Serious Fun In South Africa
June 11, 2025
Greetings from South Africa! Over the past few days, we have been enjoying our time in Dinokeng Game Reserve serving a local community, spotting wildlife on safaris, and even sleeping underneath the stars in the bush.
While anxiously waiting for the group’s arrival, we received a video update from Ari in the Atlanta airport, and everyone was buzzing with excitement to finally get the long flight over with and land in South Africa. Once everyone arrived, we enjoyed our first meal together, pizza! After eating, we went over some logistics and shared our favorite songs, with Helen Kates curating an amazing playlist for us. Of course, we made sure to add some Hannah Montana and old Disney classics to the mix! After a long travel day, we were all exhausted, so we had a quick Moonup, discussed our next destination; Little Mongena, and got ready for bed. May and Ann were the first ones up for breakfast, eager to seize the day, while Emmie lightened the mood with some quick jokes. We finalized our playlist for the long car ride, and after an hour of jamming out, we arrived at Little Mongena Game Reserve, where we were greeted with refreshing strawberry-orange refreshers. The girls were in awe of the stunning view, and our first surprise awaited us: a sunset game drive! Ariana captured tons of vlogs and pictures as we watched the sky shift from blue to shades of orange and pink. Along the way, we spotted seven giraffes, leaving the girls starstruck. Back at camp, another surprise—drum lessons! After learning some basic rhythms like “base” and “tone,” we split into groups to see who could follow the beat the best. May, Emmie, Izzie, and Ari were chosen to perform in front of the group, showing off their skills with various African instruments. After lots of laughs, we ended the night by dancing around the campfire, with each girl showcasing her favorite dance move before dinner. The meal, served under the stars and candlelight, offered a choice of steak or pasta, followed by homemade vanilla ice cream. With our bellies full, we circled around the fire for Moonup, sharing our excitement for the days ahead. The girls had a blast talking about their celebrity crushes—a conversation Luke thoroughly enjoyed. Exhausted from our first full day, we fell asleep to the sounds of hippos and other wildlife around us.
On our first full day in Little Mongena, Harper and Ann led the way as LODs (Leaders of the Day) as we began our work with a local community just outside the reserve. May and Sarah Kathryn emblazoned their punctuality as they showed up extra early for a hearty breakfast. We began by painting the inside of a building they use for community meetings and events. Izzie showcased her dedication to hard work as she never seemed to put down the paint brush once she picked it up. On the side, Emmie and Lily created a special, playful bond with Una, a 6-year-old member of the community. After lunch, we finished painting the inside and made our way back to the reserve. That evening, we embarked on our second game drive where we got a close look at a fully grown lion and lioness calmly laying in the bush! Shortly after, Arianna, McKinley, Helen, Harper, and Ann participated in their first ever impala poop-spitting contest, and Arianna emerged victorious (it is not as unsanitary as it sounds)! Upon our return to our lodging, the girls enjoyed a warm cup of hot chocolate before enjoying a buffet-style dinner comprised of traditional South African food. At our nightly Moonup meeting, we all shared some of the various challenges we have faced and congratulated Arianna and Izzie as the next LODs!
After a long night of sleep, we enjoyed breakfast while admiring the sunrise once again. Our buffet breakfast delighted all, with their muffins being one of the highlights. As we got ready for our second day of community service, we made sure to bring our speaker for the car ride in order to get pumped up for the day! After a few hours of priming the outside of the townhall, we were invited to watch the town’s Sunday church service, further immersing ourself into South African culture. We danced and clapped along until it was time for lunch. Once we ate, we finished our work and traveled back to Little Mongena where the girls were surprised yet again with not only a Bush walk but a Bush sleep out! While the nerves hit at first, the group soon got excited and quickly headed to their tents to layer up and prepare for the night ahead. As we began our walk, feelings of eerieness crept through, but were overpowered by the breathtaking sights. While on the walk, Helen conquered one of her biggest fears by joining Izzie in holding a massive spider. Sammy spotted a full animal carcass, and our guide explained how it was a wildebeest by going over the pelvis size and jaw shape. After an hour or so of walking, we made it to the campsite, had a fire rolling, and debriefed all of the amazing things we saw along the way. All were amazed by the giraffes, zebras, and impalas. After enjoying a delicious pasta meal together, we circled back around the fire with our guides for the night: Moritz and Christopher. The girls’ endless questions kept them laughing for four hours straight. The girls loved learning all about Moritz and Christopher’s life in South Africa and the guides in return had the best time answering some very silly questions. After Moonup and listening to a few songs on Luke’s guitar, we got ready for bed but SK and Helen weren’t quite done with the jokes yet… While getting ready to go in our sleeping bags they played a few pranks, adding even more jokes to our evening that was already overflowing with laughter. Easy to say this will definitely be a night everyone remembers forever.
