I’ll be honest and say I never really thought of myself as a camper… I’m more of a 5 star kinda gal… but when you don’t have a 5 star income and you love travelling and getting out and exploring the world you make a plan.
And so camping it is!
A few years ago we were introduced to the camping concept by my sister and her husband and realising the wonderful way it opens up the world for your kids we decided to invest in some equipment of our own. Over the years we’ve built up a collection of the basics to set up camp. We’re by no means the most well-equipped of campers and habitually have to borrow from our friends but we’re getting there. We aim to buy one more item every time we go on a trip – usually 3 – 4 times a summer.
Things I love about camping include:
The freedom it gives kids to be kids again
Listing to the sounds of nature as you fall asleep
Chatting and chilling around a campfire
Exploring new parts of the world
Disconnecting from technology, reconnecting with people
Playing games
Reading
G&T’s
etc etc
Things I dislike about camping:
Packing
Unpacking
Insects
The “likes” list is endless in fact. I haven’t got enough space and time to go into more detail but the main point is that there are far more positives than negatives and I’d encourage you to get out there and try it for yourselves. Don’t just write it off saying “I’m a city girl” or “I don’t like insects” – I really am and I really don’t, BUT I can get past that to give my kids amazing family holiday memories and special times with friends.
One of the best things about camping is that it will take you places you wouldn’t have otherwise discovered which is exactly what happened back in January when we spent a few nights camping with friends in the Slanghoek Valley. This beautiful valley is located not far from Cape Town but prior to this was a place we’d never visited. Here are a few pics of this beautiful valley…
What are you thoughts on camping? Yay, Nay? Where do you head out with your kids to create special family memories? And which campsites can you recommend? Leave me a comment below!
Images: Kathryn Rossiter