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Posh tents and fine dining

Taking canvas to a new, luxe level … if this is camping, we’re all in!

To be honest, a tent, a canvas camp bed and a potjie just doesn’t appeal. The word camping brings us out in a rash. But then we heard about these Canvas Collective Africa Posh Tent and The Field Kitchen wilderness experiences … and we’re all in.

The company, founded earlier this year by luxury camping and specialist event veterans Dez Lundy and Samara Stern, is said to be a truly unique camping and cuisine offering, all in some of the Western Cape’s most breathtakingly beautiful regions. Guests on The Posh Tent and The Field Kitchen wilderness experiences will journey into gloriously remote locations, merging haute camping with fine cuisine and the great outdoors. So what awaits intrepid road trippers, they say, is an immersive experience where locations will be determined by the sunshine quota, and where bountiful biomes are flush with forage-worthy ingredients.

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There are ten Posh Tents that create the intimate mobile camp site – all constructed of canvas and elegantly appointed … so they’ll be perfect for adventurists and nature enthusiasts who relish camping but also appreciate a little pampering and don’t mind skipping the schlep work (hello … did we hear our name?).

When you step through the tent flap you’ll find a high-end haven – a two-sleeper complete with state-of-the-art camping amenities (think an en-suite bathroom with a rain shower and even a private fancy flushing loo). The living area is intimate yet roomy and centred by a Queen-sized bed. Around the periphery, you’ll find handcrafted furniture, rugs, and freestanding lamps, all contributing a cosy and contemporary space. The tents have also been constructed to allow for plenty of head room. Outside, nature watching is the order of the day, best observed from comfortable outdoor loungers and deep cushions.

Just as exciting, and enticing, is The Field Kitchen, South Africa’s first truly-mobile fine-dining restaurant, which launched at the same time and is in the masterful hands of authentic food forager Greg Henderson. Chef-in-residence Henderson, who has travelled extensively throughout Africa, draws from the diverse ecosystems and biomes of each location. Gastronomes can expect adventurous yet approachable dishes that will incorporate his veld finds and other hyper local ingredients, paired with nearby estate wines and locally distilled spirits. Set inside a mobile glass, steel and canvas cabin, The Field Kitchen has been designed as a bespoke moveable fine dining restaurant and open-plan food studio, so you’ll be privy to the creation of the foraged foods and ingredients as it’s transformed into delicious dishes.

If you fancy this opportunity to go off grid without any compromise on comfort, gastronomy, and style, bookings are now open, and you can choose from three different locations for the remainder of this year. The launch camp is located on an idyllic tranche of farmland in Botrivier in the Overberg region and will be available to über campers until June 30, then from July 7 to September 30, it migrates to the fertile Biedouw Valley, just beyond Clanwilliam for the winter and spring seasons. This is flower season when the landscape becomes a magical palette of colour unique to South Africa. Later in the year – October 7 to December 15, it all moves over to the lesser known Witzenberg region, home to valleys of lush vines, orchards and majestic mountain ranges.

Rates are R8000 per tent per night – with tents accommodating two people; a minimum of two nights booking is required, and the rate includes breakfast in bed, a delicious lunch picnic hamper, high tea in the veld, dinner and lastly, midnight snacks to enjoy under the stars. Also included are all non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages (except international wines and spirits). Guests must be 18 years or older and no pets are permitted as the camps will be erected in nature reserves  and farmlands.

Details and bookings: [email protected], canvascollectiveafrica.com and @canvascollectiveafrica on Instagram

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