With all the time spent in lockdown and constrained to stay in town, limited to their everyday routines, unable to break away and experience nature. With Lockdown lifted and Covid restrictions slowly becoming a thing of the past, many locations and activities have become open to the public.
One of the more relaxing endeavours that lets you break away from life is to go camping and hiking. With all the fresh, unpolluted air coursing through your lungs and away from any interruption or distractions from your busy lives, hiking and camping provide a true escape, allowing you to recover and rest your mind and body.
Uitsoek Hiking Trail
The Uitsoek Hiking Trail is located 80km from Nelspruit near Sudwala Caves. Uitsoek consists of 3 separate Hiking Trails, Houtbosloop, Beestekraalspruit and Brakkrans. Each of the trails provide their own unique experience.
Beestekraalspruit Hiking Trail and Brakkrans are two-day hiking trails that are not difficult or advanced and are perfect for those who are not fit or are a bit out of shape. Hikers are exposed to some truly beautiful scenery while taking part in the 2 day Hike.
The Houtbosloop Hiking Trail is filled with beautiful pine forests, hills, mountains and ravines as the circular route brings you back around to the start, after experience the beauty of the natural landscape.
Lindenau Hiking Trail
Located on a farm called Lindenau, found between Nelspruit and nGodwana, lies the Lindenau Hiking trail. Formerly known as the Elandsvallei Trail, hikers travel all along the new route found on the 1800 hectare farmland. The starting part of the Hiking trail is a converted schoolhouse that is known as ‘Old Plaas Skooltjie’. Previously, hikers would live in a thatched stone building that was fully equipped, but the trail was changed and now guests make a return trip and stay in the Old School House on the second night. The Farm that the trail is laid out on, is lush and green with an abundance of water from the Elands River. There are many mountains streams along the road, carving through the beautiful landscape.
Some of the amazing highlights you can experience while on the trail include the Sugar Loaf Mountains, stunning kloofs and gorges, and an insane 300 species of birds that can be encountered. On the second day, hikers pass old gold mine sites and the ruins of an old South African War Camp. Otters also call the lands home
Kaapsehoop Hiking Trails
There are a multitude of different amazing hiking trails that hikers can take part in, that range from 2 night trails to 5 night trails. The 2 night trails range anywhere from 23km to 43km, with the 5 night option reaching 60km each. All of the trails are set in the stunning and beautiful misty hills, filled with gorges, valleys, aloes, cycads, ferns and streams to decorate and make the hiking experience so much more enjoyable. A good idea is to keep the weather in mind as high in the Drakensburg region the afternoons and nights can be quite cold.