WEEKEND BREAK

Once the Dinokeng bites, it won’t leave you. This Big Five reserve on the doorstep of Pretoria is becoming one of Gauteng’s most popular weekend and holiday getaways.

It’s easy to figure out why Dinokeng is so popular. Where else can you drive for about an hour from a city, pitch your tent in the Bushveld and watch the Big Five from your own vehicle? Also, the winters north of the Magaliesberg are much more bearable, and on warmer winter days you can even get out your shorts and cozzies. Back when the Dinokeng Reserve was established, there weren’t many campsites, but nowadays things look quite different and it seems as if a new campsite pops up every month or so. The Afsaal Caravan and Bush Camp is one such place. Owners Pieter and Louise Snyman settled here a few years ago when they retired. A while later, they started thinking of a campsite and they got to work at it, full steam ahead. Almost immediately, though, the Covid-19 lockdown stopped them in their tracks. After what felt ‘like an eternity’, they could get going again – and on 12 March this year, they booked in their very first guests. PERSONAL SERVICE is the order of the day at Afsaal. Before arrival, Pieter sends all information via WhatsApp to the weekend’s campers, and after the weekend, he deletes the group. Upon your arrival, they greet you in person, and Pieter and Louise come around regularly throughout the weekend to make sure everyone is happy. Late afternoon, it’s the turn of their son Blake who comes to hear if anyone needs wood. Afsaal’s campsite has been laid out to disturb nature as little as possible. Pieter

says it took a lot of measuring to mark out the stands; 15 small trees had to make way, but he immediately replaced them with monkey thorns. To fit nicely among the trees, the 15 stands are spread throughout the camp. The average size of a small yard, your stand has more than enough space and, thanks to the 20-30 steps between the campsites, pretty private, too. The camp has many deciduous trees that give glorious shade in summer, but in winter allows the sun through to dispel the morning cold. The whole site has short-cut veld grass that creates a pleasant bush camp feel. Nine of the stands (4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14 and 15) are next to or very close to the boundary fence. If you’re lucky, a lion or a herd of elephants will walk past your tent, mere metres away. Fortunately, you’re safe thanks to the electric fence between you and the animals. Stands 13 and 15 are excellent choices if you want to be somewhat separate. And if you dislike dirt underfoot, there are five sites with a gravel square in the southeast corner of the camp. Each stand has a braai-on-wheels with a grid, a power point (ordinary socket), tap and rubbish bin. Remember your potjie and triangle stand, because there are braai spots dotted around when you like getting down on the ground. NOBODY WILL BLAME you if you overlook the ablution facilities, because from the outside the building looks like a stable for horses, complete with wooden stable doors. It has eight ‘stables’ – four on each side of the long building – and if you close the door behind you, you have sole use of the bathroom. Six of the bathrooms are equipped with a shower, one with a bath CALM YOURSELF. You can really recharge at Afsaal. The biggest decision you have to make here is whether you should go swimming or to remain at your tent and watch the animals. Bring a bird guide and binoculars.