Glamping Season!

This past Human Rights Day weekend, three phenomenal women and I ticked off another item on our bucket list: we took a weekend getaway to Hammanskraal – GLAMPING!!!

What is glamping? It’s basically regular camping, but with glamour, i.e. with nicer things than usual (e.g. hot shower water, electricity, a refrigerator and kettle, etc.). It’s perfect for people who want an adventurous weekend in the outdoors with a bit of comfort too.

Where we stayed

Thorn Tree Bush camp is located within Dinokeng Game Reserve. We booked a cozy 4-bed tent called Black Thorn, or Swarthaak, in Afrikaans.

What activities we did

Quad biking at Mangwa Valley Game Lodge and Spa

This was my favourite activity. What’s special about quad biking at this lodge is you can see the animals as you drive – Wildebees, sable, giraffes, kudu, monkeys and zebras!

Poolside chilling

The weekend is also for relaxing – we swam; bonded over snacks; caught up on some book reading…

Sunrise safari

We were up before 6am to see some wildlife at morn. This was such a treat!

Thank goodness the game drive includes coffee and rusks to keep us warm and wide awake! We couldn’t afford to miss one moment of observing nature after dawn!

The only animals we missed during the drive were the lions (and cubs). Alas! They were hidden in their den during our tour… I guess we’ll catch them next time around.

What we ate?

Thorn Tree Bush Camp is a self-catering establishment, so we bought supplies before the trip to Hammanskraal.

On our first night, we dined at Kingfisher Restaurant, a lakeside gem located at another lodge within Dinokeng game reserve.

For the rest of the weekend, we cooked using the outdoor kitchen and we also braai’d some meat! Let’s not forget about the fire-toasted marshmallows for dessert… Yum!

Braai (barbecue) vibes!

Indeed, team work makes the (food) dream work!!! We were very happy Glampers.

Main take-home points from this weekend: Firstly, South Africa is absolutely beautiful. Secondly, glamping is super cost-effective. Finally, a weekend getaway in the outdoors surrounded by nature is always a great idea.

So go ahead and indulge in a #shotleft somewhere in beautiful Mzansi soon!

PS: Thorn Tree bush Camp is a great campsite to visit. Got questions about how we planned and budgeted for our trip? Comment below and I’ll respond with detailed answers 🙂