Mountain Holiday

When you commit to a Mountain Holiday at Makhangoa Community Camp, you quickly learn that December does not follow a neat plan. It follows weather, water, and people. If you are already thinking about December 2026, this is what the festive season here actually looks like, from my point of view.

A ‘when in Rome’ Christmas

Christmas in the mountains asks you to lean in. The camp was quiet at first, which felt rare and generous. The valley, on the other hand, was filling up. Families returned home, friends arrived from far off, and the days stretched into evenings of cooking, singing, dancing, and sharing the local brew.

Fishing slowed down in the best possible way. With just two guests left in camp at the end of the first half of the season, the approach shifted. Longer mornings on the Bokong River, cigars on the bank, and a late lunch once the heat pushed us off the water. Evenings were unhurried. Packing, early dinners, a last whisky or two, and fish stories that had already grown slightly in the retelling.

Saying yes, almost all the time

Christmas itself blurred past in a mix of cow-bucking contests, baking sessions, and families filling Rosehip Cottage. Sleep was optional after a final big storm rolled through on Christmas Eve, but that felt appropriate for the season.

My answer to most questions during this time was yes. Yes to extra plates. Yes to one more plan. Yes to squeezing more people around the table. One yes nearly ended with an extra cow-bucking participant, until a very firm motherly veto shut that idea down. Sensible, and appreciated.

The valley felt alive. The river was pumping. Makhangoa carried a vibrancy that only shows itself at this time of year.

New Year energy on the river

New Year brought a fresh wave of excitement. The Cox family arrived from England, joined by the Scotts and friends. New rods met the river, and there was that familiar buzz of first casts and first sightings.

Charlie Cox, 15, arrived already casting beautifully and took to the Bokong with confidence. Clara Cox, 11, decided fly fishing could join her long list of goals and landed a 55 cm yellowfish completely on her own. Watching that happen, quietly and without fuss, stayed with me.

The moment that mattered most

The highlight of the festive season was not a dish or a fish. It was watching how the river and the community landed with the kids. Families walked to the village to watch the New Year celebrations, taking it in properly rather than from the edges. One guest danced their way out at the end of the night, triggering cheers and laughter from the village. It felt like the right kind of ending, and the right kind of beginning.

That is what a Mountain Holiday here gives you if you allow it. Time, connection, and moments that do not need polishing.

Looking ahead to December 2026

December at Makhangoa is not loud or forced. It is full. Full river, full valley, full tables. If you want a festive season that feels grounded and shared, now is the time to think ahead to December 2026.

If you are planning a Mountain Holiday for December 2026, reach out and start the conversation about Makhangoa Community Camp. These festive weeks are limited, and they reward early planning.

Written by Hannah
Little Chef at Makhangoa Community Camp