Posted on October 6, 2013
It never fails to bring warmth to our hearts when we hear about the fabulous experiences our clients have on In The Saddle trips, however Ants Hill guest, Catherine Smither, has written the most beautiful blog about her recent adventure to South Africa and we simply had to share it with you!
Cooling off in the dam!
From the very start of her trip Catherine was full of enthusiasm and wonderful anecdotes. “Tonight, in 4 hours time, Mum, cousin Ruth and I will be catching a big shiny plane to South Africa to embark on a horseback safari adventure holiday of a lifetime! I have been wanting to go on safari ever since I was about 5 or 6 and started paying interest to all the African landscape pictures in my Uncle and Auntie’s house. They looked so magical that I made a promise to myself, one day I would see it for real. It is finally happening, I am feeling like a child again on Christmas eve, just around the corner is something amazing and awesome and I can’t wait to see what it is.”
Quickly settling in and building up a bond with one particular equine, Shakira, the familiarity and personal hospitality at Ants Hill is quickly evident as Catherine explains on day 2 of her trip. “As I sit up in the cosy but sprawling loft room of the Family Lodge in Ants Hill, I feel like I have already been here for days. Never have I felt so at home in a place and made to feel more loved and welcome than I do here.”
The beautiful Sable
Throughout her blog Catherine divulges exactly how she feels on safari, and shares the knowledge she has learned from being in such a wonderful destination. From details about the animals and sights she has viewed to the delicious culinary delights devoured! Read her daily account of her trip and get a genuine feeling of being there every step of the way! When reading it we almost felt her pain at having to leave Africa behind and it is fair to say that the country has definitely got under her skin!
“So for now, the adventures are over but will never be forgotten. This truly deserves the holiday of a lifetime tag as it had everything just right, just enough danger and risk to make it exciting but enough comfort and luxury to remind you that you’re on holiday in a five star resort. We all had to fill in a comments sheet at the lodge and there was not a thing that I would have changed. What is more, it has made me want to return, not as a guest, but as a guide and live, ride and work as they do. Africa is such an amazing place, all the people are so proud of their countryside and just simply happy to be there and work so hard to keep it as nature intended. Even thinking or saying the word “Africa” summons up a whole bunch of animal smells, the hot sun on the red earth, the sounds of the birds, animals and the musical Afrikaans language and every single part of it is simply ‘Lekker’.”
Read Catherine’s inspiring and educational blog here… http://katsypie.wordpress.com
Catherine, Ruth and Alison on an elephant safari at a nearby lodge to Ants Hill
