8 Day Strandloper Trail (trip)
8 Day Strandloper Trail
- South Africa
- Active & Adventure
| from €950* per person | 8 Days | Year-round |
| Boutique accommodations | Exertion level: 4 | |
| Operator: Tokoloshi Expeditions | 8 people max | |
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Locations visited/nearby
South Africa, Africa
0 testimonials about this trip.
1 testimonial about the provider, Tokoloshi Expeditions:
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Reviewer: Lucy Edwards
located in
Adelaide,
Australia
Tokoloshi Expeditions
After questioning what a Tokoloshi is and discovering it meant “A mischievous hairy dwarf” who is known in African folklore as something “thwarted by ladders and unable to climb” we would never have predicted the days ahead.
After meeting our wonderful guide, who was on time and greeted us with a friendly “Howzit”, we were driven to a cabin in the Woody Cape Section of the Addo Elephant National Park. A couple of beers, a braai, and early to bed.
We woke early and set off on what seemed to be a gentle stroll through the beautiful Ancient Yellowwood forests. Our guide stopped to show us prints and tell us about plants. The forest which initially sheltered us from the sky, slowly opened to allow swords of light as the sun rose. Some early animal sightings kept us alert but before we knew it we went from forest to foreshore, as small wooden steps led us to the ocean.
Walking along the sand was somewhat mystic as we looked in every direction and could not see a house, a car, or even a footprint. The largest dune field in the Southern Hemisphere is sure not to disappoint. The only thing to cause us grief was the fact that the camera would not do the sights justice… the dunes were bigger, the water was clearer and the scene was more dynamic than we could ever describe.
With the beautiful view below we were told we were staying just around the corner which was technically right but it was a hell of a corner. We shifted from flat sand to slight inclines and then rocks and we hugged ‘the corner’ of massive dune. We knew that there were stairs to take us to the top of the dune but couldn’t imagine how someone could have built stairs all the way out there. And then we saw it. A simple rope. We had to pull ourselves up, eventually hitting the wooden stairs. The top was amazing! Indescribable!
The accommodation was at least 5 stars - not that it had running water, power, or a spa but the fact that it sat under a million stars with a view of hundred dolphins. We were exhausted but somewhat reenergised by our surroundings.
The next day didn’t fail to keep impressing us. Beautiful dunes to farm land and back to the forest. This is not something you can do without the help of a guide and ours at Tokoloshi Expeditions was extremely capable and thankfully neither “mischievous” nor “unable to climb ladders”. If you are spending time in South Africa the Alexandria Trail is a must. Forests, fynbos, fields, foreshores… Unforgettable!
Lucy EdwardsLanguages, Performing Arts, English Coordinator
Balaklava High School
Ph: (08) 88620600
Special information
- This is a custom departure, meaning this trip is offered on dates that you arrange privately with the provider. Additionally, you need to form your own private group for this trip. The itinerary and price here is just a sample. Contact the provider for detailed pricing, minimum group size, and scheduling information. For most providers, the larger the group you are traveling with, the lower the per-person cost will be.
- Family oriented trip.
Itinerary
Welcoming at East London airport by our local team. Transfer to Kob Inn on the Wild Coast for our first night.
A short walk takes you down to the Qora river mouth where a rowboat will ferry us across. From there it is about a 1 hour scenic walk beneath towering sand dunes and along fishermans paths to Mazeppa point itself. An easy first days introduction to the trail.
Leaving the hotel we will see our destination, Sandy Point, in the far distance. Although long, the walking is easy with much to see on a low tide. Enjoy the many swimming beaches and take regular breaks along the way.
We check the tide table before today's hike of 16km down to Trennerys or Seagulls hotel. At the Kobanqaba River, we allow time for low tide to make wading across easier. Soon thereafter, we will pass the wreck of the Jacaranda, which makes for an interesting lunch stop, and from here it is an easy walk to the hotel.
Its only short 6km hike along the beach to the pont at Kei River. We take the ferry accross the Kei and walk through the town until reaching the golf course from where we will pick up Strandloper footprints taking us through the coastal reserve and lighthouse to Morgan Bay..
This is the most spectacular part of the hike with the trail following the edge of the Morgan bay cliffs rising vertically over 50m from the sea, before dropping down to Double Mouth reserve and the river crossing (cross at low tide). From here it is a varied and interesting hike along rocky headlands and coves to Haga Haga passing shell strewn beaches and the abalone farm along the way.
The day starts with a stiff hike up to the top of the point on Pullens bay where we have a good chance of watching dolphin and whales from a birds-eye vantage. The hike continues along wave-hewn rocky beach and gullies until it reaches Cape Henderson with its broad sandy beaches running beneath wild dune forest and passing several blind river estuaries on your long walk into Chintsa
After breakfast we transfer to East London airport for departure
More information from Tokoloshi Expeditions:
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www.tokoloshi.co.za/strandloper-trail/… - Company profile, experience, and history
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