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This was no holiday - this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!!
I was lucky enough to win a trip to Shamwari in South Africa, located on the Eastern Cape it is around an hours drive from Port Elizabeth.
Shamwari, meaning "friend", is a malaria free game reserve and is home to the Big Five and also the "Born Free" sanctuary.
Our mission? To take on the role of rookie rangers and learn as much bushcraft in our time there as possible. Five apprehensive but excited Travel Counsellors travelled from Heathrow via Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth in June 2008, none of us really knowing what to expect. Reading up on the temperatures we expected June to be much as a Spring day would be here. However in reality, midday temperature would be warm enough for t-shirts but early morning and once the sun started to go down, the clothes needed to be piled on. Morning and evening game drives warranted socks, boots, layers of jumpers, coat, hats and gloves - be warned!!

The spectacular South African scenery greeted us on our trip from Port Elizabeth to the Game Reserve. The crashing waves of the Atlantic, edged by sand dunes, on one side and the lush green hills and blood red soil of the land on the other.
On our approach to the main house we were stopped in our tracks by a herd of zebra galloping across our path. Another tip - have your camera ready at all times!! Shamwari has 7 lodges, all offering different views and different game that will be literally on your doorstep. The last part of our journey took us to our lodge where we were welcomed by a cup of hot chocolate (most welcome) and a chance to meet Graham who was to be our guide, mentor and minder throughout this experience. A quick change into something warm and we were off on our first game drive. It didn't take long to realise the diversity of the surrounds. One minute you were driving up and down perilously steep tracks and the next the wide plains would open up before you and in the distance you could spot elephant, zebra and different species of antelope.

It would take me pages and pages to describe fully all that we learnt here but if you are looking for that very special African experience, look no further than a few nights here. We had many encounters with lions; we even had the chance to "walk" them. We can now tell the difference between black and white rhinos and all the species of antelope. Drive to within metres of the elephant herd, one way of making you feel rather insignificant! Spot the elusive hippos and marvel at the grace of the giraffe.
The rangers are there to inform and to educate their guests about the wildlife, its habitat and the impact we have on them and they have on us.

If you are travelling here with children, rest assured they will be well looked after - children are welcome on the drives (4yrs and above). They also get the chance to visit the Born Free foundation and see lions, cheetahs and leopards that have been rescued from around the world. What better way for them to learn to understand that these magnificent creatures belong in the wild!! The highlight of their visit will surely be to the animal hospital where they will be able to meet orphaned animals including Themba the baby elephant.

For me, this was a life changing experience; I will return and hope also to visit other regions of South Africa.
The people, the culture, the dramatic scenery has secured its place as one of my top 3 destinations to visit again.