Christmas on the trail

In December 2017, my husband and I, along with my parents and older sister, hiked the Whale Trail in the De Hoop Nature Reserve. We started on Christmas Day! What more could you want from a Christmas than to be in a beautiful place with your closest family? The first two days of the trail are inland near Potberg, its slopes covered in fynbos. On the third day you walk about 8 km with fabulous views of the sea – we saw lots of pods of dolphins. The route on day four and five is mostly along the beach. You’ll soon forget about your aching feet and stiff calves when you see all the rock formations and natural tidal pools. The overnight units have cutlery, a gas stove and gas geysers so you can enjoy a hot shower. Almost all the units have four bunk beds. Remember your ear plugs if someone in your group snores. You can have your luggage transported between overnight spots for an extra fee – this worked well for my parents as they only had to carry a daypack. The Whale Trail was the best Christmas gift ever! MIEMPIE MEIRING, Pretoria