A Journey from the Cape to the Karakoram
The Springbok Cafe is a unique cultural bridge, born from a life lived between two worlds.
Our founder, a native Afrikaans speaker from Johannesburg, witnessed the birth of the “Rainbow Nation” before dedicating 30 years to shaping minds as a Master Educator and Headmistress across Pakistan.
Today, she has traded the classroom for the kitchen, bringing that same passion for excellence and heritage to the heart of Hunza Valley.
The "Lekker" Promise
We bake our own bread, buns, rolls, cookies and brownies, knead our own dough, and source our Yak meat from the high pastures of Hunza Valley, pick our own cherries & apricots from the local orchards, dry them in the Hunza summer sun, and source best local walnuts. We use locally sourced milk, butter, eggs, potatoes and much more.
Our “lekker” promise to you is the best ingredients, mostly organic, freshly prepared daily by our own South African chef, who has made Hunza her home. Whether you’re here for the views of the Passu Cones or a warm piece of Malva Pudding, you’ll feel at home at The Springbok Café, where your food is freshly prepared with love!
FROM OUR MENU
Our food is prepared fresh, using ingredients sourced locally in Hunza.
The Lekker Guide
- • Lekker (Lack-ker): Delicious, great, or just plain good.
- • Slap Chips: (Slup): Traditional, soft-centred fries – the soul of the Cape.
- • Howzit! (How-zit): The Universal Greeting. Short for “How is it going?” but it’s a
hello, a handshake, and a smile all in one. - • Ubuntu (Oo-boon-too): “I am because we are.” A beautiful African philosophy that reminds us we are all connected. In our cafe, it means every guest is treated like family.
- • No Shortcuts: We are a slow-food kitchen. Sit back, look at the river, and enjoy the history on our walls while we prepare your meal fresh.
“
In The Heart of Upper Hunza
The Springbok Cafe is situated near the historic village of Gulmit, perched at a breathtaking vantage point where nature and history converge. Our unique location offers a 360-degree sensory experience that few places in the world can match.
- • Connectivity: Recharge yourself, and your phones from our solar supply. We are the ideal spot to rest and regroup before tackling the high-altitude stretches of the Upper Karakoram
- • To the East: The emerald waters of the Hunza River flow beside us, set against a backdrop of towering, sky-piercing granite peaks.
- • To the West: We sit directly along the legendary Karakoram Highway (KKH), making us the perfect, easy access stop for travellers journeying toward Khunjerab Pass & the highest paved border, between Pakistan & China.
- • To the North: Look out to see, uninterrupted, the jagged, iconic spires of the Passu Cones (Tupopdan) rising in the distance.
- • To the South: We mark the gateway to the stunning Attabad Lake, just a short five-minute drive from the turquoise waters that defined the new landscape of the valley.
- • Convenience: Easy parking for bikes, cars, and tour coasters.