Sun Sets on SAF C!
July 6, 2026
It is so hard to believe that we are already writing our FINAL trip update!!! 😭🌍 These past two weeks have been full of adventure and unforgettable memories, and we will miss this group so much. We have watched the group go from strangers to close friends, and our final stop at Camp Kwafubesi in the Mabula Game Reserve was the perfect way to finish such an amazing trip!!! 🦁🐘
The wildlife excitement began before we had even checked in! During the transfer into camp, some of the group spotted an ostrich, immediately setting the tone for everything ahead. After lunch, we loaded into our safari vehicles for our first afternoon game drive. Our safari guides took us to a mountain lookout and watched the sun disappear across the reserve. Once darkness settled in, we even spotted a bush baby, which everyone quickly recognized as the creature that looks like it belongs beside King Julien in Madagascar!!! 👑
Our first full day began with an experience we will never forget: feeding buffalo and rhinos up close!!! 🦏 The group was able to see just how enormous these animals are while learning how the reserve supports them. We later enjoyed a picnic beside the water before visiting the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project. The group asked AMAZING questions and learned about the work being done to protect this endangered bird. The presenters’ passion for ground hornbills inspired our entire group, and the activity quickly became one of our favorite educational experiences!
Friday brought one of the most meaningful activities of the entire trip: RHINO DARTING!!! 🦏💗 The group worked alongside the veterinary team as they completed an important health check and conservation procedure. Everyone had the opportunity to see the rhino up close and learn how much work goes into protecting these incredible animals. After a fierce rock-paper-scissors game, Maya earned a seat in the vehicle while the rhino was darted and got an incredible view of the entire process. Sarah Ann was completely engaged throughout the procedure and especially loved being able to feel the rhino’s skin and give it some big hugs.
That afternoon, we headed back onto the reserve and finally found the animals everyone had been hoping to see: ELEPHANTS!!! 🐘 Our vehicles were able to get unbelievably close as the herd moved peacefully through the landscape. One group even watched an elephant drink water, making the experience feel like a scene from a wildlife documentary. On that same safari, we saw a BLACK RHINO standing near the elephants. Caroline really valued being able to see such a rare animal, and no other Moondance group had ever seen a black rhino at Mabula, making the encounter even more special!
The following morning started bright and early with cheetah tracking!!! 🐆 With help from the reserve’s trail guides, we tracked and eventually found two male cheetahs resting in the grass. Seeing them so close was absolutely surreal! From there, we continued our search for lions and eventually located all three male lions on the reserve. We also heard from Louie, who oversees the lions and taught the group about their behavior. Ansley had been waiting the ENTIRE trip to see her favorite animal, so finally finding the lions was the perfect moment for her!!! 🩷🦁
Emma was also thrilled because the sighting meant she had officially completed her goal of seeing the entire BIG FIVE!
The wildlife search continued that afternoon as we set out in hopes of spotting African wild dogs. Mallory became our most vigilant lookout, scanning every section of the reserve and keeping everyone alert throughout the drive! Although the wild dogs proved difficult to find, the search led us to another unforgettable moment. Frances spotted a huge, beautiful tree and inspired the entire group to climb out of the vehicles for one enormous GROUP HUG!!! 🌳 It was a wonderfully fun moment that captured the spirit of this group perfectly.
While the animals were incredible, the most meaningful part of Mabula was watching the group’s bond continue to grow. Meredith kept everyone entertained during our downtime with a brand-new BOOK IDEA that she developed during the last leg of the trip, and the group loved hearing the story take shape. Eva helped make the evenings around the campfire especially memorable by always being ready to start conversations and sing with the group. Charlotte brought so much heart to the final days and showed just how meaningful the friendships formed during this trip had become.
