Growing up, I didn’t quite have the concept of a “time out” but now I fully embrace it in a good way – using my “time out” to recharge at a day spa, yoga or on vacation.

For me, a vacation (holiday) let’s me take an extended “time out” from life to fully recharge my whole self and reassess life – slowing down to experience everything around me in the new locale.  But often (most) times, I jam pack my schedule to squeeze out as much as I can during my visit – I don’t want to miss anything because who knows when I will be back?  Running on full speed, I often need to call a vacation “time out” to slow down and do nothing (hello hotel spa and/or room service).  Doing nothing when you are thousands of miles away seems a waste of time but you do need downtime to process it all.

On my South Africa trip, the travel agent forced me on “time out” on my way to Kruger.  Arriving late in the day from my rock star flight, she booked me about twenty minutes from the airport (apparently this distance still qualifies it as an “airport hotel”) at the boutique hotel Casterbridge Hollow in White River.  Three of the people that arrived with me on the flight from Zambia would be going the 2+ hours straight to their camp at Kruger arriving around dinner time, missing the afternoon game drive yet still paying a full day rate (not cheap). By staying at the hotel, I was given the opportunity to decompress from my days in Botswana and Victoria Falls.  I was concerned that the hotel would be loud as it was situated on the side of the busy road but it was surprisingly quiet.

The hotel was part of a lifestyle shopping area of shops, cafes, art galleries and personal services.  After a quick and cheerful check-in (the front desk staff were so friendly throughout) I walked through the shops (which were closed on arrival but open the next morning to shop) to the ATM, bought some fruit at the market and wandered back to the hotel restaurant for dinner before the tour groups descended.  After dinner, I went back to my room to read and relax.  My shuttle to camp was set to depart at 11am (a late day when you’ve been up at 4:30-5am in camp each day) so I was ready to sleep in, have a late breakfast and do a spot of shopping before pickup (I had to try the local chocolate shop, of course!).  With wifi in the hotel, I had some time to catch up with the world having been disconnected for a week – because my facebook needed an update and the elephants pack a punch don’t they?

Allowing a travel “time out” is key for my holidays, which are often a few weeks, and one of the reasons that I love hotels and splurge on the comforts of a fancy room.  The Kruger “time out” allowed me to reflect on the travels thus far and prepare for the final leg of my safari trio.