Camp Canoe Glamping Boschendal
- Tarryn Rees
- May 2
- 6 min read
Updated: May 20
There's a moment, somewhere around your second cup of coffee on the deck, when you realise you've not heard a car in hours. Just birdsong, the wind moving through the fynbos, laughter and Siena trying to befriend the mongoose.
The 30-second verdict
Camp Canoe is a glamping stay on the upper slopes of Boschendal Wine Estate, about 45 minutes from Cape Town. Seven private tents, each with a wood-fired hot tub, fireplace, and kitchen, sit above a farm dam. It's marketed for couples, but it absolutely works for a family of three with a school-age child. We'd think hard about it with a baby. But for a romantic-but-make-it-family weekend? It's one of the best stays we've done in South Africa for location and accommodation.
Where it is and getting there
Camp Canoe sits on Boschendal Wine Estate, about halfway between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. From Cape Town airport, it's roughly an hour. From central Cape Town, around 45 minutes.
One thing the website mentions, and I'll repeat because it matters: a high-clearance vehicle is genuinely recommended. The access road up to the camp is gravel with some bumpy stretches. We were in Toyota Starlit and managed fine, but I'd avoid a low sedan if you can.
Booking the right tent for a family
This is the bit other reviews don't explains clearly, so pay attention if you're travelling with kids!
The tents are designed for two adults. Each comes with one king-size bed (or two singles, if you ask) and a separate single day bed/couch that doubles as a sleep spot for one child. There's an option to add a camp stretcher for a second child, but at that point things get tight, and honestly, it's not the layout I'd recommend.
For us, with one six-year-old, she shared the bed with us instead and it wasn't a squeeze.
A few things to know when you book:
Children under 2 stay free. Kids aged 3 to 18 are charged R200 per night extra (this can change, so confirm at time of booking).
You must let them know in advance that you're bringing a child, so they can prepare the day bed and any extras.
All seven tents have the same layout, and you cannot select your preference, they're all lovely though. A few sit higher with a wider sweeping view across the valley although they are then a further walk from the dam.
Inside the tent
Walking in for the first time is genuinely a moment. The tents are huge, with quilted fabric walls, beautiful wooden floors, a king bed under crisp white linen, a working fireplace, and a fully kitted-out kitchen with a SMEG induction hob, fridge, and everything you need to cook a proper dinner.
Little touches that made us smile:
Fresh marshmallows for the fire (Siena's first stop)
A bottle of Camp Canoe rosé already chilled
Coffee, tea, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a bag of ice
4 bags of firewood and charcoal already stacked
Hot water bottles and electric blankets in the colder months
The bathroom is adorable and huge. Two basins, a walk-in shower with great water pressure, and lovely toiletries. Very much not a campsite ablutions block!
The deck, the hot tub, and where you'll actually spend your time
The deck is the magic. A wide wooden platform with a Weber braai, a hammock strung between corner posts, a couple of armchairs, and the wood-fired hot tub off to one side, all looking out over the vineyards and the mountains beyond.
We spent most of our trip out here. Coffee in the morning. Wine at sunset. Siena reading in the hammock. The hot tub fired up properly within about an hour of lighting it, and stayed warm for hours.
A small but important note for parents: the hot tub needs adult supervision with a young child, every time. It's deep, and there's no shallow end. We let Siena get in for short stretches with one of us in there with her, then she'd hop out and dry off by the fire. The water is also genuinely hot, not the lukewarm kind you get at most properties, so you may want to wait until it's settled to a sensible temperature before letting kids in.
What Siena loved
If I'm honest, this is the section that matters most for a family travel review. The hot tub aside, here's what genuinely made her stay.
The marshmallows and the fire. Inevitable, but worth saying. We toasted them on the Weber after dinner both nights and she was beside herself.
Spotting wildlife. We had a meercat mommy with her baby visiting us and a small antelope at the dam in the morning. She still talks about both. Camp Canoe's location means you really do see things you don't normally see.
