A boarding pass to the wilderness and a good dose of nature, history, beauty, silence, sun, fresh air, peace, freedom and adventure. Three members of the Secret Getaway team experience Kagga Kamma
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A Couples Getaway
Tania travelled in December with her husband.. here is how she experienced Kagga Kamma.
We loved the wide open spaces. An ideal place to celebrate another 365 days around the sun, reflecting on a year gone by and the one that lies ahead.
Virtually no artificial light nor air pollution make this the ideal place to view countless stars and appreciate the endless universe. While gazing up it’s hard to understand just how vast it is.
In the evening the stargazing experience was hosted by an engaging guide whose knowledge gave us insight into where we come from and possibly where we are going, too. We listened about how red giants become white dwarfs and we could not help but be left thinking just how small we are in the greater scheme of things.
We were lucky enough to experience the Star Suite on one of the nights during our 3-night stay. As day turned to dusk the fynbos and rocks surrounding us gave a new meaning to golden hour. The water running into the natural rockpool was hot after trickling over the sun-baked rocks. Some moments simply can’t be explained and here we experienced many of these.
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Our favourite daytime activity was quad biking through the reserve, stopping along the way to take in the views, fynbos, rock formations and San Rock Art. It was easy to imagine a time way back when people were exposed to the elements and planned their living and livelihood in harmony with nature. We could almost hear them.
A Solo Escape
Jenna travelled solo in September
Being a solo traveller often has its limitations, but I love a good road trip and so it never stands in the way of adventure! Kagga Kamma is a place I've always wanted to experience, so as soon as lockdown lifted enough to travel I snapped up the chance to go.
There are plenty of activities available, and the staff, as well as other guests, are all welcoming and friendly, so very rarely did I even get the chance to relish my own company, which in fact was a refreshing change. I joined a wonderful family for a round of putt-putt which was such a fun thing to do in the vast open Karoo landscape. We ended up dining together that night, enjoying a delicious boma buffet. During the day I entertained myself on walks in the fynbos, enjoyed a much-needed massage at the spa, and joined in on a very informative outing to view the San Rock Art, which is far more impressive in person than in pictures.
My absolute highlight was the sunset game drive. As a former game ranger myself, it was so wonderful to experience being a guest on the vehicle and to look out for the plains game in the distance. We stopped for a sundowner with delicious snacks and marvelled at endless Karoo views as the sun dipped down over the horizon.
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A Family Getaway
Andrea and her family (Kids aged 6 and 9) travelled in April.
Travelling with 2 young kids always comes with challenges... namely around entertainment! What to do with them that instils a sense of wonder for the incredible country that they are blessed to call home.
EXPLORE: Family Getaways
Driving along a seemingly endless dirt road this trip looked set to not be a great foundation in this mission... but suddenly farmland finished and was broken up by the sheer novelty of the rock formations and epic landscape. The exceptional spotting of a springbok or wildlife was enough to keep even the youngest enthralled.
Arriving at reception, we were welcomed by a well organised team- it was clear what was included in our package, and what additional experiences could be enjoyed, including 4x4 trails; putt putt; quad biking, spa treatments but we were starving so headed straight to the bar/ restaurant.
For me personally this was the start of the wow factor, newly plant-based we were prepared to compromise on the diet this vacation, luckily we did not have to. So many plant based options from a vegan burger, to a really great curry. All were not over priced but given the location of the resort, our expectations of quality were also pretty low, and we were thoroughly impressed with quality of the food and the service... meaning that we found the costing great value for what you got.
On our first night there, we did have one special spoil due to it being my birthday and we were gifted a private boma dinner. Totally unexpected, we thought we were being taken away from the other guests because of the kids... (if you know, you know) but we were actually led to a private area, with it's own firepit, a raised dining platform taking us even closer to open sky and nestled against the weathered rock face of the boulders. This was so spectacular a wow, possibly due to it being a surprise, but the main point was that the service didn't falter.
The second night we ate in the main dining section- also open air, and that was also brilliant and more communal with being surrounded by honeymooners; extended families and couples there for a special break: again I could admire the other dishes being served to tables (the lamb shank seemed to be a massive win for those who ordered it)
The excursion we did was to drive to the Rock Paintings, and again what made this interesting was the context given to the art as it is surrounded by these vast open and unforgiving terrain you really appreciate the challenges nomadic people faced in building communities and connections between clans. Having a smaller child it also meant really crouching down to see what she was looking at.. and in so doing discovered a whole additional row of drawings behind the blacked fire ceiling.
We were in a Hut Suite (Cave suites are only suitable for 2 adults) and it opened up onto the plain that offered an incredible sunrise experience. The cave suites are obviously the iconic overnight experience but needing more space, we were very pleased with these little domed homes for our 2 night stay.
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