Taking A Break During Covid-19

If you’ve been following along with me for a while or this is your first time here (welcome!), you may be asking yourself, “where the heck has she been?” Well, I’ve taken a bit of a break. I did not anticipate a pandemic to hit in 2020, as most of you can probably relate to, and it really forced me to take a step back from my life, both literally and figuratively. For the last decade I’ve been a full time wife, employee, blogger, traveler and all of the other things that come along with just being a human being. While Covid has been tough in so many ways, with too many cancelled plans, distancing from loved ones and general shittiness, it made me realize that I’m exhausted. Now, this is not a poor me, boo-hoo kind of exhausted, it just means I felt empowered to take a little break while being forced to stay put. I realized that I had not been at home for more than a few weeks at a time in nearly ten years and I truly had no plans of that changing anytime soon. Now, it’s been seven months since I’ve boarded an airplane and I have no clue when my next trip will be, which is kind of crazy when you think about it… I am a travel blogger after all.

In this time, I’ve found some interesting things about myself:

  1. I love to garden. I’m not necessarily very good at it, but I’m learning to love the process each day. We were never home enough to keep things alive before, but now I have ten raised beds filled with growing vegetables and fruits and I’m afraid to leave them for even a day out of fear they will all wither away and die. I’ve bought a ridiculous amount of seed packets, which are all inventoried in a spreadsheet in case you were wondering, and I made a digital diagram of my garden space so I can plan out where to plant it all. I’ve found some very Type-A approved sites I follow that have taken me from plant killer to plant lady, so if you’re interested let me know! A few of my favorites are MIGardener (the absolute best garden videos and also where I buy all my seeds and gardening supplies from, as well as Epic Gardening (a local guy with really epic tips, especially for those with smaller, urban gardens).

  2. Social media weighs on me. I’ve never been someone who needed to be Instafamous or wanted to Tweet about each bite of food I took throughout the day, I just wanted to put out quality content to help out like minded travelers. But, it all still weighed on me. Should I be posting more? Are my photos good enough? Why does that blogger have more followers? Does anyone even read this? I was spending too much energy comparing and criticizing instead of just doing what I loved, and what you loved, which was writing about my travels. This isn’t my full time job, even though that would be nice, so I have learned that I need to give myself grace and do typeAtrips because I’m passionate about it and not because it will equate to more Facebook followers.

  3. I love my home and those I share it with. There were times I thought I might combust if I wasn’t traveling or planning my next vacation. I just needed to go somewhere, do something, as often as possible. Despite having a new house, I wasn’t really around enough to make it a home and Covid forced me to do just that. And gosh do I love it here. Don’t get me wrong, I ache for strolling the streets of Florence or savoring the Portland food scene, but I’ve learned to enjoy the comfort and warmth of having this little bit of earth that’s all my own, surrounded by the people I love most - there’s nowhere I could ever go that will bring me that kind of peace.

Not to worry, I’ll be back. But for now, I hope you’ll forgive me while I take some time for myself. I’ll always answer your questions so never hesitate to reach out via email or social media, I truly love hearing from you. Until then, please stay safe, wear a mask just in case and treat each other with kindness, forgiveness and grace so that we may come out of this closer together rather than farther apart.

Much Love & Sincere Gratitude,

Aimee

First Timer's Travel Guide to South Africa is Now Available!

One of the most epic adventures I’ve ever been on was our visit to South Africa last year and for the last six months I’ve been putting everything I have into completing my largest travel guide to date. It’s packed with everything you need to know before you go to South Africa like what to pack, tips on rental cars and driving, the differences between the public and private parks, a highlight of the best parks and places to stay (and which ones to skip), plus so much more. I really hope that this is helpful to you and that you get a chance to visit this fantastic country. Just click below - enjoy!

A South Africa Sneak Peak from The Boutique Adventurer

There is truly no better adventure than going on a South African safari. I spent a month visiting as many parks and reserves as possible, but still barely scratched the surface. So in preparation for the full Type A Trips Travel Guide to be released, my friend Amanda O’Brien from The Boutique Adventurer is sharing her favorite luxury safari spots from her recent trip to South Africa. Enjoy!


Thanda Safari Camp

Thanda Safari Camp Spa

Thanda Safari Camp Spa

Thanda Safari Camp is in the Zululand region of South Africa. This 14,000 hectare property has a unique mix of topology – from the coast to mountains to inland. This means it has some particularly unique bird life as well as the big 5! 

Thanda is a private game reserve and this is luxury safari at its best. The service levels are outstanding as is the food on offer! A light breakfast is served on the morning game drive. Upon return a full buffet awaits as well as a choice of hot meals. I usually skipped lunch as there was afternoon tea on offer pre game drive, snacks with sundowners and three course dinners – plus fantastic South African wine. 

