Testimonials

Caron Nesbit

Maris Stella School

Spirit of Adventure is an outdoor recreation camp where pupils are exposed to many different experiences that not only test but enhance their physical and social skills in a natural setting. Activities are conducted in a professional and safe manner whilst ensuring that all pupils have fun. The camp counsellors at Spirit of Adventure are friendly, approachable and do a great job at making the stay for everyone an enjoyable experience which, evidently aids in our continuous return. Maris Stella School recommends Spirit of Adventure to all schools and feels that it is a worthwhile experience.

Mrs Wilson

George Campbell School of Technology

George Campbell School of Technology has been supporting the Spirit of Adventure leadership programme for more than 20 years. This is a well-established tradition and every year our Grade 11’s look forward to going to Shongweni for this Leadership programme.

We are impressed with the level of professionalism with which this course has been conducted over the years. We can always rely on the excellent facilitators who get to know the students in their groups intimately which assists us in our process for the selection of prefects.

The activities that our students are exposed to contribute greatly to the development of well-rounded leaders. The activities also enable learners to identify their strengths and weaknesses.

We have also begun using the mobile leadership course where the facilitators come to our school at the beginning of the grade 12 year, to reinforce some of the leadership skills that the prefects will need to conduct their duties efficiently. We hope that this relationship will continue in the future.

Sue Rindfleisch and Donna Moor

Clifton Preparatory

When I started teaching Grade 2s at Clifton Notties in 2014 I was amazed that children as young as Grade 1 were treated to overnight excursions. Each grade at Clifton Notties is allocated a trip a term in three of the four terms.
In that first year, Spirit of Adventure – Shongweni Dam was booked as the excursion in Term Two and has remained our trip in Term Two for more than a decade. Over the years we have replaced the other two excursions as we have tried to improve on them but Spirit of Adventure has been a firm favourite and is therefore, as far as we are concerned, here to stay.

And here are just some of the reasons why:

Outstanding guides who are a testimony every year, without fail to the careful selection and excellent training provided to them by the owners and organisers of Spirit of Adventure.
Rustic but warm, comfortable, and safe accommodation for both learners and teachers
Time out in the open beauty of Shongweni Dam and the surrounding areas
Delicious, well-thought-out, nutritious meals
Fantastic activities where children are stretched out of their comfort zone and given the chance to find out just how capable, resilient, and adventurous they truly are (all the while never compromising on the pure enjoyment and safety of the children).
Teachers and learners are made to feel welcome by every single member of the Spirit of Adventure team.
All activities are handled entirely and effortlessly by the SOA team, leaving us as teachers free to observe the children in our care and to enjoy watching them learn and grow and best of all, just have a really good time out in nature.

Another excursion that we have enjoyed over the last few years has been our overnight stay at Tala Game Reserve. While the facilities and animals made the time there enjoyable, the fact that the team handling the activities changed hands a few times seriously impacted the quality and experience of this outing for both the children and the teachers involved. You can imagine our delight when the Spirit of Adventure team took over the running of the excursions to Tala and what a positive change this has made to our time there. And now the Spirit of Adventure team runs our outing to Notties Farm too. Somehow, this team of incredible humans has managed to bring a whole new flavour to three different venues that offer three different experiences, and yet they maintain the same level of professionalism, warmth, and adventure to which we have become accustomed over the years.
And so it is that we are blessed as three times a year we get to meet up with a group of special people who make us feel welcome as teachers and who treasure our children

Mrs Nielson

Veritas College

A big thank you for giving us such an awesome experience! We will never forget the genuine love, care & and leadership from the facilitators. Our young men and women have been moved by your extravagant willing heart. Thank you for the amazing food. We will be back and you can expect more schools from Gauteng , because we are going to market Roselands in Gauteng.

