I would highly recommend this slackpack hike to anyone wanting to get outdoors and experience the beauty of the Clarens area with it's unique landscape and rock formations and caves. It has a story all of its own and Adrian (our guide) was so full of knowledge & passion that gives one a whole new insight into the rock art and the people who once lived in the area. Adrian's dog Bella was a real star and her enthusiasm was contagious - encouraging us on even under very hot and dry hiking conditions. Julia/Spekboom Tours organises everything with such a personal touch and nothing is too much to ask. St Fort Farm accommodation was spacious and comfortable and the meals and packed lunches etc were all prepared with such genuine care. It was truly a time out from daily stresses and demands - a perfect time to breathe deep and put things back into perspective. To connect & relax with friends or family or both, laugh, excercise and appreciate the beauty around one. Clarens is also a lovely little town to explore in free time. Thank you Julia and team for putting together such an amazing few days.

Wonderful three days hiking in the Clarens area. Our guide Adrian was 5 star and brought a new perspective to the rock art in the area. St Fort Guest Farm was the perfect place to stay and our host Liesle went out of her way to make us feel welcome.

We enjoyed every moment of this hike. The landscapes were beautiful, despite the recent fires and drought. Adrian and Bella were great guides. The accommodation at St Fort Farm was superb and the lunch packs, meals and friendly staff were awesome!

Amazing walking in the Midland of KwaZulu-Natal. The guide, Julia, is great fun, well-travelled, passionate about sustainable behaviour and knows a huge amount about the natural environment in her homeland. We were travelling without a car and Julia also arranged transport for us. We stayed in lovely, rustic catered accommodation owned by some foodies who spoiled us every night, which we appreciated after 4-5 hours of hill walking.

I can highly recommend getting a group together for Julia's bespoke tours. I did the history & cycle tour of the battlefields and Dargle yoga/nature trails. True to Julia's flair and passion, you explore lesser travelled routes, have lots of fun and learn about the local culture, architecture, history and ecology. Her tours are creatively designed with fascinating activities, delicious meals, comfy accommodation and quirky local characters....for exellent value. You will come back again and again!

If you want a well organised and catered slackpacking tour, then Spekboom Tours is the answer. Her attention to detail ensures all participants are ensured of a wonderful adventure.

We did this hike through Spekboom Tours and thoroughly recommend it. The accommodation was amazing and the scenery is stunning. Everything was very well organised and everyone involved was so helpful. Hiking with Adrian and Bella was so enjoyable, he was very knowledgeable which made it more interesting and always made sure we were happy with the pace or whether we wanted to rest or not.

Fantastic slackpack with just the right mix of beautiful hiking, history/culture and good food! The views are spectacular and learning about the history of the area was fascinating. Accommodation was extremely comfortable and the food was wholesome and delicious. Thank you Julia, Jonathan and Adrian 😉

Thanks to Spekboom for arranging such a brilliant hike. The trail is incredibly diverse and stunningly beautiful. We visited natural caves, under massive sandstone cliffs, saw and learnt about ancient bushman paintings, passed through high grasslands and forested gorges. The views were breathtaking and at times we were able to see deep into Lesotho and across the Maluti mountains. Spekboom provided all the delicious meals and ensured that our overnight bags were safely transported. Accommodation was super comfy. We stayed in some beautiful farm houses which had everything we needed. I was also impressed with our guide. He had such a passion for the Bushman art - I was literally transported back in time when he spoke about the ceremonies and journeys of the Bushman shamans. Oh, he also kept us laughing! Did I mention that the hike starts and finishes in the beautiful Clarens!! All in all an amazing experience. Thanks!!

The best part was the beauty of the area.. The mountains,the lovely village.. terrific shops and quaint eating places. My advice to future visitors...stay longer than you had planned...a weekend is not enough.

Wow - what a trip! A little apprehensive going to Clarens which I feel at the best of times is somewhat ‘country-commercial’… This hike offered the best of both worlds. Situated on the outskirts of town, one stays at historical farm stays from yesteryear, all of which have a story. The hiking route is most picturesque with many a stop for a stunning photo opportunity. The highlights were the bushmen paintings - an African treasure! And to top it off, guide Julia from Spekboom Tours was most attentive, genuine and really added a unique touch to the slackpack experience. It was a lovely few days to recharge the batteries, and to appreciate South Africa’s beautiful landscapes! Many thanks Julia, for a fantastic trip. Cannot wait to explore your other Spekboom slackpack trips.

Fantastic guiding and lots of interesting facts. Accommodation outstanding, not to mention the food which was out of this world. Cant wait for the next one...

I thoroughly enjoyed this hike, which was so different to the Drakensberg hiking I have done. It had such a wonderfully rich history culturally and botanically that was shared so well by our animated guide Adrian. The scenery is nothing short of spectacular and is not overly tough either, the days were a decent and do-able distance of 8 -14km with plenty of stops to enjoy the amazing geology, Khoi San painting and flowers. Julia's a ttention to details and finding incredible routes is fantastic. She really puts in so much, to find fascinating and exquisite off-the-beaten track places to explore.

Had a wonderful few days exploring an amazingly beautiful part of our country. Adrian our guide was eccentric to say the least, but had a really unique understanding of the bushman paintings in the area. The accommodation was comfortable and the food delicious and hearty after a long day's walking. Will definitely be booking another slackpack soon!