10 things to do at the Bontebok National Park

By Roxanne Reid
We arrived at Bontebok National Park near Swellendam at the foot of the Langeberg in the grip of a heatwave. The veld was dry, the sun was on the boil and hundreds of miggies were elbowing each other to get up our noses. But the tiny park makes a good stopover between Cape Town and the Garden Route, offering a raft of activities. Here are 10 things to do at the Bontebok National Park.

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1. Go on a game viewing drive

If you come to the Bontebok National Park expecting a Big Five game safari, you’ll be disappointed. But if you can adjust your expectations to appreciating the small things, you can still have a good time. Two game-drive loops together make up about 20km of dirt road, with some great views of the Breede River and the surrounding countryside. The park was formed way back in the 1930s to save the last 17 bontebok from extinction. Nowadays global numbers are more like 3000, about 200 of which live here. Other animals you might see are red hartebeest, grey rhebok, steenbok and Cape mountain zebra, with Cape clawless otter along the edges of the Breede River.

2. Get into the saddle
Bring your mountain bike and you’ll be able to ride any of the dirt roads in the park or the 9.2km mountain bike trail laid out southeast of reception. It takes you to the Skilpad dam, a perennial waterhole where you might see bontebok or red hartebeest. 

3. Go for a nature walk

Walk the short Acacia Trail

There are four walking trails in the park, from the short 1.6km Acacia Trail to the 5.4km Bushbuck Trail that follows the Breede River upstream to Die Stroom (see no. 4). On our visit, the veld was dry and the air super-heated, making even a couple of kilometres a sweat, but you can combine your short walk with a drive to Die Stroom for a swim to cool off.

4. Spend the day at Die Stroom

Die Stroom has facilities for swimming, picnicking and braaing, as well as a kiddies' jungle gym

Die Stroom is a picnic/braai site where you can swim in the Breede River. It’s open to both overnight visitors and anyone visiting for the day. You’ll find some trees for shade, green grass and lots of space for the kids to play. Ablutions too. Just remember to bring your own firewood (or buy it at park reception) and braai grid.

4. Go fishing
Take your fishing tackle, buy a fishing licence from reception if you don’t already have one, and spend a peaceful few hours fishing for carp or barbel in the river. All local species must be released.

5. Go in search of plants

Keep your eyes peeled and you're bound to find some small but colourful flowers

If you’re a plant lover, you’ll find intriguing elements of the biologically diverse Cape Floral Kingdom in the park’s restios, ericas and proteas, not to mention aloes and rare renosterveld plants. There’s always something in bloom here, although spring is the most colourful season.

6. Go kayaking
Bring along your canoe or kayak and spend some time on the river. It’s a quiet and peaceful way to move close to water birds or get a good upper body workout (if that’s your thing).

7. Watch the birds
Bontebok National Park has some 200 species of birds, including specials like Denham’s bustard, our national bird the blue crane, southern black korhaan, malachite and lesser doublecollared sunbird, and Klaas’s cuckoo (in summer). If you explore the bush along the riverbanks you might also find swee waxbill and water thick-knee. We heard some lyrical but very insistent fiery-necked nightjars at the campsite in the evenings.

8. Spend the night with Lang Elsie

The self-catering chalets at Lang Elsie's Kraal

Lang Elsie’s Kraal rest camp is named after the female captain of the Hessequa Khoikhoi who lived in the area with her followers in the 18th century. Today there are 10 fully equipped, self-catering wooden chalets here, each with a raised deck perfect for lounging on. Most don’t have a view of the river because the vegetation in front is too high; number 8 has the best view of the river, with numbers 7 and 9 as second-best. The chalets can be very hot in summer, when the afternoon sun streams in through the floor-to-ceiling windows and doors.

9. Go camping 

Bontebok often come to the campsite to enjoy the grass

Go out of season as we did and you'll find the campsite almost deserted

There’s a really nice campsite to one side of the wooden chalets, with electrical points at each site and good ablutions. If you’re looking for shade and privacy, you’d best pitch a tent because the low-hanging tree branches made it difficult to park a caravan or camper anywhere that will take advantage of the shade. I can’t remember ever camping here without a visit from at least a few bontebok chomping on the campsite’s grass. Between November and April, you can choose to camp at the Riverside Campsite below the chalets. There are no power points and the site is closed during the winter rainy season.

10. Go to town

Take your bike and explore the town of Swellendam

The town of Swellendam is just 5km away and crammed with cool stuff to do. Visit the Drostdy museum, have lunch at one of a bundle of enticing restaurants and coffee shops, go on a township tour, cruise the galleries, visit a pottery, taste honey and see live bees, go walking in the mountains above the town or take the kids to the fairy sanctuary. If you can’t find something to appeal to you from the bounty on offer, it might be time to see a doctor to check if you still have a pulse.

You may also like:
20 things to do in Swellendam in the Overberg 

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