Come Closer To Nature

[ Resort Review ] Zwakala River Retreat, Limpopo

- Richard Van Ryneveld

I have a couple of all-time favourite campsites in our beautiful country. The Zwakala River Retreat in the Magoebaskloof Mountains is one of these.

The campsite is on the banks of the often mist-shrouded Broederstroom River, which runs into the nearby Letaba River.

Zwakala is only 8 kilometres from Haenertsberg and a mere 36 kilometres from Tzaneen. The Kruger Park is also relatively close.

The magic of Zwakala – which means “come closer” – starts when you turn of the Magoebaskloof R71 on the sign boarded Cheerio Road. It’s a lovely drive through forests both cultivated and indigenous on the way to the resort owned by the Tooley family, Rob and Denise and their three children.

Zwakala is truly a family affair, a farm with horses, and dogs galore. Rob and Denise’s middle son, Luca, owns the state of the art brewery on site.

On my visit I was met at the gate by a couple of horses, and literally a couple of hundred yards down the road on my left was Luca Tooley’s Zwakala Brewery.

Another hundred yards or so was Mina’s Art Café and Farm venue.