Hotel Review: Sperrgebiet Lodge, Northern Cape
These luxury, self-catering units in the northern Namaqualand veld have free wifi, a pool, and a succulent nursery so you can take back your own piece of the land, writes Nick Yell
LOCATION
About 2.5km off the N7, 10km south of Springbok and 120km from the Namibian border.
ROOMS
There are six luxury, self-catering units, one of which is a family unit with accommodation for children. All are en-suite, air-conditioned, with DStv, and patios with braai facilities.
STYLE
The units are rustic-chic and the architecture taps into the bush-lodge style of adobe coloured walls, sweet smelling thatch and resinous gum poles. But the furniture and fittings are contemporary design and of high standard. The kitchen appliances are top-notch, the beds and bedding of high quality and I found the place spotless.
FACILITIES
There's free wifi, a pool, dining room, a succulent nursery and a small shop with handmade items and local produce for sale. There are also well-marked mountain-bike and walking trails running through 300ha of quiver tree-studded Northern Cape veld and rocky koppies.
THE EATING
Predominantly self-catering, but your hosts will provide breakfast on request. There are a number of good restaurants and takeaway franchises in Springbok.
THE 'DO' LIST
The northern Namaqualand veld, with its boulder-strewn koppies and unique succulent vegetation, is the ideal place to wander about in, especially in the lower temperatures of winter.
I did exactly that in the early morning, looking for signs of the jackals I'd heard yelping the night before and seeing if I could identify any other spoor in the gritty surfaces between the ironstone rocks and alien-like quiver trees.
For activities, visit the Goegap Nature Reserve; horse ride on a neighbouring farm; mountain bike and hike to your heart's content; bird-watch; and keep watch for naturally occurring mammals and reptiles. Or play golf in nearby Springbok.
BEST TIME TO GO
Flower season (mid-July to mid-August) or May-June and September-October to avoid the searing summer temperatures.
RATES
R900 to R1,200 per unit for two people and R700 to R1,000 for a single person staying in a two person unit. Children under 12 stay free.
BOOKING
Call 071-680-8494 or 086-445-5360 or e-mail info@sperrgebietlodge.co.za...
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