Camping in Porterville

During the very long June/July holidays a group of us decided to face the outdoors and go camping in Porterville.  Porterville is a small town up the West Coast, situated near Piketberg.

As we are quite the adventurous group, we decided it was the perfect location for a getaway.  Unfortunately the only space they had available at the time was the campsites without electricity - but we thought, oh well, might as well rough it even more then.

The campsite was clean and very peaceful, and camping prices are extremely reasonable (R160 for four people per night withouth electricity; and R190 for four people per night with electricity).  We had pleasant neighbours and were surrounded by lots of trees and bushes.  The main reason we chose this campsite was for the breath-taking waterfalls that can be seen as you hike up the mountain.  Although not natural waterfalls (i.e. man-made) they were absolutely beautiful.  The hiking trail takes you on a circular route past 22 waterfalls surrounded by indigenous fynbos and trees.  The hike was quite intense (we only made it to about 9 waterfalls) so if you're thinking of trying to conquer it, prepare yourselves!

Our time was occupied by exploring the grounds and sitting around the campfire while enjoying the nature that surrounded us.  Although I don't really mind 'roughing it' every now and then, spiders are definitely a no-no!  As we were in the campsites with no electricity, only the next morning in the sunlight did we see the enormous spiders sitting politely on the walls of the ablution blocks.  Spiders the size of my hand!  After that discovery, showering and using the toilets were a mission to say the least.

The weekend was such a relaxing getaway and perhaps if we had some electricity, we would have been better prepared for our scary visitors!  But if that sort of thing doesn't phase you, I would definitely suggest Porterville for a great getaway where you can soak up the beauty of the nature that surrounds you.