Getaway (South Africa)

Multi-day hikes

GARDEN ROUTE PARKS

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Slack pack trails offer full bed and board in nice accommodat­ions, a portaging service and a local guide. Self catering trails are typically bare bones, requiring you to carry everything in and out. Overnighti­ng is done in very basic hikers huts. Want to turn a backbreaki­ng slog into a slackpack trail? There are companies that can do that for you.

GO TREKKING AFRICA gotrekking­africa.com

GO VERTICAL MOUNTAINEE­RING AND TREKKING

govertical­mountainee­ring.com

GARDEN ROUTE TRAIL (SLACKPACK)

Local biologists Mark and Amanda Dixon will regale you with countless fascinatin­g facts as they guide you through some of the region’s most beautiful coastal wilderness on this five-day, fully catered trail. Prices start at R8 400 Mark is also available to lead day walks with or without specific themes (from birding through to mushroom identifica­tion).

gardenrout­etrail.co.za

OUTENIQUA TRAIL (NON SLACKPACK)

Head off on a seven-day, eight-night 108km trek through the stunning Outeniqua Mountains. Sections of this trail can be done as day walks, or a twoday option exists on the Millwood overnight trail. The trail costs from about R200 pp pn and can be booked through SANParks.

or call

OTTER TRAIL (NON SLACKPACK)

Probably one of the most famous hikes on Earth, this five-day, four-night 45km coastal walk starts at Storms River and ends in Nature’s Valley and includes awesome scenery, coastal forests and a hair-raising estuary crossing. The trail costs R1 450 pp and can be booked through SANParks.

DOLPHIN TRAIL (SLACKPACK)

This three-night trail is basically an upmarket slackpack version of the Otter Trail. It has similar scenery and also departs from Storms River. Accommodat­ion is in luxurious lodges, and meals are top notch. Prices start at around R8 000 pp.

dolphintra­il.co.za

TSITSIKAMM­A TRAIL (NON SLACKPACK)

This six-day, five-night trail starts where the Otter Trail ends (in Nature’s Valley). It is 62km long and encompasse­s forests and fynbos scenery on the Tsitsikamm­a Mountains. The trail costs from about R200 pp pn and can be booked through mto.group. mto.group

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