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There is a world of difference between experiencing a safari in Africa on foot, "old style", than say, from the tinted windows of a luxury bus! To walk is to be out there with the African wildlife, sharing their paths and waterholes, the daily dramas of their lives, sharing their space. To walk is to follow their tracks, feel the tingle of your own senses and hear the beating of your heart as you edge closer to a herd of elephant resting in the shade. To sleep in a tent under the trees with only the canvas between you and the bush is an experience not easily forgotten. A safari is a journey of the body and the soul, a venture into the unknown and an opportunity to face some of the mysteries of nature. With over 20 years of experience, we still believe in the magic of the bush and strive to offer that “once in a lifetime experience” to all our guests.
The Camps:
The unfenced camps are private and secluded and not open to day visitors. Each camp can sleep up to 12 people in large walk-in twin-bedded tents (linen is provided, so sleeping bags are not needed) with sown-in mosquito screens. Ablutions are separate but close with hot showers and flush toilets.
Although there is no electricity, there is solar lighting, candles, lanterns and a campfire to guide you around the camp at night. Meals are prepared in the kitchen tent and served in the dining tent. Each safari is accompanied by one or two experienced and armed rangers and each camp is serviced by a chef.
The Walks:
The safaris appeal to all with an adventurous mind, keen on a learning experience. Every walk is a book on its own, with the emphasis on information on all the wonders of nature, big and small. Because of the dangerous aspects of a walking safari, the minimum age is 16. Although there is no maximum age, the walks can last up to 4 hours and tracking might lead the trail through thick bush, riverbeds and gullies. Therefore an average fitness level is required, especially in the hotter summer months (Nov - March). A maximum of 8 people makes up a trail, no minimum.
The combination of walks and drives in the open 4x4 Landrover are dependent on weather and animal movements and are conducted from camp in the early mornings, late afternoons and at night. Each safari is basic and designed to experience the bush the way one should: on foot. After the first walk you’ll realise you’ve gone back in time – one with your ancestors who roamed these African trails. Although in Big Five areas, there are no guarantees on sightings – what you see is what you get. We do however guarantee a real bush experience!
The Monday – Friday 5-day/4-night walking safari will take you to two different camps in two different Reserves in the Greater Kruger National Park, changing camps midweek. This adds on to that true safari feeling and will give you a chance to explore two different areas.
The Friday – Monday 4-day/3-night walking safari remains in one camp with an exciting optional sleep-out in a fly-camp in the same reserve. For the people who really want to go back to basics for a night, this is a must-do!
This programme applies both for the 5-day and also 4-day programme:
Arrive at Hoedspruit Airport (your own flight arrangements) where you will be met and transferred to meet your ranger at a lovely bush pub at the edge of the reserve. All trailists sign indemnity forms and have lunch together. After lunch, we transfer you into open safari vehicles to one of our bush camps in Klaserie or Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, making sure that you spend the maximum time out in the bush!
In the mornings we set off at first light after a snack breakfast of rusks and coffee or tea. Enjoying the cool morning air we may walk directly from camp or else use a vehicle to get further out. Your ranger will decipher the tracks and signs left by the passing animals during the night. The thrill of walking, tracking and getting up close to one of the creatures of the bush is an unforgettable experience. On the walks there is a lot of emphasis on all the interesting things seen such as trees, plants, insects and birds. A big breakfast is prepared back in camp and then there is time to unwind and siesta during the heat of the day. After lunch it is time to head out again.
The afternoon activity is a walk/ drive combination, looking for tracks and activity in other areas. After the walk we drive to a beautiful spot in the Reserve, where we’ll have sundowners while waiting for a stunning African Sunset. As the diurnal animals and birds anxiously get ready for sleep, the stage and sounds change and a whole new world awakens. This is when we connect the spotlight and night-drive back to camp, looking for the nocturnal creatures that are so rarely seen during the day. Back in camp a hearty supper and a warm campfire will be waiting for you. After a long day in the bush there is nothing more rewarding then to sneak off to bed and listen to the sounds of the night under a blanket of the unforgettable African stars!
On the last day of hiking you will still go out for one last walk. Sniffing the typical scents of the bush you’ll realise how much you’ve learned already! After breakfast it’s time to pack up and go back to the bush pub, where you will pay the Conservation Fee and the drinks you’ve consumed in our camps. Then we say our goodbyes and transfer you back to Hoedspruit airport.
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