Our final dinner was one of the most special nights of the entire trip. Since it was the Fourth of July, we celebrated with themed trivia before exchanging superlatives. After dinner, the group gathered around the fire in their Mozambican jerseys beneath a beautiful night sky, where we saw a bright meteor light up the sky. Ashlyn really valued this last dinner and the moonup we had this night. The group sang “All Too Well,” as always, and allowed themselves to be completely present in the moment. It was the kind of evening that none of us wanted to end. 💗🔥
Our final morning brought one last game drive and another chance to see the lions! On the drive back to JNB airport, the South African gave the group the most cinematic goodbye imaginable. An elephant appeared beside the road and seemed to wave and dance as our bus passed!!! 🐘👋 It truly felt as though Mabula itself was sending us off. On the drive home, Cate finally got to see her favorite animal, an ostrich, which made the perfect final wildlife sighting for her!!! 🪶
We spent the final drive singing our favorite songs. We shared one last meal together at Nando’s before arriving at the airport, where the reality of saying goodbye finally set in. There were plenty of hugs and heartfelt goodbyes.
Thank you so much for sharing your children with Moondance and trusting us to lead them through this incredible adventure. Each camper brought something unique to the group, and together they created a community built on humor and genuine care for one another.
We could not be more grateful for the memories we created together. From South Africa to Mozambique and back again, this trip was truly one for the books!!! We hope to see each of these campers return for another Moondance adventure soon. Until then, we wish everyone safe travels home and a summer filled with even more unforgettable moments!!! 🌍🩷🦁🐘
Soaking up the Sun!
June 30, 2026
Hello SAF 2C friends and family!!!
MOZAMBIQUE HAS BEEN AS ABSOLUTE DREAM!! After our South Africa adventure, the group was SO excited to arrive on the coast and settle into a totally new rhythm. We kicked things off with a welcome dinner, and right away the group was ready for everything Mozambique had waiting for us!!!
Our first big activity was SURFING!!! Everyone surfed the waves with so much excitement, and our instructors made the experience even better by singing songs with us out in the ocean!!! Ansley was so ready to surf for the first time and surprised herself by standing up almost immediately! Charlotte was also the first in our group to catch a wave without the surf instructors’ help!! And the best part was… that EVERYONE got up on the surfboard!!! Each time someone stood up, the rest of the group celebrated right alongside them, and it was so fun watching the girls cheer each other on after every wave!!!
When the group was not surfing, they spent time enjoying the beach and hanging out together!!! The group played card games, tanned by the water, shared snacks, got competitive with volleyball, and brought great energy to trivia games. These slower beach moments gave everyone the chance to relax and enjoy Mozambique together!!!
Later that day, we headed to the MARKET!!! The group loved bargaining for great knick knacks and jewelry to bring home, and Mallory especially had so much fun negotiating for great deals (she’s got a lot of gifts to bring home!!). Everyone was excited to search for the perfect souvenirs, and every successful bargain felt like a major victory!!!
Sarah Ann brought great energy before dinner by reading off trivia questions and getting the whole group involved!!! It got competitive, and we’re now experts on 2000s celebrity trivia. Later, Caroline and Emma brought so much fun to the middle of the trip as our Leaders of the Day. They closed Moonup with a scavenger hunt to find a water bottle, and the group bought into it right away, which made the game even more fun and had everyone laughing together!!!
Our ocean safari was UNREAL!!! Meredith loved riding through some of the bigger waves, and the whole group was so excited when we saw dolphins. We even got to swim with them up close, which was such a special moment!!! It felt like one of those experiences the group will be talking about after the trip ends.
Our cooking class was another HUGE highlight!!! Before we started cooking, we were served fresh coconut that we watched get grabbed straight from the tree, and Cate absolutely loved the fresh coconut water!!! Don’t worry… we got lots of aesthetic pictures. Frances crushed it while shredding the coconut (a key part of making the traditional Matapa dish), and Maya did an awesome job helping mix all the ingredients together. The whole group came together to make the dish, and it was so cool to see everyone contribute to the meal. Not to mention, it was one of the BEST meals we’ve had so far on the trip. Picture the best fish you’ve ever had, rice, fresh fruit, and homemade coconut bread! We were so stuffed that our stomachs hurt but it was 100% worth it.
