A forest getaway at Platbos

27 Jun 2016

A two-hour drive from Cape Town, and just past Stanford, is a magical green oasis in the form of an ancient milkwood forest. Somewhat of an anomaly, this lush 40 hectare forest has survived and flourished against all odds and is the largest remaining fragment of the Swartkransberg Forests and Africa's southernmost forest.

The ecosystem is fragile however, the location, soil and weather conditions are not usually ideal for this type of forest, so initiatives like the annual Greenpop Platbos Reforest Fest helps to sustain this valuable area.

Lush glamping

My boyfriend and I made the drive out to Platbos for an early anniversary celebration last week and I am so glad that we did. We stayed in the Bush Buck Suite, one of the glamping accommodation options on offer. A rustic, yet cosy wooden cabin with a clear Perspex ceiling and one wall of adjustable canvas flaps gives the impression that you’re sleeping right inside the forest. Yet a stovepipe fireplace and a little kitchen give enough creature comfort so you don’t feel as if you’re roughing it too much. The cabin is off the grid, so all warmth and light is provided by the fireplace, gas cooker, candles and solar-powered lamps, while a donkey boiler supplies hot water for the outside shower.

Image sourced from www.platbos.co.za

Embrace your eco-hippy

The days we were there were cold and wet with multiple bucketing downpours; however this weather was just perfect as the cabin was the best place to snuggle up into with a roaring fire and comfy canopy bed. Luckily, the rain held off for a few hours here and there so we could explore the forest hiking trails, which lead you to a 1000-year-old milkwood tree, a viewing deck and seashell maze. Due to all the recent rain, the forest was lush and fresh - a perfect place to let your inner-eco hippy out. The Bush Buck Suite also offers a hammock and braai area. We took advantage of a gap in the rain on our second night and cooked up a hearty hobbit-sustaining chicken potjie. Walking through a cool forest tends to work up an appetite.

As there is no electricity, our phones didn’t make it to the second day and it was so refreshing not to feel connected to anything other than each other and the location. No TV, no social media, no distractions.

I couldn’t recommend the Bush Buck suite at Platbos enough if looking for a nature-rich and secluded outdoorsy weekend away.

Fore more info or to make a booking go to www.platbos.co.za