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Great images DQ & Guinea Pig!!!
Was there during easter weekend, and had such a wonderful time with family & kids ( trails , walks etc.) That pufadder looks ready to strike....it won't be that infamous if it succeeds
GG is packed with a variety of different animals & birds...some of my sightings include: bearded vulture, rock kestrel, grassbird, redwinged starlings to name a few. I also spotted : eland, black wildebeest, babbons, zebra and mountain reedbuck.

Ups I somehow missed all your brilliant pictures Duques & GP Looks very inviting.

Thanks also for your pictures JCM - the one with the elands is awesome

Obviously another park to include to the many many others which we should visit

This is my first post but I am an old reader of this very helpful forum . We are a family with 2 teenagers coming to South Africa next July. Last year we visited the western part of the country and Kgalagadi, this year the idea is to fly to JNB, spend the first 3 nights at the Golden Gate NP, visit the KwaZulu-Natal and finish with Kruger. Everything is booked with the exception of the first 3 nights. We have planned to hike in GGNP, do the Sentinel trail and visit the Basotho Cultural Village.
We love self-catering and no-frill accommodation but we can’t decide if it is better to spend the nights in a 4 bedded rondawel in Gleen Reenen or at the Bashoto Village rest camp (the cost is the same). From this forum we got a lot of info about the former, but we know almost nothing about the Basotho rest camp. In particular we have some concern about security as we read that the place is deserted at night.
Please, any suggestion or advise that can help us deciding is welcome! Thank you

Welcome to the forums michela!

Family of mine visited GGNP last month, and stayed in the rondawels. They were pleasantly surprised, found them clean and luxurious, with great service by the staff.
So it's a definite yes from them.

Welcome to the forum michela09!
I'm not sure but the Bashoto Village either falls in the Qwaqwa Nature Park or Lesotho.
Thus if a forumite do have some advice for you on the Village they will PM you with info.
The Sentinel Trail, which falls under Witsieshoek - Qwaqwa - is a awesome trail and worth doing

As Duques suggested, will I also opt to stay at GGHNP, all the places you want to visit, even the Sentinel Trail - is not a very long drive away.

Wow, thank you for your very fast reply.
Boorgatspook, sorry if I did something against the rules; I posted this message because the rondawels at the Basotho Village Rest Camp can now (actually, from last week) be booked through the SANParks reservation system, but very few information is given.

I didn't know that michela09
Then you have done nothing wrong
I see now that it does show on the Availability check, but not on the Accommodation
Thus the reason I thought it was not part of SANParks

Qwa Qwa Nature Reserve has finally been incorporated into Golden Gate. Took ages to get this done. Look at 'Golden Gate Highlands NP – Poised to attract more tourists to the Free State' and 'Incorporation of the Qwa Qwa Nature Reserve into Golden Gate NP'
I don't know when the last article was published though. Think the incorporation got finalised in the last month or two.

The Basotho Village really looked nice when we last visited there. Can unfortunately not tell you what it is like at night or even what the rondawels look like inside.
It does get a few tour busses during the day that might put me off. Gets a bit noisy for my liking.
Glen Reenen might be easier if you want to go hiking etc. You won't have to drive anywhere but can start right from camp. Not sure what activities are on offer at the Basotho Village.

Thank you Johann

Has anyone stayed in the basotho cultural village rest camp in Golden Gate? Would appreciate any feedback on the accomodation and the park at this time of year.

Basotho Cultural Village Rest Camp

“The Free State landscape gladdens my heart, no matter what my mood. When I am here I feel that nothing can shut me in, that my thoughts can roam as far as the horizons.” These are the words used by the former State President Nelson Mandela in his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.

It is here where Basotho Cultural Village Rest Camp nestles on the eastern side of the Amalgamated Golden Gate Highlands National Park. The Camp resembles an 18th century Basotho Village. The surroundings take you back from the pathway of previous times to the modern days, here the Basotho lifestyle, architectural and hospitality is the order of the day.

The Basotho Cultural Village Rest Camp offers comfortable self catering accommodation with splendid view where game viewing is practically enjoyed without the trouble of having to embark on a game searching journey.

The Camp also has communal braai facilities that are shared amongst families sharing the kraal and also private webber braai facilities for every chalet.

Kgotso! We greet You in Peace, come stay with us, dance to our rhythm, sip from our traditional beer, consult our Ngaka (Traditional Healer) and come to Lekhotla (the gathering place for men).

The tranquil and healing cultural heritage experience awaits you, Kgotso!! Pula!! Nala!!

Activities:

• Game viewing drives (self driven) – it is not only the game that one get to enjoy in this part of the world, one gets to enjoy rock formation, birds, grassland and the beautiful scenery that forms part of the Drakensberg and Maluti mountains.
• Museum tours – visitors get to feel the Basotho experience by tasting traditional cuisine, getting to know equipments and weapons that were used then.
• Cultural route, one gets afforded an opportunity to be taken through the Basotho culture and the way of living dating back from the sixteen century to date.
• Herbal trail, visitors are lead through this trail in order to be educated about the medicines that were used and are still by the African Traditional Healers.

Where to Find Basotho Cultural Village Rest Camp:

This jewel of the Basotho Populace and the Eastern Free State in general is situated in the heart of the three major metropolis and only 55km from Harrismith and the N3. It is sited along the Maluti Drankensburg Route only 350km from Pietermaritzburg, 330km from Bloemfontein and 320km from Johannesburg.
Basotho Cultural Village is only 42km away from the renowned Clarens, a tourist Mecca of the Free State Province through the scenic Golden Gate Highlands National Park.

Basotho Cultural Village Rest Camp nestles on the eastern side of the Amalgamated Golden Gate Highlands National Park. The Camp resembles an 18th century Basotho Village. The surroundings take you back from the pathway of previous times to the modern days, here the Basotho lifestyle, architectural and hospitality is the order of the day.

The Basotho Cultural Village Rest Camp offers comfortable self catering accommodation with splendid view where game viewing is practically enjoyed without the trouble of having to embark on a game searching journey.

Can anyone tell me how far the Glen Reenen accommodation is from the soon to be upgraded Brandwag Hotel and is it within walking distance?
Thanks

Hi Jozigirl

It is not a long distance; I think it can be a Kilometer or less to Glen Reenen from Brandwag Hotel.

Thanks for the info to all of you.
At the end we have booked at Glen Reenen as hiking is the highlight, but we would like to visit the Basotho Village and have a look to the Basotho rest camp as well. Maybe you will appreciate a small trip report, but for that you have to wait till September as we are going to spend 32 days on vacation in SA. How lucky we are !!! (only 12 days left and than we come!)