Life at the Bay

The current health of our planet is a great concern. Everyone, from international organizations to typical families has been urged to practice living in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. “Going Green” is a fairly new practice for many households. However, at Sugar Bay Resort, a holiday camp for kids and teens, children are taught how to live Eco-friendly lifestyles and appreciate the environment on a daily basis.    Here are 5 ways in which children are taught to appreciate nature and the environment at camp: 1. Recycling Sugar Bay has separate bins placed at camp especially for recycling; one for paper, one for plastic and one for metal. On arrival, campers are shown where these bins are located and briefed on the importance of recycling at camp, and in our everyday lives. Food never goes to waste at the camp, as all leftovers are collected and delivered to the pig farm after every meal. Recycling is also integrated into the camp’s offices, where th...

At Sugar Bay, we encourage our campers to get inventive with their hands. We're always getting creative with our hands by creating Arts and Crafts and taking Cooking & Baking classes. One of our favourite ways to do this is by making what we call “Beach Bread”.    Yes, it's pretty much what it's called… Beach Bread is indeed Bread on the Beach!     It's a tradition at Sugar Bay to head down to the Zinkwazi lagoon, go fishing, start a braai, and make beach bread.  There's nothing better than delicious homemade bread – camp style.    Now you can make your very own bread at home, just as we did at camp.    Here's how we create Sugar Bay Beach Bread; Beach Bread Recipe:  You will need: 4 cups white bread flour 1 1/2 cups warm water 1 1/2 teaspoons dried yeast 1 tablespoon olive oil Method: 1. Measure out all the ingredients into a large bowl and combine them together using yo...

Sugar Bay knows just how hard our teachers work, this is why we have gone all out to ensure relaxing, luxury accommodation for all teachers who come to Sugar Bay during our School Tours.  Nestled in our indigenous canopy of trees, in the convenient entrance of our sixteen-acre property, amid the scenic sports field and main hall, lies our private teacher's lodge.    The teacher's lodge contains eight, two-sleeper rooms with ensuites, two communal kitchens, two communal bathrooms, private lounge, private deck, and a private heated pool.    Each bedroom has been individually decorated by our Director, Zoe Ellender, according to the following themes; Almond, Blueberry, Coffee, Date, Elderberry, Fig, Ginger, and Honey. The bedrooms each boast two single beds dressed in white percale linen (100% Egyptian Cotton), timeless antique furnishings, built-in cupboards with shelves, full-length mirrors, tea and coffee facilities, laptop safes, electr...

The opportunity of gaining new friends, independence, and maturity by sleeping away from home is best provided by a summer camp. Summer camps have been running in America for decades, however, they are fairly new to South Africa. There are also a variety of specialized summer camps nowadays; camps that focus solely on sports, drama, etc. This is why choosing the right summer camp is imperative. It’s best to find a camp that is traditional and allows your children to experience a little bit of everything. Here are 5 important things to look for when choosing the right summer camp for your kids: 1. Find a camp that is technology-free  A camp that doesn’t allow your kids to carry their mobile and gaming devices are usually the best option. These camps provide your children with a break away from technology and allow them to participate and gain the complete camp experience without any distractions. 2. Find a camp with an outdoor focus It’s good to find a camp located i...

  Sugar Bay Resort, has had a pretty eventful 2016.    We kicked off this year by completing our much-anticipated teacher’s cabins and achieved a three-star rating from the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa. Our exclusive teacher’s cabins have now been located in a tranquil setting with a view of our vast sports field. The cabins boast superb facilities such as a private deck with loungers and a heated pool, teacher’s lodge with wifi, relaxation lounge with television and multimedia facilities, private dining area and verandas, and communal kitchens with honesty bars. The bedrooms have been individually and meticulously styled with integrated themes, hand painted artwork and antique furniture. Comfort and convenience have been prioritized, with white Egyptian cotton linen, tea/coffee facilities, laptop safes and ensuite bathrooms with showers. Now we don’t just have happy campers, but happy teachers too. We cater for all age groups at Sugar Bay, and thi...

He holds things together, mends the broken pieces and is durable as ever! He's our head counselor and we call him Tape. Tape has been at Sugar Bay for almost 8 years now. He started off as a counselor in February 2008.  Tape's favourite activity at camp is BMX-ing. This may come as a surprise, but Tape was actually the first-ever BMX Pro Counselor (PC) at Sugar Bay. Did you know that Tape's other half is also a counselor at Sugar Bay? His name is Sticky. Hence, Sticky-Tape? You get it now? Tape describes the best part of his job as: “Helping kids and counselors gain confidence; seeing them leading a song, acting on stage, or being an emcee to an audience of more than 200 people.” Tape loves beach days and his favourite camp meal are hot dogs and chips. But his absolute favourite at camp are indeed the waterslides! “I may come across as a big, scary figure, but once people get to know me, they will notice that I have a warm heart.” He even went on to f...

The camp experience is recognized by child development professionals as valuable in helping children mature socially, emotionally, intellectually, morally, and physically. Camp activities and communal living in a natural environment are some of the tools used to provide for successful and healthy psychological development. At Sugar Bay Resort, children’s self-confidence is strengthened daily through challenges integrated into their program. These challenges enhance learning and provide a feeling of belonging and contributing, which are vital factors in the building blocks of self-esteem. An example would be a drama production. In this activity, campers work in groups and have no choice but to socialize with one another to achieve success as a whole. Not only are they building their social skills, but also their self-esteem by practising their skills on a daily basis in order to produce a perfect presentation. Working in a team provides moral support and encourages children to be ...

  There is no shortage of summer camps in No rth America, they are even part of the culture. The concept o f an American-styl e summer camp is still new in S outh Africa and thus it is impo rtant for parents to ask the right questions when choosi ng a camp for their kids. P arents should be searching for a camp that prioritizes safety, educational and personal development , in a safe and fun environment.    To find a reliable and responsible camp it is necessary to ask the right question s. It's best to begin with the basics such as ; how long the camp has been running and what licenses the camp holds, etcetera. However, to properly judge their credibility and suitability for your child, you will have to ask questions that go beyond these basics.   Here are 10 Questions to ask when booking a camp for your kids:   1. What i s the camp’s philosophy?  As a parent, you need to be comfortable with the camp’s philosophy as your chil...

Sugar Bay Resort isn’t just a fun getaway for kids and teens, we also offer courses to assist in youth empowerment, such as our Counselor in training (CIT) course and the President’s Award Program.    History of the President’s/The Duke of Edinburgh ’ s Award:      The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. This award recognizes adolescents and young adults for completing a series of self-improvement exercises and is renowned internationally by 144 nations. In South Africa, the award was first established in 1983 under the name The Gold Shield Award. In 1992, after the appointment of Mr. Nelson Mandela as the first president of a democratic South Africa, the name was changed to The President's Award for Youth Empowerment.  In its 33-year history of youth engagement in South Africa, the Award Program has reached over 150,000 young people in the country. There are over ...