KAM’BATI
Fifteen years ago only the Badenhorst family escaped to Kam’Bati. Today it’s one of the resorts in the Swellendam area.
Not even two hours after leaving Cape Town, before the kids can ask “Are we there yet?”, you’ll find the Jubileeskraal sign 16 km before Swellendam. Here you turn off onto a farm trail and then the blue Langeberg stretches out in front of you as far as the eye can see. Then it’s another 5 km to Kam’Bati, where you pitch camp next to the Breede River and forget about the rest of the world for a few days. On Jubileeskraal, the Badenhorst family farms with wheat, barley, canola, soy and corn. The original owner was Jacobus Cornelius Badenhorst, better known as Batie. So, when the family added a campsite they called it Kam’Batie – short for camp Batie.
Facelift
You may be on a farm, but there are no barns with hay and rusted old tractors with flat tyres in sight. To the contrary. From the reception office at the top of a hill you look down onto the river. It’s a neat, modern building which was clearly designed by an architect. Because you pay a deposit up front to secure your stand, it’s better to not simply pitch up unannounced. Management allocates a specific stand to each party, so you don’t have to go looking for an open space when things get really busy. All the stands are clearly separated and numbered. You can also request a specific stand. Kam’Bati has a tuck shop where you can buy wood (R35 for a bag of >
wattle, R40 for doringhout, and R50 for charcoal) and firelighters at the office. There are also sweets and ice cream for the kids and odds and sods like two-minute noodles, canned peas and shampoo.
Fun and games
Kam’Bati’s recreation area is opposite the office, a building that juts out not unlike the bow of a ship. The garden and swimming pools were also brilliantly laid out by a landscape architect: Below the office are terraces and a verdant lawn is so neatly manicured that it looks almost fake. The pool and play area also fit together nicely. Behind the office is a koppie speckled with aloes, with another few planted between the pools. As you look down from the office, there are three water slides that run down to the edge of the pool on the left-hand side. The middle pool is slightly larger than a pool you’ll find at a typical suburban home and it’s a good place to escape the heat. One terrace lower is the kiddies pool, and its appears to be the biggest of the bunch. There are another three slides here. It’s obvious the resort management knows what kids want: On one side the pool tapers down, becoming shallower, like at a beach. Kids therefore don’t have to heave themselves out over the sides. It’s particularly practical for tots who want to sit and splash in the water. Next to the middle pool is a wooden jungle gym, with a putt-putt course on the far side. It costs R20 for a round.
On land and elsewhere
The stands stretch a good half kilometre along the Breede River. There’s a row of eucalyptus trees next to the water that cast shade over most of the stands. The stands are divided into blocks (from A to E, but the D stands no longer exist). The A stands stretch to the left – here you camp in twos next to each other with a dirt road running between you, the trees and the water. Some of the stands on the left edge are a bit exposed, but you still have a decent lawn. The power sockets are either on the stands or close to it and fit a standard domestic socket. There is also a braai drum on every stand – it’s a gas bottle cut in half that fits onto a separate steel frame. Just remember to bring a grid. The taps are slightly more hidden away and some of them are marked as drinking water. The best stands, especially if you want to catch carp, catfish and bass while
Below the office are terraces and the green grass carpet is so neatly cut that it almost looks fake.
relaxing underneath your caravan’s awning, are the first few stands in the B group. They start where the entrance road ends. These sheltered stands are in front of the eucalyptus trees, and if you don’t watch out you might accidentally drive into the water because the stands are right on the riverbank. About half of the rest of the B stands are behind the trees, with the last seven or so filed in next to each other right up to the ablution block. These stands are a metre or three higher up and the water level is quite a bit lower than your stand. Be careful when you’re casting your line in the water because the trees’ branches are low. The C stands start on the other side of the bathrooms and are similar to the closest stands in the B block. There are another 20-plus stands laid out on three terraces in front of >
the office to the right against a slope. They are similar to the C stands, but the trees here are still small. The stands are used during peak times when the rest are full. If you’re camping here, see if you can get a spot on the top terrace because there are a few shade trees and it’s also next to the bathrooms.
Top, middle and bottom
Kam’Bati has three ablution buildings. The one is on the terrace above the first A stands, right past the bar and close to the pools. The building’s interior is in the same style as the office and the finishes inside are equally modern. There are square ceramic basins on a tiled surface with a big mirror behind it. You’ll even find a neatly folded towel to dry your hands. The shower cubicles are extra spacious and has a shower curtain that divides the wet and dry sections. The showers’ floor is level though. So, if you want to keep your flip-flops dry, put it outside the shower or on the bench in the dry section. The bathrooms have a place outside where you can empty a porta-potti. The bathroom between the B and C blocks looks older than the other buildings at Kam’Bati. At the entrance is a sign that says it’s a family bathroom. But it’s not like other family bathrooms with a separate shower, toilet and basin. This is an all-under-one-roof affair. The toilets are along the left wall, the shower cubicles against the right wall, and in the middle is a wall with back-to-back basins, each with its own mirror. Everyone, young and old, share the facilities. So don’t get a fright if you walk in early morning to find your female neighbour with hair dryer in hand, your male neighbour shaving, a father and son sharing the shower and a mom calling her youngest to hear if he’s “done”. The shower cubicle has a wet area with a bench inside. A few people can shower at the same time and the gas geyser kicks in as soon as you open the hot-water tap. All the showerheads are high enough and are placed directly above your head – as it should be. If you don’t feel like donning your pants while your body is still wet, you’ll have to dry yourself in front of the cubicle. The bathrooms are unusual if you’re not used to it, but it’s practical and it doesn’t seem to bother any of the other campers.
The scullery facilities are directly to the right of the door, but there is only one sink. So, before you bring your dishes check to see that it’s not occupied because there’s no place to put your stuff while you stand and wait. There’s also a place to empty your porta-potti here. The E stands’ bathrooms are the smallest but just as neat as the others with similar shower cubicles.
Grab an oar
Even though the Breede River looks like it’s almost dried up, it does well up a good 50 m wide in front of Kam’Bati. Spoil the kids and hire a kayak for half a day. You pay a deposit of R200 plus R100. The kayaks are next to the office and you first have to sweat a bit before you can row because it’s about 100 m to the water (and you have to go back up the hill when you take the kayak back). This isn’t a one-man job, so you’ll have to get someone to help you carry it. But once you’re on the water you’ll be rewarded for your efforts. The welledup water stretches all the way to the last E stands. The water is clean and in places there are hyacinth islands. Even though it’s an invasive alien species, the purple flowers are still lovely to look at.