22 Feb An African treehouse adventure
Long before we got married, Greg and I had talked about going on an African treehouse vacation. We had heard about sleeping under the stars from friends who had done something similar in a jungle. When we heard that we could experience this right here in South Africa (the place we call home), we knew that we had to experience our very own African treehouse vacation.
The adventure began when we arrived at Plains Camp. The base camp of Rhino Walking Safaris, this small camp lies in the very heart of the Kruger National Park. I had been to Kruger before when I was a child. Greg had never been, being an ex-pat from Britain who had not seen too much of the bush. From the moment we arrived, all of the sights, sounds and sensations of the bush came back to me… the rustling of the dry grass, the wide-open spaces, the call of birds. It took me back to that very first safari of my childhood. The thought of going to sleep as the bush came alive after dark was beyond exciting. Our African treehouse vacation dream was finally happening. I couldn’t wait for the sun to go down!
Finally, after a delicious high tea, the sun began to set. We had our backpacks packed and ready to go. The guide announced to our small group that we would be walking over to the Sleepout Decks, where we would be spending the night. It was quiet all around us as we walked. After the heat of the midday, the air was lovely and cool on my skin. The path led us to the Sleep-Out decks and we got our first peek at where we would be spending the night.
When we arrived at the platform, we were all quiet, taking in the view of the waterhole below. Seeing the bush at this time of the day was so different from the early morning. Everything was hushed and peaceful. We had a few drinks and watched nocturnal creatures come out to have their own drink at the water. Then it was time to head to our private sleeping platform. The decks had comfortable mattresses, sleeping bags and duvets. Armed guards were standing by, just in case, any predators were lurking. With two bathrooms nearby, we didn’t have to worry about having to venture off the platforms at any point. We could even enjoy a hot shower in the morning!
We fell asleep looking up into the night sky, counting stars and listening to the sounds of Kruger Park. We had deliberately left our phones at the base camp so that we could immerse ourselves in the experience without distraction. We knew that in our hearts, the memory would always stay clear – without or without selfies or photographic proof.
We cannot recommend this experience enough. If you have ever shared our dream of sleeping under the stars, make sure that you book your African treehouse vacation at Rhino Walking Safaris… we promise it will be something you never forget!
