Camping in Limpopo

This weekend we went with 3 other families to Kwalata Wilderness camp. We had a great time! The lodge was just beautiful, rustic and rugged, but ideal for 8 adults and 11 children!!

The lodge was build in a circle, the main house had 7 bedrooms, a kitchen, extra showers for girls and boys. A huge boma with a campfire in the middle and a bar area with a breakfast table, seating and entertainment area. Then a big garden with a nice size pool and an overview at a watering hole, which we were hoping we would see some wild animals drinking from it, but I guess we were too noisy and we didn't end up seeing any animals there....





We stayed 2 nights, and each family made a meal, so there was no pressure on any of us, just prepare either breakfast, lunch or dinner and then you are done for the weekend. We of course had all the dinners on the huge wood fire, because that is what you do in the bush!

But we also made stock bread on the fire and roasted marshmallows and s'mores on the fire, one of the highlights of all the kids!

Here the kids around the fire place in the boma. Jakob, Joachim, Tobias, Noah, Elliot and Chan were the boys.



The girls are: Clara, Jeongwoo, Juliet, Jasmine and Friia, but in this picture below you will see also Elliot & Chan.



The second day we all went on a safari, it was a fun drive, although we didn't end up seeing that much animals, just the drive through the Waterberg reserve is nice. We only saw some Blesbucks, Impalas, Kudus, Gemsbucks and lots of Giraffes, which I think are one of the finer animals anyway!! So gracious, I love to see them!!





But just to hang out with all these friends and their children hanging out with each other, doing games, dance and sing together while sitting around a huge campfire at night and during the day just hanging out around the pool, having some good meals and fab drinks was already enough to make this weekend a FAB weekend!!

This is the fun part of living in South Africa, you are so close to nature, bush veld savannah is only a few hours drive from our home, so it is easy to go away on a weekend trrip and feel you are totally out of the city and enjoy and relax in complete silence in the bush. This bush camp lodge was so far away from everything, the only thing that surrounded us were the wild animals. Although they were hiding from us...

A nice and relaxing long weekend...

What did you do during the weekend?
Ciao, Mireille

Camping in the Bush veld

It is time for a new adventure!
We are having a long weekend off from school the weekend of September 24-27, so we have decided that we are going to camp! First time for the girls! So we are not doing our usual 5* safari trip, but back to basics! I am quite looking forward to it. Having campfires under the stars, eating simple meals that are prepared on wood fire, hearing the lions roar in the back while we are drinking our Amarula by the fireplace.



We are going with 3 other families and 11 children in total, so enough company for all of us!

Kwalata is situated in the heart of a biosphere reserve in the magical Waterberg region of the Limpopo Province. This means that Kwalata is not only the premier wildlife area, in fact a sanctuary for rare and endangered animals, it is also one of the worlds richest ecosystems. Our camp is named Zingela, and built in a semi-circle. Life at Zingela inevitably ends up revolving around the huge log fire that dominates the center of the camp. This area provides the perfect place for a shaded afternoon doze or an evening spent sitting around a mesmerizing blaze sharing bush tales.



In contrary to the other safaris we used to do before where the meals are catered to us, this time we have to make our own meals. So preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner in the bush on a gas stove or campfire. We are still sleeping in a lodge, but this time not a 5*, but not completely back to basics and in a tent, that will be the next step! The girls are ready for a more rustic adventure, but we will take baby steps :-)



The activities we can do are, although we probably not have time or even wanting to do all, but it is there!
•Game walks
•Game drives (included)
•Elephant back safaris
•Quadbike safaris
•Photographic safaris
•Spa & beauty treatments
•Trip to the goat farm for cheese and wine tasting
•White lion breeding project
•Curio shopping
•Paint ball
•Bass fishing
•Hot air ballooning

And the sunsets are just stunning this time of the year, so hopefully we will have some great sights!! There is just no better and more gorgeous sky than AFRICAN SKY!!



Go well,
Mireille