Go! Drive & Camp – September 2019

CAMPING DESTINATION

36 | September 2019 go! Drive & Camp

COMPLEXO PALMEIRAS, PRAIA DO BILENE

Some bitter with the sweet
Praia do Bilene, or just Bilene, lies 250 km
east of Komatipoort and 650 km from
Pretoria. And this is where one of Bilene’s
oldest resorts, Complexo Palmeiras, lies.
The resort has two camping areas: one
is to the left of the gate and the other to
the right. The left-hand camping area
is the one you should aim for, because
it’s the nicest – and the stands closest
to the ablution block are the best in the
resort. The power points are not weather
resistant, but rather the type that belongs
indoors and not outside in the wind and
weather. Fortunately, they are bolted to
short posts with a roof over the socket to
keep rainwater off them. Each stand has
a bright light that you control.

There are no built-up braais, but on

arrival you will be met by two friendly

men who offer to dig a shallow pit and

provide that wood that you can burn

in this pit (for a fee). The stands are also

not raked by the resort’s management

and the same guys who supply wood

will clean your stand. We paid 500

meticals for their services and a large

bundle of firewood.

It is clear that the gardener here takes

pride in his work, because you see flowers

in pots everywhere, the ferns are lush

under the trees, creepers adorn the fences

and bougainvilleas grow like weeds.

THE ABLUTION FACILITIES look nice from

the outside, but the inside is old and worn.

There are three toilets (two were damaged

at the time of our visit), three washbasins

with mirrors and three showers each in

the men’s and women’s side. Each shower

cubicle has a wooden shelf on which you

can place your clothes, but the shower

itself does not have a soap tray nor a spot

for your shampoo. The showers and toilet

doors are at chest-height and if a tall

person passes by, he’ll see what you may

not want on show.

Behind the ablution facilities is

a counter with six sinks where you

wash dishes and rinse out clothes. Other

than the tired condition of the facilities,

there is nothing wrong with their

cleanliness, and the floors and surfaces

are cleaned regularly.

The resort is on the shore of the lovely

Uembje lagoon, which is 27 km long, 8 km

wide and in places up to 50 m deep

Shaun Stevens (centre) of Vanderbijlpark drives a 1996 Defender

110. He camps with his wife, Carien, and their sons, Jaden
     and Joshua, in a Tentco Bush Camper. Shaun’s cousin
     Zanetta van Huijssteen (left) from Potchefstroom and
     her husband, Hansie, drive a 2005 Discovery 3 and tow
     a Sprite Tourer SC.

“We feel safe here and the water is clean. You can go

snorkelling in the lagoon and see the fish clearly. It’s

strange that the resort’s management does not provide

toilet paper, but the ablution facilities are clean at least.”