Name: Chiefs - Namaqua Flower Camps
Address: Namaqua National Park Skilpad Wildflower Reserve, Kamieskroon, Kamieskroon, Kamieskroon, 8241, South Africa
Rating: 8

Smoke-free property

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

General

Non-smoking rooms

Shower

Linens

Toiletries

Rooms

Coffee/tea for guests

Breakfast

Restaurant

Meals

Picnic area

Recreation

Free parking nearby

Parking

Event facilities

Business

Location

At the hotel

Room amenities

Koingnaas Airport

Chiefs - Namaqua Flower Camps

Kamieskroon

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

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king-bed

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limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

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not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

We spend two nights at Skilpad camp. Wonderful flowers, friendly and accommodating staff but not the exclusive glamping experience we had expected. First the setting of the tent were not as per the pictures which promised secluded glamping amongst the flowers- and not behind the service houses of the camp. The room and the view were lovely and we loved the hot showers and tea in the morning. But the beds were uncomfortable, and would have expected down bedding to keep us warm. This is camping in winter and we would also have expected some kind of heating the rooms. Most disappointing however was the food which was below average, cold porridge for breakfast, tasteless deserts and last nights braii seriously disappointing. Also disappointing that the staff knew so little about the area, the park and since it’s a flower camp so very little about the flowers and where to find them. Overall a pleasant experience but definitely overpriced and not what we expected.

Overrated glamping

Charmane after many requests failed to send me directions. We unfortunately relied on Google maps to get to the camp. We landed up getting stuck in sand and had it not been for Good Samaritan travelers and one local farmer we would have been stranded for the night. Totally unacceptable to first time travel to the region.

Do not use this company!!!!

We had such a great time at the Flower Camp! The tents were very comfortable. Everything ran like clockwork. The service from the staff was very good. They were friendly and welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. The location of the camp is really beautiful with a great beach for the kids to play on.

What an amazing experience

We were two couples in two tents. The setting at the beach is beautiful. The flowers were great. Staff friendly and helpful. We all understand that it is expensive to bring in everything and set up the site. However, 5-star glamping it certainly was not. We were disappointed that our tents were not next to the sea as this was what we had assumed would be our position from the advertising. 1. Some beds were not level - OK if head is up, not if a side is up. 2. Food was third-rate: (a) "High tea" was a cup of tea and two tired, unidentifiable pastries - no scone or sandwich? (b) "Snacks" before dinner were little peanuts and popcorn (!) - no canapes? (c) Cold plates at dinner - unforgivable, what's wrong with tea-light warmers in the tent once you bring them out? (d) Main meal soup and main course tasteless, cold and poorly presented, dessert much better; (e) Breakfast fruit, pastries and frittata OK (only just), but no yoghurt or toast? All this would be barely acceptable from a spit-and-sawdust pub.
If we hadn't had a pleasant scramble on the beach and the company of good friends, the whole experience would have been a total disaster. As it is, I feel it was a rip-off.

Overpriced and under-delivered (Beach 2019)

Such lovely staff who had set up a wonderful camp full of little touches to make it more attractive and comfortable.  This is “glamping ” and despite freezing weather we were never cold with electric blankets, heaters, fires all over.  Food was hearty and plentiful. Highly recommend Skilpad as a short drive away were acres of lovely wildflowers.  We heard from a couple who had stayed the previous night at the Beach Camp and they were full of praise so we will try that next time too

Skilpad flower camp

The namaqua  flower tent camp was a great experience.
To prepare everything without electricity and water and far from supporting town was mind bubbling 
The tent was really luxurious, to get hot water for your shower was such a nice experience 
Food was great 
Best was the staff. Best I’ve experienced in a long time .
If you need a mind setter to think about live and how complexed our lives are , go for the tent camp
Further more the flowers were beautiful 
Far to drive , but worth it !!!!!!

What an experience 

A bucket list item - to see the "desert" in bloom - found us driving from Cape Town to Namaqualand. There are two camps, the Flower Camp and the Beach Camp. The former  aims to provide the "valleys with carpets of flowers" experience, and the latter the more exotic plants surviving the cold Atlantic west coast. We aimed for the Flower Camp, but late in the day had to relocate after one night to the Beach Camp, which limited the flower spotting, unfortunately. As there are only a dozen or so two-person "clamping' tents this was sad. 

We also arrived in mid-September to find that the flowers had been a week or two early in 2018 (for the third year, apparently) but we still saw enough to make the 1,200km round trip (much of it on taxing dirt roads) worthwhile. I guess you have resign yourself to being at the mercy of Mother Nature!

The highlight was meeting some very convivial, like minded couples, and enjoying excellent cuisine courtesy of Craig Cormac ("The Goose Roasters" in Stellenbosch, and whose restaurant Salt can be found in Elgin, near Cape Town). 

The leisurely ramble around the walk from and back to the Park Station 1km from the Flower Camp still had very many flowers (and occasional tortoise) to offer. The grave site of the van Wyks is also quite touching. Found out why Aussies ignore the cliche and keep their dangly cork hats as the flies are very, very persistent in the  bush, so ignore fashion and do the same!

