It was an adventure of a lifetime which you have to experience yourself to understand the feeling!
Interview with our guest Esther Janssen
Origin: The Netherlands
She stayed at Ubuntu Luxury Villa together with her two boys, age 11 & 15
Number of nights: 11
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your travel experiences?
I’m a single Mom and I traveled with my 2 youngest boys (11 and 15 years) to South Africa!
I’ve never traveled so far away from home with the kids. Thanks to the fact that Anouk & Dennis helped us out so well, we never felt unsafe during our trip. I could call or send them a whats app every time I needed any help with specific questions.
– How did you experience arranging the whole trip to South Africa?
I really liked the fact that everything was arranged for us in detail. Anouk & Dennis also helped us out with tips and tricks before and during our trip.
Our trip started with the flight from Amsterdam to Johannesburg. Followed by the transfer to the City Lodge Hotel. The next morning we continued our trip with a small airplane to Hoedspruit, pick-up at Eastgate Airport in Hoedspruit and finally a private transfer to the Ubuntu Luxury Villa, all was very nicely arranged for us. It was one big adventure and felt like a big warm bath!
– What do you think of Hoedspruit and The Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate?
Hoedspruit is small and easy to explore. Just outside of the estate you can do your shopping, go to a restaurant or fuel up your rental car.
On the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate you can ride your bike and go Horse Riding.
There’s no Lion, Elephant, Rhino and Buffalo on the estate. So it’s pretty safe to walk and explore the surroundings of the villa and the wilderness area of the estate. There was plenty to see and explore on the estate during our stay.
You did some activities outside the villa. Can you share your experience with us?
We did 3 Game Drives, morning and afternoon (advised by Anouk & Dennis). A personal driver collected us at the villa to drop us off at a Private Game Reserve.
We went to Kruger National Park with an early transfer in the morning. We experienced a beautiful sunrise and we had breakfast in the park. We saw a lot of amazing wildlife;
Rhino, Elephants, Wild Dogs, Giraffe, Lions, Hippos, Porcupine, Monkeys, Piggies, Kudus, Crocodile, beautiful birds and many more…
We also went on a riverboat cruise and we walked in the wilderness area of the estate.
Do you have a favorite spot in the villa? And what did you enjoy most during your stay?
The kitchen in the villa is enormous, a wonderful place to cook!
Also twice we’ve made use of a private chef. This was an amazing experience. We got to taste real local dishes and we enjoyed her company very much.
On Mother’s Day we were invited to a real South African Braai with locals. That was a very nice experience. There was singing, dancing and a lot of food:) It was nice to meet the locals and to experience their traditions.
Our favorite spot in the villa is the patio. A perfect spot with lots of space to unwind and to spot animals!
– Do you have anything to add?
South Africa is overwhelming; The wildlife, Nature, the colors and scents.
We really felt peace and respect for Mother Nature.
This whole adventure certainly gives us a reason to come back one time.
It was an adventure of a lifetime which you have to experience yourself to understand the feeling. It has been intense and a memory for life!
