The Ultimate Family Safari
In December 2022, we had a visit from the Hornhaver Rohde family.
Read Søren's story about their trip to Eastern Cape and Side by Side Safaris.
We had long planned a trip to Side by Side Safaris, but due to Covid-19, the trip had been postponed until December 2022. The trip consisted of me - Søren, Malene who is my girlfriend, our 2 children Karoline and Kristian, and my in-laws Kjeld and Heidi.
We had received help from Laura, who Side by Side Safaris had recommended, to book the plane tickets. It was a good decision. No matter how hard I tried, Momondo wanted us to go via Dubai and Johannesburg. Laura wouldn't have that. She sent us from Copenhagen Airport to Heathrow, from Heathrow to Cape Town, and from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.
We had Karoline, aged 5, and Kristian, aged 3 with us, and we had feared the trip from Heathrow to Cape Town, which was an 11-hour flight. Laura had planned it as a night flight, which meant that both children were practically asleep before the wheels lifted from London.
More Beautiful Than on YouTube
I've watched Side by Side Safaris videos on social media and YouTube several times, and it was partly what sold the trip, but when you arrive at the 6-star lodge, it's even more beautiful than in the videos. The view is breathtaking and the lodge is the best we've ever stayed in. We had barely hit our lodge before Karoline wanted to be in the pool. With that view, I wasn't hard to get onboard.
"When we left Side by Side Safaris, we didn't say goodbye. We said see you again!"
New Hunters on Tour
I'm a new hunter, my girlfriend is a new hunter. My father-in-law Kjeld was actually the only one who had any real experience as a hunter. The trip was planned with a focus on the family, so any hunting trips we might go on were a bonus. Being new hunters also meant that Bjørn took his time to teach us the weapons. There were all the shots on the shooting range that we needed. That was really important to me!
Family on the Hunt
With the entire family in the back of a Toyota Landcruiser, we were like another Jørgen and Nikolaj (Famous Danish hunters) off on a hunt. What our eyes didn’t capture, our tracker Adam did. On the savannah, he quickly spotted a Springbok. I was about to die of buck fever, so I shoved my father-in-law forward in the Landcruiser. We jump off, and manage to sneak forward to a distance of about 120 meters from a handsome old Springbok. My father-in-law is from Southern Jutland. That means he took it down in secure style.
There ended up being quite a lot of hunting on the holiday, but that didn't matter, because on most hunts the rest of the family also came along. Everyone wanted to join when you move around in the highest mountains, the most beautiful valleys, and just be in a nature that takes your breath away, and yes, we had the little one aged 3 with us too, and when it all got a little boring for him another huntable species namely Peppa Pig could help.
We shot 2 Springbok, 1 white Springbok, 1 impala, 1 black impala, 1 spring hare, 1 mountain reedbuck, 1 duiker and not least the most beautiful kudu seen in Eastern Cape.
Evenings on the Terrace
When I reflect back on the trip, I often think about the evenings with a bonfire on the terrace with a gin/tonic in hand as the sun was setting. 75 meters from the lodge, a lazy Nyala tiptoes to the water hole for a drink. 10 minutes later we get the message that "dinner is ready", where the tastiest local game (Eland tastes amazing!) accompanied by a couple of glasses of wine complete the evening.
We probably don't know each other, but trust me when I say that Side by Side Safaris gets the highest recommendations. You won't regret it. A Danish travel agency has the slogan - vacations you don't want to come home from. It applies here! When we left Side by Side Safaris, we didn't say goodbye. We said see you again!
Feel free to write to me on Facebook or by email if you want to hear more about the trip. I am happy to talk at length about the trip to anyone who will listen. :)
Lene, Flemming, and Bjørn. I still need that Zebra. See you.
A selection of our best photos
