Garden Route Trail

01/06/2026

An epic day of kayaking and game viewing.
The plan was to paddle for 2 hours in the morning and then head out again in the afternoon.
By the time that we reached the 8km we had seen a pair of Nyala bulls grazing along the rivers edge and some incredible birdlife.
Then, we decided to continue to the 'next' bend. After three hours, at the 15km mark, and many bends later, we had managed to drift in close to two herds of giraffe and spotted an elephant browsing on one of the euphorbia covered slopes.
By the time we returned to our base, we had kayaked 30km in 5 and a half hours.
Really excited about what we will find on tomorrow's kayak.
But for now, a chilled afternoon and then a potjie around the braai.

19/05/2026

Starting off the day with the crunch of fresh footprints on an unblemished beach and the morning rays streaming through.

The Strandloper Breakaway is a three day coastal hike exploring the fossil dune cliffs and fossil footprints in the Garden Route.

22/04/2026

Two slackpacking hikes in the Garden Route that contribute to conservation and offer wonderful learning opportunities.

Hikers Paradise The Garden Route is a hikers paradise, from short 3km forest hike, 12km coastal hikes and multi day through hikes traversing mountain Fynbos, Afromontane forest and spectacular sand…

18/04/2026

Just over one month to go before the annual Karoo Stoep Tasting Festival in Nieu Bethesda and Graaff Reinet.
We have some places available for our Stoep Tasting & Hiking Experience Tour.
No hassles about accommodation which by now is fully booked in the region. We have you covered.
Click on the link to view one of the trails we do.
https://youtu.be/A95d1fLgPPI?si=TZmoMt6I4l_K3Ir8

16/04/2026

One of the marine species tha we can see on the second and third stages of the Garden Route Coastal Meander.

The best place to be when a Berg Wind blows.

This pod of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins spent over an hour cruising just behind the surf zone in the bay between Buffalo Bay and Wildside.
A Berg Wind was blowing, with an offshore wind of between 28°C and 30°C.
Accustomed to thermo regulating to the sea temperature, it did pose the question of what effect inhaling warm dry air has on the respiratory system of cetaceans. Their behaviour was relaxed, submerging for 2 minutes, then surfacing to breathe for 3 to 5 breaths before submerging again. None of their high speed activity and surfing, though two, a juvenile and a large adult, did breech a few times.

12/04/2026

A quick peak inside one of the slot canyons on the Baviaans Canyon Trail.

06/04/2026

If you are looking to learn about and support conservation on your next hikes, then plan to do these three slackpacking trails.

1. Garden Route Coastal Meander
This is a diverse 5 day 4night coastal slackpacking trail that traverse two nature reserves and includes forest, dune thicket, fynbos and beach stages as well as two canoe stages.
From your guide, you will learn about the wood wide web, ghost fishing, marine mammals, intertidal ecology, reef regeneration and fossil footprints.
On the beach stages data on the African Black Oystercatcher and Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphins is collected for the Strandloper Project. In addition, your guide surveys the fossil dune cliffs for fossil trackways and footprints which are shared with the Southern Cape Paleoscience Group. To date they can published on over 300 fossil trackways, with more than 40 found along the trail.
For more information, visit the Garden Route Trail website at www.gardenroutetrail.co.za

2. Inqua Trail
This is a 3 day 2 night coastal hike between Robberg and Harkerville, with overnight stops in glamping camps along the shoreline. Traversing the Robberg Coastal Corridor protected area, the trail is a means of fund raising for the conservation project in the corridor. The corridor was established by private landowners to create a wildlife corridor between the Cape Nature Robberg Nature Reserve and the Harkerville section of the Garden Route National Park. Funds raised from the trail contribute to anti poaching patrols, alien vegetation removal and wildlife monitoring by trap cameras. To date one new tree species has been described, Cape Leopard has been documented and Aardvark activity has been recorded.
For more information visit their website at www.robbergcoastalcorridor.co.za

3. Karoo Stone Folk Trail
This 4 night 3 day trail is in the heart of the Karoo in the Nieu Bethesda region. Primarily a livestock extensive ranching region, the wild flowers and the micro wild life are highlights of the trail. Learning about geology, fossil from 255 million years ago, high density short duration grazing and volcanic eruptions that covered the Karoo 250 million years ago and resulted in one of the largest extinction events are just some of the topics that you can gleam from this hike. Fossil finds are shared with the Origins Fossil Museum in Graaff Reinet. A trap camera project monitors Aardvark activity on the trail, revealing insights into their social behavior and the importance of their latrines in their social dynamics.
For more information visit their website at www.stonefolktrail.co.za

24/03/2026

Karoo Stoep Tasting Wine Festival and Karoo Hiking Experience May 2026.

If you have a hankering for Karoo tranquility, great wine and hiking in nature, then the Karoo Stoep Tasting and Karoo Hiking experience is the perfect outing.

Based on a farm stay in the Nieu Bethesda district, we have morning hikes in the veld and then head into the village of Nieu Bethesda for the wine tasting festival.

We have two tours for May 2026 :
* 21st to 25th May
* 28th May to 1st June

There are limited spaces, so secure your reservation by contacting Anthony or Mark.

24/03/2026

Nuwefontein Wildflower Trail.
All indications are that the 2026 Namaqualand wildflowers are going to be spectacular.
In conjunction with Wide Open Spaces and Nuwefonteinskop Lodge, we are excited to launch a 4 night, three day Wildflower Trail in August and September.
The itineray will include hiking through sandveld, heuweveld and strandveld in the Kotzesrus area.
Hikes will be between 10km and 12km to optimize the photographic opportunities of the wildflowers.
For more information on the trail dates and itinerary email:
Mark on [email protected]
OR
Anthony on [email protected]

23/03/2026

Do you enjoy tasting wine and hiking?
Imagine doing this in the heart of the Karoo!
If you have not heard of, or experienced the annual Karoo Stoep Tasting Festival then why not get a group of family members or friends together and come and try it out.
And....... yes, they don't grow grapes and make wine in the Karoo. Wine makers from the Western Cape bring their wines to taste on the "stoeps" of the houses in Nieu Bethesda and Graaff Reinet every year in May for the past 12 years.