On a Friday night around 10 PM, following sundowners at Sardinia Bay, sitting with friends and sharing a few drinks, one of them suddenly says, “Why don’t we go for a 4×4 trip to the Baviaans tomorrow?” And guess who was the first to say yes? Yep, that would be us. This happened without a second thought, completely forgetting that we had a full day planned. But hey, spontaneity is the spice of life, right?

The plan was simple: meet at 9 AM, stop to buy supplies, and head to the Baviaans.

The next morning, we packed the car early and picked up our friends since we had the “manly” car for this adventure through the Baviaanskloof. We stopped for breakfast and coffee at the Windfarm. By this time, I had already phoned to book some accommodation for us. Last chalet available on the farm we like to stay at—score!

An hour later, we were at Komdomo to buy our day pass to drive through the reserve. While we sorted out the paperwork, Roger deflated the tires for the terrain ahead.

Our first stop after the gate was Poortjie. Here, we parked in the shade because, by 11 AM, it was already 35 degrees. We walked about 50 meters to dip our feet in the river and let the fish nibble at them. The water was so refreshing and the perfect recipe to cool us down.

Back in the car, the real fun began. The road was rough, but nothing our “manly car” couldn’t manage. First, the climb up a mountain pass with lots of bumps, and when we reached the top, there was a nice flat road where we spotted some buffalo. This was our first time spotting them in the Baviaans. What a special moment!

From there, we headed down the pass, and things got even more interesting. Now, we’ve done this road many times, but it felt like this time the road was the worst (most fun) yet. Carrying on down the mountain, there are breathtaking views of mountain ranges that make you feel so small in the grand scheme of things.

Time for our next stop. We pulled in at Doodsklip for refreshments and to stretch our legs. We walked to the dam, and boy, the water was just too inviting. Next minute, I was in the water (not in a very ladylike manner, mud all over the show), clothes and all, because the 39 degrees was just too much for me. Roger and our friends joined in shortly after. After getting out, we continued our trip and headed to the Western gate, spotting some kudu, buck, baboons, and likkewaan on our way.

Just a few kilometers outside the gate was our accommodation.

Pieter at Zandvlakte was our host. We arrived to a friendly welcome from him, his daughter, a gang of dogs, and a few tortoises. They have a few options for accommodation and can cater to bigger groups. It was still extremely warm, so we headed straight for the pool for another cool down.

They had set up a lovely portable braai for us where we could sit under the canopy of a bougainvillea tree and solve the world’s problems with a nice glass of red wine and a few well-deserved whiskeys.

The next day, we headed back the same way we came, and boy, how amazing is it that going in the other direction which makes everything look completely different?

An hour into our drive, we stopped for the traditional coffee break next to a river. Here, Roger forgot for a minute that he was an not a spring chicken any loger, and the little boy inside him came out as he poured a glass of ice-cold river water over our Richard’s back. Well, that wasn’t the end. Richard had to get him back. Paula and I stood watching these boys which was rather entertaining. Richard chasing Roger up a hill to get him back was really the funniest thing to see. Eventually, the girls had to make them get in the car so we could head on to the next gate.

This time, we didn’t see much game, but we did get to see the buffalo again. They were very close to the road and were showing off how amazing they are.

After leaving the East gate, we stopped at some other possible accommodation options for our future adventures. We ended off with a visit to Padlangs for a bite to eat. And just like that, an unforgettable weekend came to an end.