Kloofzight, South Africa
We got married at the age of 24, but we knew very early on that we would not want to take the normal expected route of getting married and having kids. We wanted to enjoy each other and what the world had to offer us. So, when starting to plan our wedding we of course did it a bit differently, we first booked and paid for our honeymoon and then we looked at how much money was left to pay for a wedding. This was where our love of travel kicked off. Our honeymoon was in the beautiful destination of Mauritius. Looking back on it, I would not change anything about it and do it exactly the same way again.
We always had the dream of doing another island holiday when we reach the 10 year mark, the dream was Maldives. We started planning our anniversary travels 1 year in advance, but soon realised that our current circumstances were not the same when compared to a few years ago. For example, we are not living in South Africa anymore and help from family to look after our daughter takes a bit more planning than normal. Secondly, with us living in Europe, it provided many alternative destinations to travel to which are easily accessible.
We shifted gears and started thinking of what type of trips we can do which can include our daughter as well, seeing that we want to do a trip of about 3 weeks. The conclusion was to book a cruise in the Caribbean, staying with our initial dream of an island holiday, while also incorporating it with our daughter's needs (this trip will be a bit later this year). Hence, this meant that our actual anniversary day will be while we are in South Africa visiting family. Thinking about doing something different but still special was the plan we had in mind and it was easy to convince grandma to have a sleepover with Amber for two nights.
Upon researching areas and things to do, Kloofzicht Lodge popped up and by coincidence was running a special for a 2 day stay with spa treatments included. This screamed a romantic getaway to us and we booked it immediately, with an added experience of a Hot Air Balloon ride, which was on our bucket lists for the longest time.
Kloofzicht Lodge is nestled at the foothills of the Zwartkops Mountains in the Cradle of Humankind. It is an easy 40min drive from Sandton and Pretoria. Making it an ideal destination for a quick break from the hustle and bustle of the city. This 5-start accommodation is situated on a nature reserve filled with animals like Zebras, Kudus, Impalas, Giraffes and Springbucks.
Apon our arrival at Kloofzicht Lodge we were reminded of everything South Africa has to offer once again. From the welcoming staff to the absolutely breathtaking nature and scenery. We started our day with an excellent lunch followed by an afternoon of spa treatments. When checking into our room we were so relaxed from the spa session and felt like we could go to bed immediately, but we had a dinner awaiting us. We dressed up for the special occasion and headed to the main restaurant for a sunset cocktail overlooking the “Water and Kloof”. The dinner itself was one of the best dinners we have ever had at a restaurant, the food was exquisite in taste and looked so pretty. Our waiter made us feel so special by making sure we had a table with a view and even rose petals sprinkled everywhere. Even today we still talk about the great quality food and service we received during our stay, excellent!
Our second day was filled with relaxation, swimming, lazing about and strolls through the bush. Our second night we were blessed with the most beautiful sunset, accompanied with cocktails and, once again, exquisite food.
Our Hot Air Balloon ride was scheduled for our final day, where we woke up before sunrise and were whisked away to the roaring sound of massive Balloons being filled with Hot Air. This on its own is a sight to see. Before we knew it, we were talking off as the sun was rising, looking at the mist over the water and spotting wildlife from up in the skies. Our pilot from AirVentures was also very professional and knew the surrounding area like the back of his hand. This has truly been one of our top bucket list experiences that we have ever done and can definitely recommend a Hot Air Balloon ride to anyone. Once back on the ground we enjoyed a lovely sparkling wine and it felt like the perfect ending to our 10 year wedding anniversary.
We are so grateful that we could celebrate our wedding anniversary in South Africa, back where it all began and where we can leave continuing our love story and adventure. Kloofzicht Lodge helped make this an unforgettable experience.