Matthew McCauley

Westville Girls High School

Spirit of Adventure has continued to provide courses that are of a phenomenal standard. Their courses perfectly blend the components of adventure, resilience, grit and fun that makes the experience conducive to growth and development whilst continuing to be the highlight of our school calendar. The instructors are well trained and uphold a meritorious culture of professionalism and compassion that allows students to feel challenged yet comforted with the knowledge that a highly trained professional is responsible for their safety. The accommodation and food are of the highest standard compared to other service providers in the industry, which makes all the difference after a gruelling day in the sun doing exciting activities such as abseiling, rock climbing and hiking. Spirit of Adventure has built an incredible relationship with our school and as a service provider has continued to surpass our expectations. Our students have fostered relationships and memories that will be treasured for life.

Richard Robertson

Cordwalles

The team at Spirit of Adventure, led so ably by Nathan, are absolutely indispensible in ensuring that our Drakensberg hike goes off smoothly. Not only do they provide the expertise to cover all of the risks that would make a trip of this sort untenable otherwise, their facilitators are excellent at reading the groups and stepping in when necessary or standing back to allow our boys to cultivate their own experiences through independent exploration. They do their part in delivering on Nathan's objective of "making lifelong memories". The willingness of SoA to tailor the program to meet our specific needs goes a long way to making it such a memorable experience for our boys.

Tracey Doyle

Clifton School for Boys Durban

I have been attending camps run by Spirit of Adventure every year since 2004. I have always been incredibly impressed by their standard of professionalism. Under the expert guidance of Nathan Bam, the staff is very organised, and experienced in what they do, they have an excellent rapport with the students and always treat staff from schools with utmost respect and care. They strive to make every experience by students and staff a fun, exciting, and memorable one. The activities are well thought out, and executed precisely and the safety of the students and staff is paramount. Meals served are of a high standard and enjoyed by all. I highly recommend Spirit of Adventure to any school looking to give their students a valuable outdoor experience that they will reminisce with nostalgia well into their adulthood.

Byron Tucker

Westville Boys' High School

Nkwazi Survivor Camp - Grade 11 Shadow Leadership Camp

Nathan and his Team have done an exceptional job in creating a tailor made experience at Nkwazi. The camp tests our Grade 11 Shadow Leaders and true character is revealed over the 2 night and 3 day experience. The boys go through a host of activities that tests them on a physical, mental and intellectual level. This camp adds value to our leadership staff committee as we have the opportunity to run the camp and be on the ground with the boys whilst Nathan and his Team support us. The staff are well looked after and there is an abundance of food and supplies. The camp is spoken about by our boys for years and they truly enjoy the experience and testing nature of the camp.

Nyala Pans - Grade 9 Hike

The Grade 9 Hike has proven to be a highlight on the school calendar, not only for the students but for the staff as well. The camp includes hiking and the activities are designed to develop the necessary group skills in communication, teamwork, perseverance, decision-making and consequences. Day 1 of the Hike focuses on Tangible Consequences (Consequences of your Choices), Day 2 on Personality vs Character and Day 3 on Humility. On Day 3 of the Hike the Grade 9's arrive at Linwood Combined School in the Umkho Valley and this proved to be a humbling but empowering experience for our boys. Each year, together with Nathan, we decide on an initiative to support Linwood Combined School. The Grade 9's conduct fundraising initiatives and this just adds so much more value to the whole experience. The hike is challenging and exposes true character and camaraderie amongst the grade. A new appreciation for our everyday privileges is gained and the group returns transformed. The hike is well planned and supported by the SOA Team. The staff are well looked after and it is an enjoyable experience overall.

Shongweni - Grade 11 Blue Tie Leaders

Team building, planning and cohesiveness are the main aims of our camp at Shongweni. We take the group of boys who have been selected as leaders to this camp. The camp is run by both the SOA Team as well as the Leadership Committee at WBHS. We get the opportunity to plan and prepare for the following year whilst the boys work on their team dynamic and identifying their strengths and weaknesses. Whilst the camp isn't strenuous for a senior group, it provides the perfect opportunity for team building and bonding to take place. The boys and staff are well fed and looked after and it is overall an enjoyable experience.