Life at the Bay

After half a decade of steadily steering our Sugar Bay ship, we bid farewell to a darling duo; Sugar Bay's Tape & Paris.  Thus, we announce the name of the new Captain who will be steering our ship. Former Arts & Crafts Pro Counselor (PC), Auror a ! Our affectionate and gentle Aurora was promoted to Camp Programmer & acting Head Counselor. The Camp Programmer is responsible for the planning and organization of daily programs in all areas of camp (activities, meals, décor, etc). The Programmer also works alongside other staff members in the planning and facilitation of general camp functions. She had been under Paris's wing for almost a year and was finally given the opportunity to spread her wings and fly. And flying high is exactly what she's been doing as she carefully plans and programmes the activities scheduled at camp every week so meticulously.  With big shoes to fill in h er newly appointed positions, we are very confident that “Rory” will...

It's no secret that one of the best things about Sugar Bay is the weird and wonderful counselors . They make the Sugar Bay experience an unforgettable one, whether it be during Holiday Camps or School Bonding Tours. But just who are these staff members and how do we make sure they're not crazy in a bad way but only wacky in the good way? I was lucky enough to spend some time with our 17 trainees last week and let me tell you, they are an exceptional group of people. And I'm not just saying that. This group of trainees astounded me. I've spent the past 4 summers in America dealing with over 50 international staff members each summer - I know staff - but hearing these trainees share their passion for camp and the difference it has made in their lives brought tears to my eyes.    Camp Director Zoe Ellender wasn't without teary eyes either as she heard how her dream of creating an American-style summer camp right here in South Africa has touched so many ...

With the recent news of 56 students being hospitalized for food poisoning in KZN ( read the article here ), we thought it would be a good time to introduce the person in charge of our kitchen and understand the strict hygiene practices we follow to avoid such instances of food poisoning or contamination. When regularly feeding over 150 children and staff members, it's something that we take quite seriously. But first... Time to see your silly side! What's the craziest food concoction you've ever heard of? I have 2 that I eat regularly. Ready for this? Toast. Butter. Syrup. Aromat. Delicious! The other one is Toast. Butter. Tomato Sauce and Marmite. Don't worry though, I won't be serving that at any meal times! What's your favourite camp meal? KFC-style chicken. Just like Colonel Sanders, I've got my own secret recipe of herbs and spices! And NO I won't tell you! What's one food you haven't tried yet? Mopane worms! Our beloved Che...

We know you love our staff members. You love that they're quirky You love that they're fun Parents love that they protect you from the sun. But do you know how they came to be Spending time with you in the Zinkwazi sea? We thought you'd be keen to learn more about  The great Sangi & Wave , so we gave them a shout:   The Wise & Wonderful SANGOMA Years at Sugar Bay: 9 sweet sweet years of wonder Fav Camp Food: Chef's Chicken Curry Fav Camp Tradition: Camp-Out, it's the best! Fav Camp Activity: Movie making for Sangoma FM Productions and Sugar Bay's Youtube Channel Sangoma is an outdoor educator and camp extraordinaire who has worked at camps in America, South Africa, Croatia and the UK, where he's originally from. You name it and this hero has done it! Sangoma has travelled to 60 countries, worked in an orphanage in Vietnam and is obsessed with spicy food. Some even say he puts chilli on his corn flakes, but you'll...

If your child has already visited Sugar Bay, you'll know that our Crazy Counselors are often one of the main reasons that kids want to return time after time. Aside from the fact that we hire only the best young leaders from around the country (and the world!), train them intensely and constantly push them to be their best, we think there's another very important reason why our campers enjoy them so much (and no, it's not because they have silly nicknames!) It's because there are so many of them! Sugar Bay's Counselor to Camper ratio far surpasses the strict guidelines of the American Camping Association by double or more for each age category. We can assure you that during our hugely popular Holiday Camps the supervision ratio will be no less than 1 counselor for every 3 campers. This figure includes Pro-Counselors (our specialized full-time activity leaders). For school camps, we maintain a ratio of 1:5 and for certain high-risk activities such as surfing an...