We bought a piece of land at Ditholo, and a two-bedroom place at Shona Langa to stay in while we built. A base. Somewhere to sleep while the real project happened.
That was the plan. Shona was temporary.
Then we fell in love with Shona Langa Nature Estate.
It was the land. It was the water pan. And it was the security of the estate. For a family, that counts for a lot. Those three things made it special for us, and they still do.
Phones on the table
When we go there as a family, the phones are mostly off, or lying on the table, where they belong. We light the fire. We talk more. We have a lot more fun together.
That's really how it started, and it's why we opened Shona to guests. We wanted other people to experience what we were experiencing.
What a Shona day looks like (for us, anyway)
- Wake up when you want. Nobody's setting an alarm.
- Climb into the game viewer and head out into the bush. Stay out as long as you like.
- Come back, light the fire, and have a braai and a glass of wine.
- Go to bed earlier than you would at home.
- Wake up reset.
That's the whole programme. Other families do it their own way, and they should. The day is yours.
That's why we have Shona.
Mariska
Shona at a glance
- The whole lodge is yours: two bedrooms, sleeps 4, with stretchers for up to 2 more guests.
- A wood-fired hot tub, a private boma and braai, and your own game viewer.
- A self-catering kitchen, Wi-Fi and air conditioning.
- On Shona Langa Nature Estate: about 2,000 hectares in the heart of the Waterberg, where giraffe live.
- No Big Five and no predators, so you can walk the estate freely. The one rule: if you see a snake, turn around and walk away, and never touch it.
- Near Bela-Bela, about 2.5 hours from Pretoria.
Want a Shona day of your own? WhatsApp Mariska with your dates and how many of you are coming.