IN OTHER WORDS

Dian Wessels, graphic designer, Stellenbosch “Take at least two bottles of water and fill them whenever you can. The spaza shops are often far apart. If you don’t bring your own food for lunch you’ll have to survive on Bigga Naks and Fizz Pops.”

Le Roux Schoeman, videographer, Cape Town “Highlights for me included things like hundreds of small crabs scurrying along a mud bank in a mangrove forest, the deserted beach at Hluleka and a chance encounter with a local runner training for his umpteenth Comrades Marathon on a dirt road at dusk. “When I paged through the visitors’ books, previous hikers had nothing but kind words to say about the hosts, the food and the accommodation.”

Liezel van Beek, entrepreneur, Stellenbosch “The Wild Coast taught me that you can be satisfied even if you have very little. Next time I’ll take some small gifts along for the various host families – functional things like a bottle opener or a serving spoon.”