Honey Bee Camp at Platbos Forest, Overberg

25/2/2015

By Roxanne Reid
In an earlier post I talked about walking in the calming indigenous forest of Platbos near Gansbaai and De Kelders in the Western Cape, a two- to three-hour drive east of Cape Town. And I promised to tell you more about where we stayed, at the Honey Bee Camp at Platbos Forest, Overberg.

Honey Bee Camp may be secreted away inside a patch of indigenous forest just a few kilometres from the whale watching and great white shark hotspot that is Gansbaai, but it’s millions of miles away in setting, mood and atmosphere.

We found it sheltered by a huge white stinkwood tree with a gnarled trunk and branches spreading wide to create shade. In the evening a full moon peeped out between its branches; in the morning, sunlight played among its leaves as the sombre greenbul and Cape robin chirruped to welcome the new day.

Your bedroom under the tree canopy; you can roll up the sides of the tent too

The setting in a clearing under the tree canopy was enchanting. There was a tented bedroom on a wooden deck. The front and side walls of the tent could be rolled up or down according to our whim, and a huge mosquito net draped over the bed to keep those pests and other insects away as we slept. The space was small, not much room for luggage – a reminder to keep it simple.

Lichens thrive at Platbos, a sign of a healthy forest

A few metres away we had a braai area and an open-air kitchen with two-plate gas stove, sink and all the pots, crockery and cutlery we needed for our stay. There was an outdoor shower with donkey boiler where I enjoyed two wonderful hot showers surrounded by nature and the sound of birds bustling about in the trees. And there was a waterless composting loo a short walk down a path of natural leaf mulch. Given that the camp was completely off-grid, there were candles to light our way in the darkness, but we were glad we’d taken our head torches and two battery-fed LED lights as well.

The dappled shade in the forest makes a braai an option even at lunch time

At first it was hard to believe we really had all that space to ourselves, our own private patch of indigenous forest. Around six on our first evening we heard barking and, still steeped in our Big City consciousness, we thought, ‘Jeez, you just can’t get away from dogs anywhere!’ Then we remembered that bushbuck bark just like dogs and somehow it all felt special again.

Don't miss the chance to enjoy the benefits of a forest walk at Platbos

This was camping in a beautiful setting and with a really nice (proper) bed, with proper linen instead of sleeping bags. There was a gap between the bottom of the tent walls and the floor, which initially had us worried about snakes coming to share our space (we’re used to camping in a closed tent with groundsheet all in one). But once I was in bed, looking up at the white stinkwood tree through the clear Perspex roof and watching the buttery full moon, all such thoughts simply evaporated.

The open-air kitchen with the donkey boiler and shower to the left

We had our camping fridge in the car so the lack of a fridge wasn’t a problem, but you could also bring a cooler bag and refreeze your blue blokkies in the communal fridge at Platbos's info kiosk. That’s also the place to buy ice or firewood for the braai; just stick your money in the honesty box.

Honey Bee Camp in the Platbos Forest is a lovely place to spend at least two nights - off the grid, private, romantic and calming. To get the most out of your visit I recommend taking a walk in the forest – it’s a chance to meet some of the stars of the forest, from milkwoods and sea guarris to wild peach and white pear.

The natural, open-air shower was one of my favourite things about Honey Bee Camp

Need to know

Apart from Honey Bee Camp, you can also stay at Forest Camp or Old Olive Cabin, etc. More details about what each offers at www.platbos.co.za.
How to get there: take the R43 from Stanford to Gansbaai. About 12km from Stanford take the left turn towards Grootbos. 6km further on this gravel road you’ll come to the Platbos turnoff on your right.
Get a map of the walking trails from the info kiosk. If you’re staying at Platbos, the trails are free; if not, you need to pay R50 an adult and R20 a child into the honesty box. Day visitors should book ahead on 082-4110448 (Mon-Fri, office hours).
For more info about the forest, read my post Platbos indigenous forest in the Overberg.