After cooking, we went straight into our dhow boat trip!!! The sunset was BEAUTIFUL, and the group enjoyed snacks and sodas while we looked out over the water. It was such a peaceful way to take in Mozambique and enjoy one of our final evenings on the coast!!! We listened to vibey music as the sun went down and reflected on how amazing our time on the beach was. Later that night, we had Moonup on the beach under the stars!!! The whole group went down together to touch the ocean, which made the moment feel even more special. Ashlyn and Eva especially soaked in the magic of our last night as they looked up at the stars under the full moon!!!
Mozambique has been the PERFECT next chapter of the trip!!! This group continues to say YES to every new experience, and it has been so special to watch them grow even closer along the way!!! 🌊✨🐟
Thanks Yous
Mallory: Thank you so much for sending me on this trip, I am so blessed to have such a great family that does stuff like this trip for me! I love y’all so very much and cannot wait to see y’all!
Frances: Mom and Dad, thank y’all so so much for sending me on this amazing trip! I couldn’t be more grateful to have this amazing opportunity and I love y’all more than you will ever know! 💗
Sarah Ann- thank you so much sending me on the awesome trip! I am having the most fun ever!!! I am so grateful for being able to experience all the things I have so far here. I love you guys so much!!
Meredith: Hi Mom and Dad! Thank you for sending me on this trip and allowing me to do something as cool and interesting as going to Africa. I know it pained you a little to let me be the first to go, but I really appreciate it! Thank you again, and tell the cats and dogs I love them. Love y’all! ❤️
Ansley – Hi Mom and Dad!! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip! I’m having so much fun seeing all of the animals. We haven’t seen a lion yet, but hopefully will soon. I love you guys and am so thankful for this experience! Love y’all so so much!💗 P.S tell Gigi and Murphy and brooks I miss them the most.
Cate- Hey mom and dad! Thank you so much for letting me go on this once and a life time experience. I am having so much fun and can’t wait to tell you every detail. I am so happy and grateful to be here! I am missing you guys so much and can’t wait to see you guys!❤️
Ashlyn- hi fam!! Thank you all so much for sending me on this crazy trip and I am so so so grateful for you all send everything you have done for me to get me here! Also a huge thank you to tom and Jane and ama for helping me get here! I love you all so much and can’t wait to see you all kinds soon! ALSO HAPPY BIRTHDAY NIKO!! I love and miss you so much and I hope you have the best day ever!!!
Emma- Hi mom and dad!!! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip. This is such a great experience and I’m so grateful for all the things you’ve done for me to be able to go. We have seen so many animals and done so many cool things. I am having so much fun but I miss you guys! Tell Riley I say hi!
Caroline- Hi mom and dad! I’ve been having so much the past couple weeks. Thank you so much for letting me come on this trip it’s been amazing. I’m so grateful to have this opportunity and I appreciate you guys so much. I miss you guys and I’m so excited to see you. Love you!!
Maya- Hey mom! Thank you so much for sending me on this Moondance trip I am so grateful I have the opportunity to do this and to meet all these wonderful people. We have experienced so many new culture and yummy foods. I can’t way to come home and tell you all about it. I love you! 😘
Charlotte- Hey mom and dad!!! Thank y’all so so much for letting me go to South Africa and Mozambique. This experience has truly been life changing and I can’t thank y’all enough for the opportunity. I’ve loved getting to meet new friends from all around the country and hope to go on many more moondance trips in the future!!!❤️😘
Eva- hi mom and dad!! I miss you guys so much. I’m having such a good time on this trip. I have made lots of friends and went on really fun adventures. This is a really new experience for me and I’m so great full for you guys letting me go on this.
Leopards, Lakes, and Letters Home!
June 26, 2026
Hello SAF 2C families and friends!!!
We just landed in Mozambique and are so excited to share all of our adventures from the first leg of our trip!
