The best places to hike with wildlife in Southern Africa

Posted by Fiona Mcintosh on 1 December 2011

I hiked the Naukluft Trail for the first time this winter and was impressed by the rugged scenery and sense of wilderness on this notoriously tough route in the Namib Naukluft Park. But what I hadn’t been expecting was the amount of game. Several times a day we heard the clatter of hooves, then spotted great herds of Hartmann’s mountain zebra. Springbok were constant companions and there were massive herds of gemsbok, troops of baboons and sightings of kudu and wildebeest.

I realised that although I love the bush, there’s a big difference between hikes on which you see animals along the trail and game walks. The focus is different: most hikers choose a trail with a known distance and clear highlights and objectives, whereas on bush walks the route, pace and highlights are largely determined by what you encounter. One big attraction of bush walks is the chance of encountering the Big Five, which you’re unlikely to find on a hiking trail.

Still, I prefer the latter and have found a number of trails on which you’ll see all sorts of plains game. Here are a few of my favourite hikes with wildlife in Southern Africa:

 

1. Naukluft Hiking Trail

The eight-day Naukluft Hiking Trail lives up to its reputation as the toughest in Southern Africa, not least because of the scarcity of water, but it’s outstanding game sightings are much less trumpeted. We heard the distinctive bark of leopard at night and there are hyena on the Kapokvlakte Plateau. www.nwr.com.na.

 

2. Groenkloof Nature Reserve

The game in the Groenkloof Nature Reserve, on the outskirts of Pretoria, is unbelievably tame, allowing close encounters. The park was proclaimed a game reserve by President Paul Kruger in 1895, largely to protect oribi and you’ll often see this beautiful antelope as well as giraffe and numerous birds on one of three hiking trails that range from 3,5 to 10,5 kilometres. tiny.cc/groenkloof.

 

3. Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve

Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal’s Midlands is less than an hour from Durban and has a number of worthwhile trails along the clifftop overlooking the Umgeni Valley. The seven-kilometre Black Eagle trail is a good introduction to the reserve and offers breathtaking views. You’ll usually see zebra grazing near the entrance gate, warthog in marshy areas and various antelope, including shy bushbuck, on the route. www.wessa.org.za.

 

4. Western Cape sanctuaries

There are various sanctuaries in the Western Cape, including the popular De Hoop and Cape of Good Hope reserves on which you’ll encounter endemic bontebok and other plains game. The picturesque Bontebok National Park, near Swellendam, is often overlooked. The 5,4-kilometre Bushbuck Trail is a great family outing that meanders along the Breede River, past various shaded areas where game shelter, to a wonderful swimming hole and picnic area. www.sanparks.org.

 

Top tip

You’ll need to purify water on the Naukluft Trail. A neat alternative to purification tablets is the pocket-sized SteriPEN Adventurer Opti water purifier, which eliminates up to 99,9 per cent of bacteria. R1 000, www.rammountain.co.za. Available at Cape Union Mart, Due South, Capestorm and independent outdoor retailers.

 

Hiking with game versus game walks

 

Hiking with game

  • Self-guided
  • Fixed route, but flexible pace
  • Main sightings are buck and birds
  • Sightings usually distant

Game walks

  • Guided
  • Route and pace largely determined by sightings
  • Possible encounters with dangerous game
  • Sightings often very close

Get more

To read more about great South African hikes, check out Fiona’s blog: http://www.getaway.co.za/author/fiona-mcintosh.

Photograph by Leon Hugo.

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