As a parent who has traveled to Africamps at the Doolhof Wine Estate in the Western Cape, it was a transformative experience that allowed me to reconnect with myself and my love for traveling, all while ensuring the safety and enjoyment of my child.
After experiencing postpartum depression, I made a conscious decision to reclaim my passion for exploration and adventure. However, as any parent knows, traveling with a child involves careful consideration of safety and logistics. Africamps exceeded my expectations in this regard. From the moment we arrived, I felt a sense of peace and security enveloping us.
The views at Doolhof Wine Estate were nothing short of breathtaking. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the Western Cape, I found solace in the tranquil surroundings. Watching my child play freely in such a safe and serene environment filled my heart with joy.
One aspect of my journey as a parent that I’ve chosen to embrace is the rejection of traditional holiday celebrations like Christmas. Instead, I’ve opted to spend that time traveling to quiet, peaceful destinations where my son can create beautiful memories. Africamps provided the perfect setting for this annual escape.
In summary, my experience at Africamps was nothing short of magical. It allowed me to rediscover my passion for travel while ensuring the safety and happiness of my child. I am grateful for the memories we created at Doolhof Wine Estate and for the peace of mind that came with knowing we were in good hands. Thank you, Africamps, for making our journey unforgettable.
Please see an interview Lishe had with Africamps below.
Interview with AfriCamps:
Questions:
- What have the COVID-19 period and the lockdown taught you in terms of business,
people, and guests?
COVID-19, and especially the lockdown in South Africa, had a massive impact on
AfriCamps and the travel industry. Restaurants and hotels needed to close their doors
and we were uncertain for how long. We learned many valuable lessons that we will take
forward as a business. We needed to make quick decisions; we needed to be more
flexible with our policies, and we needed to find ways to generate income. If you’ve
If you have been to an AfriCamps location, you may know about our outdoor wood-fired hot tubs. We
started producing and selling these hot tubs for private use, which is still a great new
branch of our company.
We also learned that South Africans love being outdoors, surrounded by nature and
their loved ones. Not being able to travel abroad, many new guests discovered
AfriCamps, and we are thankful that we could grow our local client base this way.
Unfortunately, international bookings didn’t improve until 2022. Before Covid, the
The majority of our guests were international travelers. We had to adjust our marketing
strategies and reach our local audiences. - How is this playing out in 2023, and was there a big recovery?
In 2023, business will be back to normal and growing. International visitors have increased
year on year since borders reopened. Since lockdown, we have opened six new
glamping locations in the country. - There has been a seismic shift in traveler needs and demands post-pandemic. What
patterns that have emerged for AfriCamps?
The typical AfriCamps guest enjoys the great outdoors, getting closer to
nature, spending time with family and friends, and also enjoying the finer comforts of life.
This is something that became even more important for many people after spending
months in isolation. We noticed an increase in guests who simply wanted to get out and
into nature. Guests were looking for wide open spaces, outdoor activities, and a place
where the children could explore. - Emerging travel trends include wellness travel and, even more, the need to take care of
of the planet and decarbonize business, what are your thoughts?
Wellness travel and green tourism are definitely on the rise, and rightly so.
Sustainability is an important part of the AfriCamps ethos. We pride ourselves in
manufacturing all our tents and their furniture locally in our factory in Cape Town, and we
promote a healthy lifestyle—one spent close to nature. - Tell us about your expansion plans in South Africa and what we, as AfriCamps fans,
can look forward to (congratulations on the development so far).
This year, we are extremely proud that we could expand into three exceptional locations
in three different provinces, Addo in the Eastern Cape, Waterberg in Limpopo, and
Champagne Valley is on the foothills of the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal. We strive to
keep expanding into new areas. We have a few stunning areas on our radar. Keep an
eye on our socials for future updates. - The marketplace is always evolving; is the AfriCamps brand always reviewing – how
has the market responded, and what is your brand catering to?
We review guest feedback daily and we visit our camps regularly to guarantee
we keep the quality to the AfriCamps standard. We also adapt to our surroundings and
consider the landscape before designing and building a new camp. For example, in Addo,
we created a brand-new design, allowing us to build our tents on a steep slope
overlooking the lush surroundings. We changed the tent’s orientation and added more
canvas panels so the tent could be opened fully on two sides. We even added netted
hammocks. The response from guests has been incredible. At our camp in Pongola
Game reserve, replacing the tents’ front panels with sliding doors to adapt to the bush surroundings became necessary. We are constantly evaluating and innovating the details of our tents for the next build. What remains consistent is that we cater to groups and families of up to five guests. We offer them a self-catering unit fitted with all the luxuries they need for a comfortable stay in nature.