If you’re looking for some excellent camping, off-road and 4×4 adventures, then Bushmans Cave 4×4 & Mountain Theatre is a must for your bucket list. It is located at the foot of the Cederberg Mountains, about 35 km outside Clanwilliam. The 4×4 trails are situated on the farm called Oude Muur owned by Erik and Melinda de Milander.
Erik & Melinda de Milander our gracious hosts
The first two days of an eight day trip took us to the Bushmans Cave campsite, and what a fantastic, isolated venue this is. The campsite is called Camp Coenie and is set a short distance from the working farm’s main house. Erik de Milander was incredibly helpful during our stay and even escorted us to the campsite and pointed out the good spots.
We camped at the Kamp Coenie campsite which offers large stands and rustic ablutions with hot showers
Being mid-winter, we didn’t mind that the campsite was empty, and that would change dramatically on the second day, whee the Jeep Club arrived for their weekend of camping, 4×4 driving and fun. Erik kindly introduced me to the Jeep guys and the following morning they came to the party for a quick photo shoot and other antics.
The Jeep Club popped in for a quick photo shoot
The Bushmans Cave campsite offers large grassed stands and the rustic stone ablutions have good hot showers, sinks for washing up and toilets. Each camping stand has power and there are many trees within the campsite that offer shade.
Even though it was mid winter, we still relaxed next to our Invader Duo camper and enjoyed a braai
The name Bushmans Cave Mountain Theatre name is derived from the open-air theatre that was built in conjunction with Danie Niehaus and the resultant outdoor theatre is truly magical, with many of the country’s top artists performing there.
Winter is not the time to swim, but I’ll bet in summer the pool is overflowing with holidaymakers
After receiving the route maps for the 4×4 tracks from Eric, we set out on the second day to do some off-road driving and had great fun. Access to the 4×4 trails is through marked gates that border the main dust road that dissects the farm. The 4×4 trails offer varying degrees of difficulty from grades 1 to 5.
We also took the short drive into Clanwilliam and had a scrumptious breakfast at the Yellow Aloe coffee shop which is alive with an abundance of plant and bird life. You can choose to eat outside amidst the chatter of the weaver birds or inside at the fireplace if it’s cold. What a gem.
Bushmans Cave also has self-contained cottages for group bookings which have rooms, braai areas and a large common room with fireplace, fridge and table tennis, among other activities. The weekend we were there, the Jeep Club had block booked the cottages.
In between camping and 4×4 driving, you can view some of the best preserved Bushman drawings and the area is covered in Cape fynbos, offering scenic panoramas and great photo opportunities. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Bushmans Cave and we hope to revisit this little oasis in the summer.
For more information on this wonderful campsite, fill out the enquiry form below and either Erik or his wife Melinda will get hold of you to confirm availability.
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