We were pleasantly surprised with the accommodation during a recent visit to the Cumberland Nature Reserve.
It was our first visit to this particular reserve, and although we had high expectations about seeing wildlife and beautiful landscapes, I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of accommodation. It wasn't as if I was concerned or expected bad service or anything negative.
From what I have heard, the Cumberland Nature Reserve is very popular among organized hiking groups and campers. Based on this information, I thought we could expect breathtaking walks in nature and maybe capture some images of wildlife in the reserve. But, I was cautiously optimistic about expecting too much in terms of comfort and accommodation.
But wow...what a surprise!
Firstly, our visit was out of season, and being the only guests in the camp for the weekend, we had the whole camp to ourselves.
And comfort? Absolutely great!
Whatever the reason for your visit to the reserve, they have suitable accommodation for you...from a private, two-bedroom unit, to bungalows for groups or two families traveling together, to sleeping facilities for large hiking groups, or camping facilities where you can pitch your own tent.
There is even one bungalow, standing on its own in the bush. This is perfect if you want to have a great experience of living out in nature, all on your own, with no other human beings anywhere to be seen.
We just wanted a place to sleep, and with no one else in the camp, we booked into the one room of the bungalow suitable for two families.
It is a nice bungalow with two separate rooms, each with its own private entrance.
Let me take you inside...
Our room could comfortably accommodate two people. It had a comfortable double bed...
There is also a nice little corner for the lady (with a mirror)... or you can prepare a nice cup of tea or coffee.
You can get comfortable here while you enjoy your tea or coffee.
Both rooms have a private on-suite bathroom with a nice, big shower.
These two rooms share a kitchen and a comfortable lounge that's in a separate building. It is right next to the bungalow.
Here is the kitchen...
And the comfortable, spacious lounge.
Outside the lounge and kitchen, is a lovely area where you can sit down for a meal. This is where we had our dinner in the evening.
You can also have a braai (barbeque) in this area, in which case this area to sit down with your food is perfect. This photo was taken a little later when we sat down to have dinner.
In the second last photo above, you can see a building in the background. This building has two large rooms with several beds to accommodate hiking groups. It also has a kitchen facility and a separate ablution block.
I went for a short walk outside the camp. On my return, I took the following photos.
In the next photo, you can see the hiker's accommodation to the left with our lounge in the distance.
Entering back into the camp again. This is the building with our lounge and kitchen area, with the two-bedroom bungalow visible just behind it.
Before I went to our room, I took a stroll to the two-bedroom unit just below our bungalow.
It has a lounge, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and two bedrooms, with an enclosed private area (including a braai/barbeque area) in front of the unit.
I took this photo from the side of the unit, capturing the view from this unit as the sun started to go down.
The next morning I walked down there again to get more shots in that area.
This is approaching the same unit mentioned above from the opposite side.
More shots from the front.
Next to this unit, I found this interesting tree...
Notice how it finds support on the tree that has been cut down next to it...
I'll end this post with my last two photos of this unit, showing the view from the porch.
Looking out over the landscape late in the afternoon...
And an early-morning view of the river in the valley below.
That's it for today, folks.
I will soon share more photos from our walk in the reserve along the Riet Spruit and some wildlife we saw.
Thank you for reading my post! I do appreciate it!