We left the office at three on Friday and I had no idea where we were headed. All it takes is "Let's have a surprise weekend adventure" and I'm there. 

It's been exactly a year since the last visit to Dream Lodge and our second stay in one of the lodge's secluded, simple stone cottages was even better. Agama Cottage is a truly idyllic escape for two.  

Just 157 km from Johannesburg, you can find herds of elephant, excellent rhino sightings, beautiful sundowner spots, roomy shaded campsites and quiet hides to watch giraffe lapping up water as the sun shakes the sleep from its eyes.

Sometimes city weekends get bogged down in to-do lists, expensive parties and pure laziness. Summer's still here, the rivers are flowing, the veld lush and the great outdoors beckons. Drive 40-minutes in the direction of Hartbeespoort and do one of the Hennops Hiking Trails.