Garden Route Game Walk
Overview-Garden Route Game Walk
Garden Route Game Walk is a three night guided walking trail traversing through a private, Big five, 11 000 hectare, malaria free game reserve. The trail takes you to three remote tented fly camp locations where you will enjoy homemade meals. Your expert trail guides will intimately expose you to the Reserve’s unique biodiversity and eco systems with the opportunity to potentially experience wildlife on foot. Two full days hiking- approximately 10 kilometres (6 hours) per day.
| Type | Guided walk | |||||
| Location | Mossel Bay, Western Cape, South Africa | |||||
| Group size | 2 – 8 people | |||||
| Duration | 3 nights | |||||
| Grading | Easy/Moderate | |||||
| Day Stages | About 10 km per day | |||||
| Distance | About 20 km | |||||
| Terrain | Footpaths and game trails | |||||
| Accommodation | Tented camps | |||||
| Meals | All meals included | |||||
| Cost | R18 200 pp up to 30/09/2023. Then R35 000 | |||||
| Dates | Oct- May- Mondays & Thursdays |
Trip details
Garden Route Game Walk is the ultimate slack packing adventure where your belongings are moved daily between the three camps, allowing you to experience the dramatic Fynbos landscape and wildlife with only a light day pack. Each exclusive camp is comprised of four exquisitely appointed bedroom tents with en-suite bathrooms sleeping a maximum of 8 guests as well as beautifully furnished lounge and dining tents. Homemade African inspired meals are catered for you with cold beverages on tap. You literally need to “just bring your boots” and the team will do the rest. There is no better way to experience nature and wildlife than on foot!
Highlights
The Garden Route
The Garden Route begins about four hours outside Cape Town, and includes one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline of some 300 km between Mossel Bay and Plettenberg Bay and is one of South Africa’s most popular holiday destinations. The Garden Route Game Walk is an exciting start to other attractions, activities and things to do when you visit the gorgeous Garden Route on your travels in South Africa.
Scenery
Beautiful fynbos and grass plains.
Vegetation
The Cape Floral Region is the smallest, but richest and most critically endangered, of the world’s 6 floral regions. 596 fynbos species only occur in one place, such as a single mountain top peak, valley or wetland. Plant species such as Proteas, Erica’s, Cone bush, Pincushion, Lily, Gladiolus, Restios, etc provide colour and beauty to the reserve.
Wildlife
You will find free roaming lion, black rhinoceros, eland, red hartebeest, endangered Cape Mountain Zebra, springbok, kudu, as well as elephant, among others. There are about 60 mammal- and about 150 bird species in the reserve.
Camp facilities
3 Tented Fly Camps each with: 4 bedroom tents with en-suite bathrooms and covered outdoor seating area
Main dining and lounge/bar tents
Outdoor campfire area
Expert trail guides
Learn about the geology, wildlife, vegetation and history of the area from two armed and qualified trail guides.
Day 1 - Start days are Monday and Thursday
Arrival at Gondwana Game Reserve for a light lunch and to meet your trail guides
Guests to pack 3 days of belongings into provided duffle bags and lock remaining luggage in their vehicle
Trail Guides to transfer guests to first Tented Camp in open Game Viewer
Check into your tent followed by afternoon tea and treats in the lounge tent
Pre dinner drinks and snacks in the lounge tent and briefing for Day 1 on the trail
Group dinner in the dining tent
Day 2 and 3
6/6:30am Morning Wake up
Breakfast in dining tent
7/7:30am depart on trail with packed day pack including provided lunch and water bottle
On the trail: guided interpretive walking, exploring the Fynbos biome, wildlife and birdlife with scenic rest stops and possible waterhole swims.
Arrive at Tented Camp 2 and then Camp 3 at approximately 4pm on day 1 and 2pm on Day 2
Settle into your new tent with your belongings delivered from Camp 1 and then Camp 2
Afternoon lunch snacks and drinks provided on arrival to camp from trail in the lounge tent
Afternoon at leisure (Have a drink, take a shower or bath, read a book)
Afternoon game drive from Camp 3 (a top game area in the Reserve) after the second full day of hiking for those that wish to go out
Group dinner in the dining tent
Day 4
7:30am Morning Wake up
9am Camp Breakfast Fry up around the fire
10:00am Trail guides to transfer guests to their vehicle for check out and re-pack into their own luggage
Camp Facilities
3 Tented Fly Camps each with: 4 bedroom tents with en-suite bathrooms and covered outdoor seating area
Main dining and lounge/bar tents
Outdoor campfire area
Staff complement: Camp Assistant and two Trails Guides (same team for 3 nights)
Camp 1 offers a classic East African safari experience with a proper English high tea service, mahogany and leather furniture, and dinner laid with bone china and crystal wine glasses harkening to the bygone years of old Africa.
This camp is situated overlooking a riverbed in a wetland area of the Reserve
Camp 2 reached after the longer day of hiking is a fun and vibey Mozambique island theme with bright local textiles, rum and raspberry punch, and a seafood feast awaiting you. Natural carved woods, fishtrap lights and a majestic Fynbos setting overlooking the mountains makes this a spectacular destination.
