This South African Glamp-site Asks: What if "Moonrise Kingdom" Were Real?

You’d be forgiven for assuming Camp Canoe was the work of a Wes Anderson superfan. The cabins marked with embroidered scout badges, the meticulously clashing plaids, the pleasing symmetry of the pegboard kitchens: It’s like a beautiful, Moonrise Kingdom fever dream. 

But camp founder Amy Kropman sheepishly admits that she hasn’t even seen all of the director’s films. "I’m not a die-hard fan necessarily," she laughs. Never mind, though. Andersonphile or not, the result is quirky, quaint, and utterly inviting. 

Amy runs the glamping retreat in South Africa’s Cape Winelands with husband Tal, and their boys, Reef and Jax, play underfoot. The Kropmans previously operated a successful boutique hostel in Capetown, but when Covid hit, it offered the family a moment to reassess and figure out their next steps.

"We’re always on the lookout for things people aren’t doing," says Amy. So when the family moved out to a wine estate and found the property had a collection of heavy-duty safari tents set up out back—the remains of a never-completed vacation-rental project—the opportunity was too enticing for the hospitality power couple to resist. They called up acclaimed South African design firm Mr. with one directive: "Go wild."