Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat Cederberg Mountains, Western Cape, South Africa

ABOUT

The Setting

This hotel description may be long-winded, Kind Travelers, but this is what we live for. May we introduce an inspiring lodge set in lush South African wilderness that checks off all the boxes on sustainability while paying homage to the significance of its setting? Cradled by the rugged Cederberg Mountains, the 7500-hectare reserve known as Bushmans Kloof offers an utterly unique wilderness escape roughly three hours from Cape Town. Don’t sweat the drive, the journey is one of the most beautiful in all of South Africa with charming villages, beaches and award-winning vineyards to visit.

You will be rewarded with inspiration to enrich your own creativity when you reach the gated reserve - dramatic mountains, pink sunsets highlighting rugged mystical sandstones, and ever-present solitude and silence make it a paradise for painters, photographers and writers alike. You will also find inspiration in a well-stocked library, or a deeper connection to nature with a wander through the landscaped gardens of indigenous fynbos and the bountiful orchards within the Walled Garden or kayaking and hiking on the reserve.

Bushmans Kloof is a proclaimed South African Natural Heritage Site, and the custodian of more than 130 San rock art sites dating back as far as 10,000 years. If you need another reason to love Bushmans Kloof, they champion outstanding conservation initiatives, including the Anatolian dog project, their work with the Cape Leopard Trust, the preservation of the Cedar tree population with Cape Nature, and they offer community support to the local school. See? We told you. 

Sleep and Sanctuary 

True, you are immersed in the South African wilderness, but you will find the lodgings here nothing short of spectacular. Bushmans Kloof offers fourteen spacious rooms, two suites and two magnificent villas amid lush indigenous gardens. Each is individually decorated with a beautiful collection of handpicked art, décor, antiques and heritage furniture pieces that together celebrate the region’s history and culture. Drift off into comforting thoughts on private terraces overlooking panoramic wilderness.

For travelers seeking space, privacy, and extra indulgence, Bushmans Kloof also offers two spectacular suites that offer an unforgettable escape. Upping the elegance quotient, two luxurious private villas at Bushmans Kloof provide the ideal space for you to spend time with loved ones amid the natural beauty of this ancient Cederberg mountain range. Each of the private villas is available on a fully inclusive basis, with a wilderness guide allowing you the freedom to create your own perfect stay.

Eat. Pray. Eat.

An extraordinary culinary adventure awaits you at the reserve. Indulge in a daily expression of the seasonal bounty from the on-site kitchen gardens prepared by Bushmans Kloof’s talented team of chefs. Indigenous herbs and vegetables are picked daily from the organic garden and incorporated into dishes on the guest menus. A special Fynbos menu features local indigenous herbs picked daily to create a range of popular South African-inspired dishes. Whether you are dining at a candlelit table laid in white linen napery or enjoying an alfresco barbecue beneath the southern stars, you’ll enjoy a journey of discovery into the culinary traditions of South Africa’s Western Cape. The Homestead is the central hub of the property, offering a warm welcome of South African hospitality and specialties in old charm elegance.

Venturing into natural splendor to dine and relax, find Makana at your service for local Rooibos tea overlooking the Boontjies River. Kadoro, translating to “a tinderbox of stories,” is a historic cabin on the reserve perfect for a unique candlelit private dining experience. The Embers is an unforgettable dining destination at Bushmans Kloof if romance is on the menu. Set beneath the sweep of star-spangled southern skies, this al fresco experience is set just a short drive from the lodge, with a lantern-lit staircase leading guests to a mountainside eyrie offering dramatic views over the reserve. 

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