South Africa through the eyes of a teenager
Having a father working within the travel industry means I have been incredibly lucky to experience some truly wonderful things. This self drive trip to South Africa to celebrate finishing high school was no exception. (view my condensed itinerary here.)
We began our three-week adventure at Ants Hill just above Vaalwater in the Waterberg region. This place I think I would herald as my favourite. We were greeted with a warm welcome after a solid 15 hours of travelling, both by the wonderful hosts of the lodge and by a few furry four-legged, waggy-tailed friends. Ants Hill prides itself on being able to create what they refer to as a ‘home away from home’ which I think can sometimes seem overly confident, but in this case, it could not have been any more accurate. The hosts, guides, chefs, and wonderful women keeping the lodge together were incredibly personable and made very good impressions from the get go, and I think having a dog around adds to the homely feel. The food was amazing, pushing the normal English teenager slightly out of her comfort zone, with buffalo fillet on the first night, which was absolutely delicious, and dessert was a classic comfort dish of apple crumble.
Ant’s Hill, a ‘home away from home’
When you initially arrive, you are asked a few questions concerning your ability when it comes to riding, as it is a big part of the experience at Ants Hill. They are experts in catering to all levels of confidence and experience. Being a rider at home, I was excited to be able to experience and integrate with the animals in their natural environment. Something that was really lovely about the management of the horses at Ants, is when you have finished your ride, no matter where on the reserve you are, they simply take the tack off and turn the horses loose, as they live with the wildlife. As a result of this, you will often find the rhino population of Ants sharing the horse’s hay. Ants are very good at making you feel looked after and would be a perfect place for both families and couples.
Daddy (Francis) on a horseback safari at Ant’s Hill
We headed onto Marataba Safari Camp next, perfect for families looking to experience as much wildlife as possible whilst being independent of other guests. We were very lucky with our sightings, we saw an Aardvark for the first time which was truly a spectacular sight. I think the essence of Marataba Safari Camp is to bring a bit of modern chic into the middle of the bush. Again, the food was exceptional, and Chantal our contact for our stay managed to arrange a courier service in order to ship something of sentimental companionship I had left behind from there to our final destination.
Mima on safari
A very short flight later and a somewhat stressful drive for me, as I was doing the driving, courtesy of my father, we arrived at Sala Beach House, a stylish modern beach house overlooking the somewhat feisty sea. The staff were absolutely charming and had arranged for us to have next door rooms in a private part of the house. We were greeted with some top-notch ‘bubbles’ and I was offered a smoothie as I was feeling a bit peckish. The atmosphere of this particular place would, I think, cater fabulously to a couple looking for a romantic getaway for a couple of days.
View from Sala Beach House
After our brief visit there we next settled in Rhino Sands, where I encountered my first thunderstorm in the African bush. Quite a spectacle. The food there was delicious, and the hosts were wonderfully accommodating. In addition, I think this particular place was a favourite of Daddy’s. The tents brought almost a sense of being in an old English country house, with the décor, but allowed a deep immersion into the bush life. I did spy a very large spider on the top of my tent outside, which was somewhat unnerving for someone who dislikes spiders, and it did make an appearance in my dream that night.
Daddy on safari at Rhino Sands
Following on from our short but sweet stay here, we travelled to Thonga Beach Lodge, in St Lucia. This place was a very different experience to the bush places we had been to before. I think my favourite part of this one was the snorkelling we got to do and the whales and dolphins we saw. I hadn’t been snorkelling since the last time I was in Africa at Tanzania and Zanzibar. Despite the alarmingly early start to the day for the ocean expedition, the snorkelling to see the whales and in the rockpool was so much fun. I had never seen a whale before, and the knowledge and expertise of the guides was very impressive. A note of credit must also be given to the sensational strawberry rose daiquiris made by the bar which were dangerously easy to drink.
Daddy after snorkelling with whales at Thonga Beach Lodge
The next place we visited was Phinda Mountain and Rock Lodge. The Mountain Lodge was perfect for families, and the food was amazing on our one night there. What’s more we were treated to the Heritage Day celebrations, with traditional food, dancing and singing. The wildlife there was exceptional, an ideal holiday destination for families with children younger and older looking to experience some wildlife. Rock Lodge was absolutely beautiful, situated in on a hill within a forest. The rooms were gorgeous, each boasting its own individual plunge pool, and very comfy bed. Our dinner entertainment for the evening was the appearance of a bush baby politely helping itself to food off another guest’s plate, and then later making a reappearance in the hope of bagging an unattended plate of food.
Mima’s room at Phinda Rock Lodge
We then drove to Drakensberg, (nothing to do with dragons) to Cleopatra’s Farmhouse. The house was situated underneath a mountain, on the edge of a lake. In all our other locations, the weather was warm and dry but here, higher up, it was much colder and rather a lot wetter. The experience offered here is one of fine dining and walks, and even hot air balloon trips, (although this involves a 3am wakeup…). The house itself reminded me of a very old house in the Scottish Highlands. Both the actual building itself and the location made it feel far more like England than South Africa. The dining experience was one I have never tried before. There were seven courses, and should one have rather a love of food such as my father and I do, it is safe to assume you will be impressed. In all honesty my eyes were on stalks as each new course came out. I slept very well that night.
Cleopatra’s Farmhouse
The next aspect of our trip was far more educational. We journeyed to the battlefields up at Fugitives Drift Lodge. I took GCSE and A-Level history, so it has always been an interest of mine but this particular battle was one that I knew next to nothing about. The organisation of the trips and information given to guests was very well managed. It was interesting at the same time as being educational. It also gave a new perspective to the way you look at the places you visit. Something that I think was really important to note was the fact that there are memorials up at the battlefields to commemorate both the Zulus and the English, and not a single one of the memorials to the English troops has been touched or vandalised in any way at all. Whilst at this lodge we met a group of twelve 60-year-olds, who happened to be in South Africa for a leg of one of the international rowing competitions they were involved in. Quite an impressive feat in my eyes, especially considering one of them wrote the rulebook for umpiring rowing.
Memorial at Fugitive’s Drift Lodge
Overall, the whole trip was once in a lifetime, the amount we got to see in the three weeks we spent over there was incredible, although it may have left me even more tired than I was before I went out, but I got a cracking tan out of it. Thank you very much Daddy, and Aardvark Safaris.
Mima’s trip highlights
View all the incredible places Francis and Mima visited on their trip to South Africa here.
What Next?
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