After waking up to a beautiful sunrise in the bush, we headed back to main camp to begin our day. Though we were tired, Laine showed up early for breakfast and enjoyed the last of the sunrise with Helen (the leader) and Luke. For our third day of community service, we wrapped up our painting duties and said some heartfelt goodbyes to the community leaders who guided us through the project. Sammy was quick to help wherever she was needed, whether that was rolling paint on the sides or filling in the cracks for finer detail. We had some time to relax before heading out for our last game drive. This one was particularly memorable. After spotting various groups of white rhinos and giraffes, we stumbled upon two lionesses guiding three of their cubs through the bush. Everyone’s heart was touched by the loving relationship between the 6-month-old triplets. Shortly after, Harper impressively spotted a herd of elephants emerging from the bush. We then made our way back to the lodge, but not before spotting three hippos floating in the water, flaunting their impressive jaws. That night, the girls divided into two groups and faced off in a cooking challenge judged by our hosts! The dish they steadily crafted was Potjiekos, a traditional South African stew. In a close decision, Laine, Sammy, Ann, Arianna, McKinley, and Harper won over the taste buds of our judges. We then enjoyed the delicious meal and closed with a Moonup where we discussed important role models in our lives. Many of you parents and family members reading this would be pleased to know that you were mentioned.
Though we have only known them for a few days, we are so thankful for the bliss your kids have brought into our lives already. Their constant joy, excitement, and laughter have brought us comfort and made us feel at home in a land far away from the United States. We are so excited to keep you all posted on our travels to Mozambique over the next few days as we begin our oceanic portion of the trip!
Arianna – “Hi Mom and Dad and CC! Having so much fun! Right now in the airport on the way to the beach! Miss you guys so much and can’t wait to tell you all about the trip! Tell Lucy and MC I say hiii and miss you tons! Dad, happy Father’s Day to the best!!!!
Ann – Hi Mom, Dad, Meghan, and Ben!! I’m having so much fun but I miss and cannot wait to see y’all so soon. Love y’all!!!! And Happy Father’s Day Dad!!!
Emmie – Hi Mom, Dad, Nick, and Margo. I’m having so much fun and I hope y’all are too in London and Holland! I miss and love y’all so much. We are on the way to Mozambique soon so I’ll see y’all soon!! Also Happy Father’s Day dad I love you the most!!!
May – Hey Mom, Dad, Luke, and Alec! I am having so much fun and I miss you so much and can’t wait to see you! Happy Father’s Day and Happy Birthday Dad! I love y’all!
Laine – Hi Mom, Dad, Louise, Isabelle and Virginia Martin! I am having so much fun, hope y’all are too, miss and love y’all! Also Happy Father’s Day Dad!
Helen – Hi Mom, Dad, David, and Jim. I’m having a lot of fun and I miss you guys a lot. I hope y’all are enjoying your summer so far! I’ve seen and tried many new things and right now we are otw to the beach!! Tell Hannah I said hey!! Also, Happy Father’s Day Dad! I’m so grateful for you and all you do for our family! I love you so so much!!
SK – Hi Mom and family. I am having lots of fun and actually made friends! I miss you guys a lot, tell Emme, Lily, and Claire I said hi and I miss them and love them. We slept in the bush haha and now we’re at the airport. Okay that’s all I love you guys. Can’t wait to tell you more! Tell Irving I said Happy Father’s Day (;
McKinley – Hey Mom, Dad, Layne, Grayson, and Henry! Miss you all and love you so much!! Having so much fun in Africa! This is an experience unlike anything I’ve ever done! Give kisses to Fitz and Stanley for me! P.S. HAPPY FATHER’S DAY DAD!!!
Harper – Hey guys!! I am seeing the COOLEST stuff!! We saw SO many animals like an elephant and baby lions and so much more. We also went to the church in the village and it was really cool. We are about to go to Mozambique and I’m hype but I miss y’all so much! Tell dad I said Happy Father’s Day! I love y’all
Sammy – Hi! I miss you guys so much and can’t wait to see you soon! I’m having fun. I hope you guys are doing good and that you’re having fun on vacation. I hope Dad has a good Father’s Day and mom and Ila are doing well. I love you guys so much!!!
Lily – Miss and love y’all!!!! Having an awesome timeeeee!
Safe Arrival!
June 5, 2025
Hello South Africa + Mozambique Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Johannesburg! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure! Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