The dam. A short walk down from the tents is the dam, with canoes you can take out and a little jetty. We sunbathed, canoed and had a picnic one afternoon, the swim is more "wild swimming" than pool swimming, so manage expectations, but the canoe ride is brilliant.
The hammock. Sounds odd for a six-year-old but she spent hours snuggled there with a book, enjoying slow mornings.
Honest considerations for families
I really love this place, and I'd happily go back. But I want to be honest about who it works for and who it doesn't, because the website understandably leans into "couples retreat" marketing.
The space is open-plan. There's no separate bedroom for parents. Once your child is in the day bed, you're tip-toeing around the kitchen and the lounge, talking in whispers. We made it work by going to bed roughly when Siena did, which honestly was lovely. But if you're hoping for late wine on the deck while the kids sleep, you'll need to be quiet.
No kids' club, no playground. This is glamping, not a resort. If your child needs structured entertainment, this isn't your fit. Siena was happy to potter, draw, swim, and explore. A different child might be bored.
You'll cook or order. There's no on-site restaurant. You're either self-catering, ordering pre-packed boxes from Boschendal, or driving 10 minutes down to The Werf or The Deli for meals. With kids, we'd recommend mixing it up.
No load shedding. The whole camp is off-grid, which is a huge plus during South Africa's power cuts. WiFi was strong, fridge was working, induction hob never blinked.
Food: how we did it with a six-year-old
A quick rundown, because food planning makes or breaks a self-catering stay with kids.
We pre-ordered the breakfast box and braai (bbq) box prior to arrival, delivered to the tent. Pastries, fruit, yoghurt, granola, juice, eggs to cook ourselves. Generous, fresh, and a brilliant first morning move when you don't want to think.
For lunches, we were often out exploring Boschendal and ate from the Boschendal Farm Deli and restuarants.
Dinners were the braai box and combination of leftovers and one night we ate at The Werf.
If you want the full breakdown on Boschendal's restaurants, farm shop, and Friday market, head to our wider guide
Things to do with kids at Camp Canoe and around
A short list, because the wider Boschendal guide covers this in depth.
Within a 5-minute walk: dam swimming, canoeing, short hiking trails, plenty of pottering.
On the wider Boschendal estate (short drive): the Farm Shop, The Deli, The Werf, the Friday night summer market, horse rides, and the gardens. Although the BEST part is the free play area "The Treehouse" along with it's summer camp (more on that in the guide).
Within a 30-minute drive: Wine Farms (yes kids belong at wine farms trust us).
Practical info at a glance
Address: Boschendal Estate, Pniel St, Groot, Franschhoek, 7680
Drive from Cape Town: approx. 45 minutes (high-clearance vehicle recommended)
Tent capacity: 2 adults plus 1 child on day bed (stretcher available for 2nd child)
Children's pricing: under 2 free, 3 to 18 R200 per night extra (confirm at booking)
What's included: wood, charcoal, ice, basic pantry, marshmallows, wine, daily cleaning, lighting of the hottub.
What to bring: swimming things for the dam, sun cream, layers for the evenings, kids' snacks, board games.
Connectivity: strong WiFi, off-grid power, decent cell signal
Add-ons worth pre-booking: Food boxes
Cancellation policy: strict. Forfeit 25% at 30 days out, 50% at 21 days, 100% within 14 days
The verdict:
It's perfect for: parents with one school-age child who genuinely enjoy the outdoors. Couples. Small families looking for a slow, nature based weekends within driving distance of Cape Town. Anyone who finds the words "wood-fired hot tub on a private deck" triggering in a good way!
Skip it if: you've got a baby, not pram friendly. You need a kids' club. You're after a buffet breakfast and a pool. You don't have access to a high-clearance car.
For us, it was one of the most peaceful stays we've had as a family, in a great location.
Boschendal Wine Estate
Head there for everything to do, eat, and explore on the rest of the estate
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