South Africa Activity Break – Hiking

• Posted by: Editor
• On: 20/08/2008 11:48:49
• In: South Africa Car Hire

Hiking in South Africa
For anyone travelling from Europe, North America or similar, then South Africa is a world apart from what you may be used to. The hiking trails you can do in South Africa can range from short walks that will have you back in the comfort of your hotel by the end of the day or hikes that can take place over the course of a few days.

Day treks
Some of the treks that will only take you the better part of a day include the Dassie Interpretive Trail in the Augrabies Falls National Park. This trail is only 5kms long; self guided and carries no cost for taking part in it.

There is also the Tugela Gorge Walk in the Royal Natal National Park. This trail is about 23kms long, is fairly easy going and should only take about 5 or 6 hours. The views on display are fairly spectacular, including views of the the Amphitheatre, Sentinel and Tugela Falls.

Week long treks
The most famous trek in the country is probably the Otter Trail which you can find on the Tsitsikamma coast. On this trail you will see the best of all the landscapes that South Africa has to offer such as lush forests, rugged shorelines, mountain streams, waterfalls and the unique fynbos. The trail will take about 5 days and 4 nights, and it can be quite strenuous so you will have to be reasonably fit. On each of the nights you will be staying in hiking huts which, though would never be confused for the Ritz, serve their purpose very well.

A similar trail is the Dolphin Trail which runs across the same sort of terrain as the Otter Trail. But instead of staying in the basic hiking huts, you will get to stay in fully catered guest houses. You don’t even have to carry all your gear with you, there is transport provided for your luggage so all you have to carry with you is food and water, a camera and a swimsuit.

Variable duration
There are a few other places that have optionally long walks, so you can get yourself a day trip or a week long trip depending on what you fancy. In the Melkriver Hiking Route (in Vaalwater about 2 hours north of Pretoria) you can, for example, pay R80 for a 1 day hike or R400 for a 6 day hike.

For something a little different you can go Kloofing, (like caving but in an open canyon instead) in the Nuy River Gorge. These 1 or 2 day excursions are quite a lot of fun and includes abseiling, boulder hopping, bivouacking (camping with a tent) and swimming. This can cost as much as R850 but this includes a guide and meals.

Safety first
And remember, if you plan on doing one of the more rigorous trails then it is recommended then you bring all the Ten Essentials along with you. These include:
1. Map
2. Compass (optionally supplemented with a GPS)
3. Sunglasses and sunscreen
4. Extra food and water
5. Extra clothes
6. Headlamp/flashlight
7. First aid kit
8. Fire starter
9. Matches
10. Knife

There is a huge range of different treks and trails just waiting for you to discover, what we have here is just a sampler. For more ideas of what to do while in South Africa check out our other South Africa Blogs. Though you may not be driving over the mountain in a car you may need one to get you to your planned treking area so have a look at our South Africa Car Hire page and see our competitive rates.

If you have any tips about driving in and around South Africa feel free to let us know. Just leave your message in the comment box below.