vermaaklikheid • Wilderness • Witsand • Worcester & Hex Valley • Yzerfontein • Baviaanskloof • Cape St Francis & St Francis Bay • East London • Graaff-Reinet • Hogsback • Jeffreys Bay • Makhanda (Grahamstown) • Middelburg • Nieu-Bethesda • Rhodes • Sutherland