Matthew and I were so excited to greet everyone in Johannesburg. We had the BEST feeling about this group as everyone excitedly greeted us and updated us on all of the movies they watched on the flight. Despite a long travel day, this crew was ready to go! Eva was a leader in getting the group comfortable and chatting, sharing funny stories about her sisters! We had pizza waiting for us at the hotel and had our first family dinner before a short Moonup and bed time!!!
Day 1 was SO AWESOME! We woke up early and enjoyed an incredible breakfast buffet before heading out on the road for the first leg of our trip! We jammed out to all of our favorite songs on the short car ride to our safari accommodation. We were all SHOCKED to be greeted by the most incredible view – we couldn’t believe that we 1) got to stay in amazing safari tents and 2) that our tents were overlooking a beautiful lake! While we waited for our tents to be ready, we had our welcome lunch and played a few rounds of Families (our new favorite game). Mallory had all of us doubled over laughing, telling us about her adventures in elementary school theater and her starring role as a fork in Beauty and the Beast! After that, we enjoyed the view and settled in before heading out on our first safari! We got to see a HUGE lizard (mixed reactions) and some antelope. Everyone kept saying how unreal it felt to be driving around in the safari vans all cuddled in our warm blankets. We stopped for sunset snacks and sodas and took some awesome group pictures as the sun went down! Waiting for us back at safari camp was a drum lesson, so we all jumped back in the safari vans to get back on time. We laughed the whole drum lesson, and Emma was definitely an MVP, especially when our drum teachers called her up to dance!
Day two was definitely a big one – not only was it the first day of service, but also MEREDITH’S SWEET SIXTEEN!!! The group LOVED celebrating her and we were dedicated to figuring out her favorite songs to play all day! After a morning celebration, we left for service and hyped ourselves up with music. We got to the site and realized we would be painting a church – inside and out! Our group immediately got to work. Our guides kept noting how they were such hard workers. We were so proud of them for getting to work, but also just having a blast dancing and singing too. We got most of the inside of the church painted on the first day. We felt so accomplished after such hard work! And on the way back, we were greeted by some giraffes on the side of the road, which Cate especially loved. After getting back from service, we headed out on another safari! We searched for cheetahs for a while before accepting that they were hiding from us… But we still had so much fun looking for them and Frances got extra excited when we saw a baby giraffe! When we got back, we had a BIGGG surprise waiting for us – a cooking contest! We split into two groups and had some major back and forth going on… everyone was feeling confident that they would be the winning group. We were convinced that group B would win, but in a shocking twist they lost!!! It was such a fun way to immerse ourselves in the culture, and we got some AMAZING chicken out of it. We then gorged ourselves on ice cream and sang happy birthday to Meredith one last time. To close out the day, our Leaders of the Day (Meredith and Ansley) led us in an incredible hippo-themed Moonup.
We all woke up so ready for another day of service! It was incredible seeing how our group was so excited to go back and work. We hyped ourselves up on the drive over by scream-singing to All Too Well 10 Minute Version (if you know, you know). We started on the outside of the church and got about halfway done which was an incredible feat. Our guides told us that Sarah Ann was the MVP of the day because she didn’t stop painting! After we completed our portion of painting for the day, we headed into the community to get a big game of soccer going with the community kids! Half the group was locked in on soccer, while the other half of the group could probably be heard for miles singing to K-Pop Demon Hunters with a big group of the kids. It was SO fun seeing how they all connected through the songs. Caroline was an especially enthusiastic dancer and really got all of the kids involved!! That night, we headed out on yet another game drive, and we could not have been more excited. We got to see a baby rhino (oh my GOSH so cute) and then stopped for more sunset snacks. We got another round of the 10 Minute Version in (acapella this time), and just as we finished singing, our guides told us we needed to hop in the vans ASAP and rushed away. We were so confused and had no idea what was going on…. All we knew was that something was happening and we had to be absolutely silent. As we pulled up, our guide finally told us what was going on: they had found a mother cheetah with four of her 3 month old cubs. They couldn’t reiterate enough how rare it was that we got to see it! It was a once-in-a-lifetime, pinch me kind of moment.