The Beach Camp had only the very small, rock-clinging plants to offer, but the beach walk and the sound of the sea, and the sun setting over the Atlantic was very life-restoring.

Go - take a chance!

3 Nights at Skilpad Camp. There were hardly any flowers. We booked middle August and could have been informed that the experience would not be as advertised. My feeling is that Chiefs should also accept that their offering is flower season dependent and should withdraw if they are unable to deliver the complete experience. There were still adverts running in September despite the poor flower show. Directions should be given some attention as it was a bit confusing. Hosts were very friendly. Accommodation was good but I feel the tents are set up too close to one another. We had booked a double bed and slept well. The bathroom area was challenging. The shower plank was on an sloped angle and slippery and caused at least one fall. Hot water at hand is also a luxury item especially on an icy night just before bedtime. Hand in hand with luxury camping goes good food. Experienced chefs can achieve something quite extraordinary even though it is with a bush kitchen. The offerings were mediocre and I feel they should up the standard. The deserts especially left us really disappointed - a slice of banana bread with a nondescript sauce and a swipe of berry coulis?? All in all it was ok, just camping, but not for the price asked.

Glamping ?

I have done this trip 3 times and enjoy it every time. The attention to detail, guest comfort, electric blankets and crisp linnen, great food, wonderful ambiance, views etc etc. Loved the new tents with the en suite bathroom. We were prepared for cold nights from last trip, but woa, it can get cold in the park. My group of 10 guest and our botanist enjoyed every moment and made the trip exceptional. Thanks Chiefs.

Chiefs - Top class experience

I won 2 nights at Beach Camp and 2 nights at Skilpad through a competition in Getaway magazine. My partner and I were ecstatic at the prospect of spending some time in nature, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Charmane contacted me regarding bookings and was an absolute sweetheart - she promptly responded to emails and sent us all the info, the whole process was very easy. 

We started off at Beach Camp - we did not realise that the last almost 60km would be rather bumpy gravel road. We drove in a sedan, and did struggle with the sandy road here and there, but all in all it was not impossible driving. Directions could be a bit clearer. The long and bumpy drive also fades from memory when you reach the camp. The view from Beach Camp is a winner!! It's incredibly beautiful and all the tents have sea views. Yolandi received us at camp booked us in, and we were just in time for high tea. We had a lovely cup of herbal tea and retired to the tent for a relaxing afternoon. Dinner was amazing - it's really incredible what can be achieved in a camp kitchen. Starter and dessert was plated, while mains were buffet style. I'm not much of a meat-eater and found that there were enough salads and starches to satisfy my hunger. Service was really great - everybody was friendly. 

The tents have 2 3/4 beds each, fitted with an electric blanket, a duvet and two blankets. It was quite chilly after dinner, but the beds were turned down and it was nice and cosy. We were a bit sad that there was no hot water for washing up after the day (we realised the next morning that a bucket of hot water was left underneath one of the beds with turndown the previous night, but in the dark we missed it) but we made do with the cold water in the basin. 

Nothing, absolutely nothing, beats waking up to the sound of the ocean, and when you zip open your tent there is a nice flask of coffee waiting and you can look at the view while sipping coffee and eating rusks. We requested a shower at 7am, and the guys bringing the hot water were very prompt and friendly. Shower was surprisingly refreshing. The water is nice and hot, and lasts longer than you might expect. Getting dry and dressed is a challenge in the small dressing room, but manageable. Likewise, the chemical toilet is a challenge, with the wind blowing on the tent it stands in, you do feel like you might get blown over. But all in all, these are the joys of camping and are to be expected. We stayed in Beach Camp for 2 nights and were heartbroken when we had to leave. It's definitely a recommended stop!!

Unfortunately our experience at Skilpad camp is very different. Skilpad's only real attraction is the flowers - unfortunately, 2017 has been a very dry year, and there were almost no flowers - maybe a tiny lonely flower here and there. Definitely nothing the hosts can do about this - but it would have been nice to be made aware of the fact. We arrived at around 12.30 (and were very kindly checked in earlier) to a scorching dry desert. Temperatures were around 35 degrees, the tents were impossible to be in, there was no water, the toilet was still dirty. My partner and I were not impressed. The bar had not yet opened, but since we couldn't relax in the tent as we had in Beach Camp (too warm, you couldn't breathe in there), we read in the Daisy Diner for the rest of the afternoon. Dinner was okay - both starter and main were plated, and was quite tasty. Portions were massive, and most people at our table couldn't finish their plates. Beds at Skilpad are reminiscent of 'koshuis' beds. Very small with lumpy mattresses and thin and stained duvets. The temperature dropped from 35 degrees to around 5 degrees at night, and the wind was crazy - again, the joys of camping, but we were freezing. We woke up to a rainy and misty morning and decided to forfeit our second night at Skilpad and leave for home early. All in all, Skilpad's only redeeming factor is the incredibly friendly service. 

I would definitely recommend Beach Camp to everyone - I cannot get enough of the view and the ambiance. Thank you so much for this incredible prize!

Chiefs - Namaqua Flower Camps

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