Jacqueline Roth shares her family’s experience staying at Camdeboo Manor for a safari trip in this guest blog post.

This June my family and I embarked on what would be one of the most extraordinary and thrilling vacations of our lives. We arrived at the Mount Camdeboo in Graaf-Reinet just before sunset and we were immediately taken back by the 35,000 acres of varying terrain and spectacular views. The accommodations at the Manor were incredible, an old farmhouse restored to perfection with a keen attention to detail, and a staff so attentive you could never go hungry or without a drink in your hand. While the five-star accommodations were incredible, what will be most memorable is the incredible wildlife and being able to share this once in a lifetime experience with my family.

While staying at the property we were able to enjoy two game drives per day; one early in the morning and one in the late afternoon. The safari truck had no problem going up and down the mountains, some of which were over 4,000 ft. high. Our guide Dane was extremely knowledgeable and informative, making each drive a unique adventure. He also wasn’t afraid to test us on what we learned about each animal.

On the game drives, we were able to find giraffe, rhino, kudu, springbok, wild boar, zebra, warthogs, baboons, and, my personal favorite, cheetah. One of the most memorable moments during our safari was our run-in with a female cheetah and her three cubs. I can honestly say that there is nothing more thrilling than standing 5 feet from a wild cheetah who is trying to protect her cubs.

While every meal at the manor was exceptional, one of my favorites was a barbecue style dinner in the boma. When we arrived back from our afternoon game drive, we were escorted to the backyard where the staff had prepared a tradition, candlelit braai. We enjoyed pre-dinner drinks by the fire and then a delicious dinner of fire-grilled meats and vegetables. Afterwards, we had hot tea and homemade cakes for dessert. It was a spectacular evening and a great way to experience a traditional African meal.

During our last night at the manor the proprietor, Ian, stopped by for an afternoon drink. We talked for hours about the history of the private reserve. We learned about the “Battle of Paardefontein”, a historic Anglo Boer war fought on the property, and about the owner’s efforts in protecting the Rhino species. It was so great hearing his story and how passionate he was about wildlife preservation. Also, it seems he has big plans to make Mount Camdeboo even bigger and better in years to come. I couldn’t recommend a place any stronger.

 

Thank you THIRDHOME, for making our dream vacation a reality.

 

Check out Jacqueline’s highlight reel from the safari, below!

                                                           

You may think the Rocky Mountains region is just for skiing, but it is the perfect home exchange option for the summer! Experience the Rockies while the weather is warm and participate in hiking, mountain biking, fly-fishing, white water rafting and more! Recently, THIRDHOME Founder and CEO Wade Shealy and his travel group spent time exploring the Rockies and stayed in a member’s luxury residence at The Residences at The Chateaux in Deer Valley, Utah.

 

What was his experience like? Two-time Olympian Kaylin Richardson will walk you through what great activities await when you home swap to the Rocky Mountains during the summer:

 

Read in Wade’s own words why a summer trip to the Rocky Mountains is a perfect home exchange experience:

“Although I have visited Park City and Deer Valley many times to ski, I had never spent much time out there in the summer. My son, his mom and I decided to give a summer trip to the area a try. Wow, we all agreed, it was the best vacation ever! Once you go out in the summer it will be your favorite place, I promise!  Our first morning fly-fishing the Mid Provo river, we landed 30 Brown trout. My son Adam brought in the largest at 19 inches and 5 lbs. Then a short plane ride landed us outside Vernal Utah to float the famous Green River. The class 3 rapids and the scenery made it the most memorable rafting we have ever experienced. Once we pulled out of the river we visited Dinosaur National Monument and saw a wall of hundreds of bones that were collected during a flood that occurred around 150 million years ago. On a scale of 1-10, this vacation was an 11. Grab a week now and experience the Rockies, you will be glad you did.”

 

Plane Ride to the Green River:

Before Rafting the Green River:

Fishing:

Fireworks on a summer night in Downtown Park City:

 

Click here to view all of THIRDHOME’s Rocky Mountain weeks available this summer and start planning your own adventure. Remember, you must be a member and be logged in to see availability. 

Go on your next trip and still be able to manage your account while you are away with the THIRDHOME App! Easily complete the most timely and frequent THIRDHOME account tasks from your Apple or Android device. There are links to download at the bottom of this post. But first, check out a preview of what key features to expect!

 

1. View your THIRDHOME account including current deposits and reservations.

Overview of deposits:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Deposit or withdraw weeks for your property.

Deposit a week for your property in 3 simple steps:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easily manage availability:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Start dreaming of your next trip and search through available weeks. 

Browse through all of the availability:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or, search by specific parameters like location of the property, number of Keys, and more:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Reserve a week with just a few short clicks.

Below shows an example if you don’t have your credit card information saved to your account. Once you have a credit card on file, you’ll only have to click “confirm reservation”. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Watch properties you are interested in reserving for your next luxury vacation.

Receive notifications when your watched properties deposit weeks:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Plus, if you are in the President’s Club tier of membership or higher, you can create and manage saved searches! 

Create a saved search and receive notifications when weeks become available within your search parameters:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Search Short Stays to reserve 3 & 4 nights stays on the go!

When searching for properties, select “Short Stays Only” under Other filters:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking advantage of incredible home exchange opportunities with THIRDHOME is now easier than ever! To download the App, please click on the appropriate link below from your mobile device: