We spent 10 days at a game reserve in Albertina and it was a very cool experience. Marta always wanted to go on “safari” and for the Bunster it was a whole new world once again. But this was not any safari, this is a place with a close family connection. Below is a paragraph from their in-room welcome pack:

“Garden Route Game Lodge is the realisation of a dream of come true for owners, the Doherty and Apteker families. Started in 1999, Garden Route Game Lodge became the first private game reserve in the Western Cape and Garden Route Region to offer big game viewing safaris.”

I highly recommend this destination. I can’t believe it took this mad war to bring us here, and of course, my brother’s kind embrace. Thank you Lon. And thank you Anthony. Everyone looked after us so well, and even the animals seemed to be on their best behaviour. Yeah, it was a welcomed change. Feeding the elephants was a treat and the game drives were cool. Here is the web site : https://grgamelodge.co.za/

We met many of the guests. So many foreigners from all over the globe. Saudi Arabia, America, Germany, Ireland, Israel … and also, lots of locals. The Bunster is the ultimate ice breaker, and with all the other toddlers around he honed in on new friends at every opportunity. We met many parents and everyone was enjoying the experience. A lot of people were repeat customers.

The food was fantastic. I put on some weight for sure – I better go easy for a while. The deserts were seriously amazing and the breakfasts were just too cool. The accommodation offers 3 types of rooms and each one has its charms. There is a curio shop at the main reception and the Bunster is a top customer. They had a collection of small toy cars and the Bun man is clearly a shopper.

This was a silver living to the mad war in Ukraine. A time for a new experience and a time for family. The Bun’s youngest cousin, Aras, was also with us, and he was a champion. He turned out to be a pretty decent baby sitter and the Bun was loving every minute of “Aya”. My dad and stepmom also joined us for a couple of days, and it was all good for the soul. The only thing that got us back to reality was the load shedding, and of course, the war, which were both non-stop. They have a big generator so the lights do stay on, most of the time. A reminder that we are in SA. Ukraine is at war and yet in Kyiv the electricity does not go off.