Our final day in this location was beautiful. We knew it was going to be an emotional day, but it quickly became clear how much our group had connected with the community. After finishing painting the church, we headed back to play with the kids some more and say our goodbyes. Ashlyn was especially emotional, crying as she said goodbye to Ona, who had hung out with us the most out of all of the kids. It was so special seeing the way they connected. Everyone else joined in tears as we left the community – we kept telling ourselves how incredible it was to have had such an amazing experience. After getting back, we regrouped and then were met one of the biggest surprises of the trip so far: our bush walk into a SURPRISE CAMPOUT!!! The girls had no idea what was waiting for them, and Charlotte especially had fun settling into the bush campout experience. That night turned into something we will NEVER forget because we became the FIRST MOONDANCE GROUP to see a LEOPARD during our campout!!! Our guides woke us up, and the excitement was UNREAL!!! Maya did an awesome job helping everyone stay quiet and follow directions in that exciting moment, which allowed the group to safely view the leopard and fully take in how special it was. It was a great way to round out our time in at our first stop of the session!!!
We feel so thankful for this amazing group of girls. They are kind, funny, insightful and INCREDIBLE!! Thank you for sharing them with us, and know how loved they are!! We are having the best time and will check in again after our adventures in Mozambique so stay tuned!
Much love,
Bess and Matthew
Shoutouts:
Sarah Ann- Hi mom and dad! We saw a leopard and slept outside!! It was so cool! Love yall!!
Ansley – Hi Mom and Dad! I really miss y’all but am having so much fun. We’ve seen a lot of animals which made me really happy. Okay bye love ya’ll! 💗
P.S. Tell Murphy and Brooks I said I love and miss them!!
Caroline- Hi Mom and Dad I miss you guys so much!! I’m having so much fun and we saw so many animals! See you guys soon I love you!
Emma- Hi mom and dad! I miss you guys so much! I’m having so much fun and we’ve done so many cool things. We’ve also seen so many animals! See you guys soon love you!
Maya – Hi mom! I miss you so much and i cant wait to tell you all about it, we slept outside in just sleeping bags and saw a leopard and a hippo but we are safe and Im having so much fun!
Charlotte- Hi Mom and Dad! I miss ya’ll so so so much!!!! (And all the siblings). I hope ya’ll are having a fun time in Columbia even though my time is much better… Can’t wait to see everyone!!!!
Eva- hi mom and dad!! I miss you guys so much. I also miss my sisters. I have seen a lot of animals but the most exciting was a hippo! I love you and im very excited to tell you all the stories i have gotten on this trip.
Ashlyn- Hi mom dad and Niko (and ofc Gus) i miss you guys and love you all so much, we are barely halfway through and this is genuinely the best trip ive ever taken in my life!! All of the girls are becoming some of my best friends and i am having the best time ever!! P.S. please tell syd and Chloe that i am alive and i miss all of them very much
Cate – Hey mom, dad, and Luci! I am having so much fun here!!! I love you guys so much and can’t wait to tell you everything. This trip is beyond amazing and have many updates and stories to give.
Can’t wait to see you guys soon!
Meredith – Hey Mom and Dad! I’m having a great time here! I really miss you guys and am excited to see you guys again. Tell the cats I love them and am ready to cuddle them when I get home. Love you guys! See you soon.
Frances- Hi Mom and Dad, i miss y’all so so much and i hope y’all are having a great and relaxing time at home. I am having so much fun and this trip has been literally so amazing! We have seen so many cool and beautiful animals and I can’t believe how fast it is going! I love y’all soooo much and send Fort a letter for me saying hi!
Mallory: Hey yall! I miss you all so much but I am having the time of my life! This is such a fun and fulfilling experience. Please tell Elsa and Mary that I miss them and love them so much! Text Royal Collection that I love and miss them all too! Love you all so so much! ❤️
Safe Arrival!
June 21, 2026
Hello South Africa + Mozambique Families!
We heard from our leaders 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
