The Baviaanskloof Heartland 6-Day Hiking Experience

This unique 6 day hiking trail traversing 12km per day is situated in the Baviaanskloof Hartland, a unique and isolated place captured between the Baviaanskloof and the Kouga mountains.  The hike takes you on the main road over private land and into Parks board property.

The region has a long-lasting cultural heritage and is famous for its prestige rock formations, rock art, bird life, indigenous plants like the endangered Willowmore Cedar and the endangered indigenous red fin minnow fish species.

The first farms were registered in the kloof in 1818. Farmers reached the kloof by means of a handmade ‘ossewa’ trail from the western side of the kloof. Between 1880 and 1890 Thomas Bain built the Nuwekloof Pass giving entry to this unique gem.  The Baviaanskloof is a malaria free area with fresh drinkable fountain water. Treat yourself to come and see not the Big 5 but the 5 million Smalls.

Info: Please note we can be reached by sedan vehicle.

The Baviaanskloof Hartland hike makes use of five different guesthouse accommodations, and an overnight stay under the stars in a cave. Your breakfast and dinner is included in your stay. Your personal belongings will all be looked after and transported from one guesthouse to another. This means you only have to carry what you need for the day in your daypack. PS: You have to make provision for your own lunch and drinks for each day.

Info: Your hike will also include donkey-cart riding, bee farming, olive farming and educational programs about Leopard rehabilitation and restoration projects, also a visit to the Baviaanskloof wilderness area at Smitskraal, where you have chance to see buffalo’s, Hartebeest, Baboons and other wildlife living in the Reserve.

During the hike you will have time to enjoy the beautiful nature and its breath-taking views. On your daily hike will be accompanied by a local person who will be able to show you things that you definitely will overlook if hiking on your own. The Baviaanskloof is known for its hospitality and friendly people.

The Baviaanskloof Hartland community look forward to hosting you, and hope to see you soon!

Program:

The Hartland Hiking Experience includes five days of hiking on different routes with an average distance of 12 kilometres a day depending on the group’s overall fitness. Makkedaat Caves will take care of all the transportation.

Info: We have scheduled organized packages for your convenience; choose the date that will suit you and book in advance. Reservations have to be made 5 months in advance. If a reservation is made, you will be appointed to either one of the hiking programs. The Baviaanskloof Hiking Experience offers you no choice in the hiking program. The organized hike will be confirmed if a group of (12 - 14) twelve to fourteen hikers is established. The Baviaanskloof Hartland Hiking Experience offers a discount for any (1) one person who can make a reservation with (12 - 14) twelve to fourteen applicants at once.

Costs: You can experience the Baviaanskloof Hartland Hiking Experience for only 5400 ZAR per person. 

Fitness: As the Baviaans Hartland trail is not the easiest of trails, with some steep sections, rock surface, and rough terrain and up to 12 km of hiking per day, a fair degree of fitness is required. Children over 12 are welcome if accompanied by their guardians.

Baviaanskloof Hartland Hike

Your accommodation: 5 out of the 6 nights you will be staying at different shared room Guesthouses and include bedding and fresh towels. Your breakfast and dinner is also included in your stay. One of your nights you will experience sleeping in an open Cave in the wild so please bring your own sleeping bag. Your luggage up to a weight of 20kg will be transported for you to your next destination guesthouse. 

You will arrive at Rietrivier Baviaanskloof on Saturday where you will be welcomed and showed your accommodation for the night. Dinner/snacks will be provided for the evening.  A briefing of your hike will be held at 18:00 that evening at the Aartappelkamer.

The next morning (Sunday) breakfast @ 07:00 at the Aartappelkamer and the hike will commence from the Aartappelkamer @ 08:00 sharp! Time keeping is important as you need to be at your destination before dark every day. The journey starts on a Saturday and ends the next Friday at Rietrivier homestead.

Important Info: Please note that you will arrive back at Rietrivier homestead at approximately 15:00 on Friday. If you wish to stay an extra night at Makkedaat, which is not included in your hike, you should make arrangements in advance.

You will be partly hiking and partly transported from guesthouse to guesthouse on selected trails with a local. The average hiking distance per day is 12km which means you will be on foot approximately 6 hours a day which excludes lunch and tea breaks which will be conducted by your guide. Please note that you will be responsible for your own drinks and lunch for every day. Sandwich packs can be ordered on arrival at your destination guesthouse. Please feel free to ask your host/hostess.

Please note that our farm can be reached with sedan vehicles and we are 50km from Willowmore and 80km from Uniondale.

Ps: Your booking for the hike will be reserved and only be confirmed as soon as we have 12 people booked. We will send a full itinerary about each day’s program to each booked group.

Info: Please note that if you wish to stay an extra night, which is excluded from your hike, you should make arrangements before you arrive. The Baviaanskloof Hartland community are looking forward to be your host, and hope to see you soon!

For bookings and enquiries please contact Kobie van Zyl at 044 9341012 or email info@makkedaat.co.za