Rooms

These aren’t rooms – this is your own private lodge! My hut/lodge featured a very large bedroom with a 4 poster bed and ceiling fan. I then had a giant central fireplace plus a good sized living room. The bathroom had a full tub as well as separate shower – additionally there was also an outside shower. 

The rooms are beautifully decorated and the linens and towels are high quality. There is a mini fridge and the staff are known to leave little treats each day. 

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What I Loved

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  • The free iPhone photography lesson on offer. Thanda is one of the only safari lodges in the world to have its own resident photographer Christian Sperka. All Thanda guests are offered a free 90 minute photography lesson with Christian. Make sure you let Thanda know that you want to take the lesson when you book – Christian gets booked up fast! 

  • The Spa - Not many safari camps have a full spa offering! Thanda has developed signature treatments that combine ancient Zulu practices with the best of Western techniques. I very much enjoyed their signature Marula Balm massage.

  • The extraordinary amount of outdoor space I had at my villa. Not only did I have my own private plunge pool, I also had a large daybed in its own separate area and another private area in case I wanted to put together a barbeque! So decadent! 

Things to Note

  • Thanda is about 2 ½ hours north of Durban. Transfers are offered but it would also be quite easy to drive here and there is parking available

  • The weather can change dramatically on game drives so it is best to bring layers. Whilst unattractive, trousers that zip off to become shorts are a great option. 

  • Thanda has an extensive conservation program. There are some very unique offerings for guests – from visiting local communities to Rhino Tracking. Do make sure you let Thanda know when you book if these are of interest as they do need to be organized.


Kwandwe Private Game Reserve

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Kwandwe Private Game Reserve was voted Best Safari Experience in South Africa in 2018 by the Safari Guild. It is easy to see why! The reserve is located on the Eastern Cape and covers 22,000 hectares. Port Elizabeth is the closest airport. 

Kwandwe offers a great deal of diversity when it comes to safari experiences. Every guest is encourage to enjoy at least one Big Game Walking safari during their stay. Fishing safaris and night drives are also available. 

All guests have access to twice daily game drives as part of their stay. Kwandwe also offers everything from private photography safaris to a Rhino conservation safari to volunteering in the local community.

This is also the perfect place for a celebration! A honeymoon, a wedding, a proposal, a significant birthday, a big family event – Kwandwe has extensive experience in providing all types of occasion celebrations.

Rooms

The lodges are just stunning! Upon entry the first thing to notice is the wonderful floor to ceiling windows that make sure you really know that you are in Africa. The furnishings are beautiful – a great mix of African design and modern luxury. There are both indoor and outdoor showers, a free standing tub, private plunge pool and outdoor lounges. 

What I Loved

  • The amount of animals wandering around the accommodation. Walking to my room I would see kudu and anteloupe happily munching away at branches. On my second day I sat and watched a family of warthogs who were eating around my terrace. Many are lucky enough to end up with some animals in their plunge pools!

  • The amazing detail and service levels provided by the guides. I have been on many safaris in my time. However, I have never before had a guide who has been taught how to drive whilst looking back at the passengers! This is done to increase eye contact and make for more conversation – immersing the guests even further into the experience. This was just one example of many.

  • The surprises on offer. Each day would bring a new unexpected treat. A bush bbq for sundowner. A bottle of sparkling waiting in your room at the end of the afternoon drive just because. One couple even got back to their room to discover a bath had already been drawn for them complete with flowers and candles! 

Things to Note

  • Kwandwe has several accommodation options so make sure you review them in full before booking. There are two lodges and three villas. I stayed at Great Fish River Lodge which I loved. This lodge had 9 “rooms” (they are more like homes) but they were all sufficiently far from each other that it felt very private. 

  • Don’t worry if you forget anything – Kwandwe has a fantastic shop! This is also a great place to source items made by local craftspeople – whoever is sourcing for them is doing a great job providing items that are unique to the region but will also appeal once you get home – especially the decorated ostrich eggs! 

More about The Boutique Adventurer

My followers appreciate the finer things in life – but they are looking for authentic experiences when they travel. They have travelled before and most likely visited some of the biggest travel hot spots already. Now they are looking for unique experiences in interesting destinations. These experiences often involve food and wine – as well as sites both natural and man-made that are unique to their environment.

They seek accommodation with a real sense of place expressed through architecture and style. A genuine riad in Morocco, a tented camp in Kenya, a genuine farmhouse in the south of France. Where they sleep is as much a part of the experience as what they eat and photograph. As a travel blogger London based my core audience is from this city.

https://theboutiqueadventurer.com