Vloedbos Caledon

A family camping weekend in the Overberg

If you are looking for a very quiet, secluded camping weekend, Vloedbos is probably not the one - especially during school holidays. It gets busy, the campsites are fairly close together and the really peaceful part of the day is usually early in the morning. But for a weekend with children, it works. There is so much for them to do that the adults can actually sit around the braai and relax for a while.

The campsite

Vloedbos is on the R326 between Caledon and Bredasdorp, about 45 km from Hermanus. It feels more like an old-fashioned family holiday resort than a wilderness campsite: lots of grass, children riding around, swimming, playing and families braaiing in the evenings.

 

There are 56 tent and caravan stands. Most are grassed and each stand has electricity and a braai drum. The sites can feel quite close when it is busy, so I would not choose Vloedbos for privacy. With children, though, that bothered us far less because they spent most of the day away from the campsite anyway.

 

If camping is not your thing, there are also self-catering units. Unlike the camping stands, those have their own private bathroom facilities.

What the kids can do

Swimming is probably the biggest drawcard. There are two outdoor pools, a heated indoor pool, a supertube and a speed slide. The heated pool is a real bonus when the weather is cooler and means the weekend is not completely dependent on a hot summer day.

 

There is also plenty to do away from the pools. The little train, open grass areas, play parks and trampoline make it very easy for children to keep themselves busy.

 

 

Other activities include mini-golf, table tennis, fishing, paintball, dirt tracks, hiking and birdwatching. There is also a small animal area, which is always an easy win with younger children.

 

A quieter side of Vloedbos

For a break from the pools and play areas, you can walk around the property or head up towards the Vloedbos sign for views over the surrounding countryside. There is also a dam and stream on the property. Early mornings were the time I would choose for this, before the resort really gets going.

The ablutions - worth thinking about when you book

The camping stands do not have private bathrooms. There are three communal ablution blocks plus two family bathrooms, with showers, toilets, baths, dishwashing sinks, laundry basins and a washing machine.

The important part for families is the location of your stand. Some sites are quite a walk from the bathrooms. If you have a small child who suddenly needs the toilet every five minutes, I would ask for a stand closer to the ablutions when booking.

Food and the practical bits

There is an on-site restaurant/takeaway for the days when nobody feels like cooking again. The food is simple holiday food - burgers and chips, fish and chips, toasted sandwiches, ribs, milkshakes and ice cream. We would still plan to braai most of the time, but it is useful to have the option.

 

When I would go

For proper swimming weather, December and January make sense, but that is also when I would expect Vloedbos to feel busiest. If I had the choice, I would probably lean towards March or April for a better balance of warm weather and a slightly calmer atmosphere. The wind is something to keep in mind.

September can also work if you do not mind cooler weather. The heated indoor pool makes a big difference at that time of year.

If you want to explore nearby

There is enough at Vloedbos that you do not really need to leave for a short weekend. If you are staying longer, Caledon is nearby for the hot springs, and Hermanus is about 45 km away for the coast, restaurants and, in season, whale watching. Stanford is another easy Overberg outing if you feel like a slower village day.

Would we go again?

For a quiet couples' weekend, probably not. With children, yes. Vloedbos is not about privacy or sitting silently in nature. It is about the kids swimming, playing, riding around, visiting the animals and finding something else to do before they have even finished the first thing.

And sometimes that is exactly the kind of camping weekend you need.