Road tripping with the family!

I recently set off on a 3 week road trip with the family and we came back a new family! As with all family dynamics, life happens, things can get stressful and there is nothing like a good road/camping trip to reset the family mechanics!

We set off from Knysna to see some family in Joburg after which we headed towards the low veld. Our first stop was Magoebaskloof where we spent a couple of nights at the local Africamps. This is such a special place set up in the mountain with beautiful walks to explore, dams to swim in and the quaint little town of Haenertsburg to explore. It’s a mere 4 hours from Joburg so makes for the perfect stop over or weekend getaway if you live in Joburg or Pretoria. Next up was some farm time near Hoedspruit( family farm) and then came the main act which was camping in the Kruger park for 10 days and boy did it deliver! We spent 4 nights at Tzendze (my favourite bush camp), 1 night at the Sable hide, 3 nights at Pretoriuskop and finally 2 nights to wrap it up at Biyamiti. We always rock up at the camps in true Clinton style with jam packed car, trailer in tow and not looking nearly as sophisticated as some of our fellow campers 🙂

We  have managed to get a bit more organised with each trip but we still arrive and survive on the basics which is just the way we like it! There is something about these trips that while involve getting dirty, dusty and disorderly they also offer a time where there are no digital distractions, no work and just one on one time with each other and in close quarters!. This is all facilitated by the peacefulness and beauty of the bush and I always count myself so lucky to have this beauty right in our very own country! The Kruger park is the perfect place to explore the bush as it is wild but safe and ideal for anyone wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city!

Next up was Clarence in the Eastern Free state which was made even more exciting by driving through the recently fallen snow which lay strewn across the farmers fields. This was also the first time our kids had seen snow so definitely a highlight of our trip. Clarence is another 3-4 hour get away from Joburg or Pretoria and has always been a firm favourite of mine for countless reasons. A good friend of mine lives there, I got married there and I have had countless amazing weekends away in this beautiful little town. What I love about it is the ability to go for walks in the nearby mountains and then go sit in one of the arty coffee shops or micro breweries taking in the most amazing scenery that surrounds the town. There are some really quaint and cute shops and an abundance of activities to do such as hiking, mountain biking, golf, river rafting or simply taking it easy up at the local dam.

Finally it was time to head home and after 5500km we arrived back to our beautiful little town of Knysna. We were all so stressed before we left whether it be from work, school, exams or simply the lasty year our family had to deal with but we came back a different family. I think the main point of this blog is just to say that a good road trip with some camping thrown in is such a great way to connect however even if that is not your thing it made me realise the importance of simply making the effort of getting away when you can with your loved ones, reconnecting and just having fun. Life is short so take the time to get away as often as you can as there is truly nothing more amazing then travelling with your loved ones wherever it may be. No amount of money, gadgets, cars or other material items can truly replace the value you get from spending quality time with the special people in your life.