The Fashionable Frequent Flyers

South Africa was an absolute treat — it offered everything from the Big 5 to penguins on the beach as well as historical sites such as Mandela’s house. Our favorite experience in South Africa, however, is undoubtedly the evening and night we spent in the open-air suite at the beautiful Kagga Kamma. The Kagga Kamma nature preserve is a vast piece of land in the heart of Cederberg, where desert-like terrain meets the wonders of the natural rock formations of the area. The lodge is singularly situated on this enormous piece of land, offering incredible cave and hut suites, a wonderful pool, an elevated spa nestled in between the rock formations, and a main reception and restaurant area. Further secluded in the middle of the preserve are the open-air sky suites–an oasis of seclusion, serenity, and natural wonder.

The best time to experience the open-air sky suites is in the spring or fall. The weather is nice, but not too harsh. The suites are closed during the winter months for obvious reasons. If you do end up visiting Kagga Kamma in the last days of fall, however, (like we did), you’ll still have an epic experience — just make sure you bring warm clothes in order to bundle up! Booking the suite is an additional “add-on” to your stay at Kagga Kamma. What this means is that you’ll book either a Cave or Hut suite, and then you can elect to stay at the suite on one of your nights at the lodge. This is pretty standard for most lodges that have these types of unique open-air stays. It’s set up this way for a variety of reasons, e.g., in case it rains, gets too cold, or you have a change of heart! We know you’re probably thinking “Well what about safety?!” To be honest, we felt safe the entire time! No animals came to the suite and as a precaution (nor has this ever happened), the lodge provided a walkie-talkie to communicate with their staff to ease any of our concerns (or get us if requested).

So what did the open-air suite actually look like? From the entrance into the suite, you had your dining table on the immediate left. Behind the table, a little further into the suite was the fire-powered hot tub. I can’t say enough about this hot tub, and Linda & I definitely enjoyed a nice glass of champagne in the jacuzzi as the sun was setting. Talk about romantic. To the right of the hot tub was the king-sized bed. Ample bedding was provided to keep you warm during the colder nights, so don’t worry about that. To the right of the bed was the open-air shower, which had its own cute little door. The shower was gas-powered and provided hot water. In front of the bed is a seating area around a fireplace — this is where the true magic of the night lie. I’m so proud of myself for starting a gargantuan fire all by myself. That fire didn’t go out until 2:30 AM. On the other side of the open-air suite are the toilet and the vanity area. This suite really had everything — except electricity (because what fun would that be). This was truly the perfect place to become one with nature.

When it came to dinner, it felt like we were doing it like the real-life Flintstones!!! Our food had been prepped ahead of time and was placed in a cooler when we arrived at the suite. The fear of starvation was not here because they supplied us with ample amounts of beverages, wine, snacks, appetizers, lasagna, and marinated meat for us to grill! Everything was delicious! The entire grilling experience was the main event. Justin was super proud of the fire that he created and was eager to grill our meat on the flames that he had painstakingly created. We started off eating the first portion of our meal in our dining area made of stone slabs and eventually ended it with dessert by the fire!

Overall, this experience was unlike any other stay that we’ve had before. From the stone-carved decor, and an epic sunset, to sleeping under the bright stars…this was an evening we’ll never forget. Being close to nature while still having access to certain amenities like a shower and jacuzzi was a plus. Also, we were literally off the grid, with no wifi and no phones to distract us, we had uninterrupted time together which brought us closer. If you like glamping, being outdoors, and want to try something different, then this is the experience for YOU!