Camp 3 really has an exotic Moroccan theme. The tents are draped in colourful authentic fabrics and accessories, dinner is around a low table with guests sitting on Persian cushions dipping homemade flatbreads into lamb and vegetarian tangines served out of authentic clay pot cookers. This area of the Reserve is in a sweet thorn thicket offering a private and intimate setting to celebrate their last night on trail.
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Requirements
Participants need to be at least 12 years old. If over 65, a doctor’s certificate declaring your fitness for such a hike is required.Participants need to be capable of walking up to 10km a day (+/- 6hrs), sometimes in very hot and humid conditions. See grading below.
Set departure days: Monday and Thursday with 3 night stay.
The Trail runs in the summer season only from October through May.
Minimum 2 and a maximum of 8 people.
Rates
3 Night Package Price:
Up to 30/09/2023: Per Person Sharing a Tent: R18 200. Single Person in a Tent: R27 300.
01/10/2023-30/04/2024: Per Person Sharing a Tent: R35 000. Single Person in a Tent: R52 500.
Included
Accommodation, transportation of your belongings and packed daypacks, daily activities, all meals and select local beverages, 2 private Trail guides and a game drive.
Not included
Transport to and from the reserve and conservation levy (R400 pp- 2021)
Grading
Overall rating: "Easy/Moderate". You do not need to be ultra-fit but if you choose to do the walks you should be able to walk between 10 and 20 km per day. The route takes you along paths, tracks and through the veld. See Walking grades for more details about "Easy" and "Moderate" rating.
Your guide
All walking trails are conducted by experienced and knowledgeable guides who will point out the wildlife, birds and ecology of the area. You will be allowed to walk at your own pace amid splendid scenery and stop and enjoy what is of interest to your group. Although you may see amazing things, our game walk is not intended to bring you close to dangerous game.
Destinations to add to your trip
We suggest that you add other attractions to your program. We can recommend a number of interesting options and can assist with bookings to compliment your Garden Route Game Walk. The costs of these options are available on request.
When to do the Garden Route Game Walk
The Trail runs in the summer season only from October through May.
Climate
Mossel Bay area has an ocean-moderated hot semi-arid climate. The climate is mild throughout the year as the town is situated in the area where the winter rainfall and all-year rainfall regions of the Western Cape Province meet. Its weather is influenced by the Agulhas Current of the Indian Ocean to the south, and by the presence of the Outeniqua Mountains to the north. Mossel Bay receives 80% of its rainfall at night. Annual Rainfall: 500mm.
Frost is rare or almost absent and snow has never been recorded on the coastal platform. Prevailing winds are westerly in winter (May - August) and easterly in summer (September - April), and rarely reach storm- or gale-force strength. The average days of sunshine are 320 days per year. Summer max and min temperature: 28 °C and 15 °C. Winter max and min temperature: 18 °C and 7 °C
Getting there
Conveniently located in the Garden Route of South Africa, Gondwana Private Game Reserve provides the perfect Safari Holiday destination near Cape Town for visitors wanting to experience an African Safari at a Private Game Reserve.
Just a 4-hour drive from Cape Town
45-minute drive from George Airport (GRJ) – Transfers can be arranged (with daily flights from O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB, Johannesburg) and Cape Town International Airport (CTA))
15 minutes (20kms) off the National highway – an easy self drive destination
30 minutes (40kms) from the coastal town of Mossel Bay.
What to take
Wear neutral colored clothing. 1-2 pairs of hiking or athletic shorts. 1-2 athletic walking pants/leggings/loose jeans, for hiking if cold, or to protect legs from brush. 2 t-shirts or bush shirts with short or long sleeves. 1 thin athletic/jersey top to wear if cold. 1 warm athletic top and/or puffer jacket for around camp at night. Jeans or comfortable pants and tops for fire at night. Trail running or walking shoes or hiking boots with a decent tread. Comfy shoes and flip flops for around camp. Rain/wind breaker type jacket to carry in daypack if it rains - disposable rain ponchos are provided. Warm and cool pyjamas, underwear, socks, etc. Sunhat, sunglasses, sun block, personal first-aid kit, camera, binoculars and a torch. Cell phone charging facilities available.
Insurance
We recommend that you arrange appropriate holiday insurance giving you cover against illness, injury, and loss or damage to luggage. This insurance should also cover the possibility of your having to cancel your holiday for any reason.
Availability and Booking
To enquire or reserve a date, go to: Availability request
For general information: Contact us, or
email: info@trailsandtravel.co.za, or
Booking process and -conditions - Go to How to book
Map
Location of Gondwana Game Reserve.
Gallery
Pictures of Garden Route Game Walk can be viewed in Garden Route Game Walk Gallery
Reviews
For details, go to Reviews
More about the Garden Route
For more information about the Garden Route, Contact us
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