The Whale trail is a feather in the cap of Cape Nature! We had the priviledge to hike for 5 days... read more
The Whale trail is a feather in the cap of Cape Nature! We had the priviledge to hike for 5 days... read more
Very well managed and maintained coastal route by Cape Nature. Incredible experience Hiking from... read more
This is a self-guided 5-day "slack pack" trail that certainly gives you a bit of everything.
Days 1 and 2 are in the mountains, which are covered in the most amazing fynbos. You'll get spectacular views of the Breede river and the surrounding valleys. Days 3, 4 and 5 are along the coast, where you'll be treated to whale (in season) and dolphin sightings.
If you're able to muster up a group of 12 friends / family, you'll have the accommodation to yourself. Don't expect luxury, but the facilities are more than adequate. The trail and accommodation is due for an upgrade next year, so hopefully the few niggles we had about the facilities will be dealt with.
Your food and clothing is transported from hut to hut, which is a real treat.
Wonderful experience; one needs a moderate degree of fitness for Days 1 and 2, but very enjoyable and well worth it.
Our long awaited Whale Trail already a week behind us and it is with absolute joy that I relive every moment of the trail. We were a group of 10, eight family members and two close friends, guided by our hosts Gilly and Ralph. This was, for me, close to a perfect holiday. The scenery, by times, took my breath away. The variety of fynbos, the flowers, the rocks, the cliffs, the sea and the white sand at times were absolutely stunning.The purity and undisturbed nature made this a special trail. Our hosts, with their passion for and knowledge of plants, animals, insects and nature overall, definitely contribute to the way we experienced every aspect. Their friendliness, patience and good spirit amazed me. We were treated on breakfast, teatime snacks, lunch, a delicious supper, tea and coffee and wine every day. For me ,to have nothing to do with the planning of meals for the trip and be surprised by delicious meals each day, was heavenly. Then there were the whales. Lots and lots of them on our hike along the coast. What an experience and definitely one of the highlights! At the end, when we had to bid our hosts farewell, it was sad to leave our hosts, who became like friends to us. This is a get away in the true sense of the word and I would recommend this trail with AfricanSunRoad to everyone who wants, a break away in nature and a treat to themselves, at the same time. Minda Kuschke
We did the AfricanSunRoad guided Whale trail with Ralph and Gilly as our guides. It was and amazing experience and our guides made it all the better and very special. They are great cooks and great storytellers!
Ralph and Gilly were our guides on the whale trail we completed on the 12th of October 2018. They took such good care of us and all we had to concentrate on was to enjoy the sight seeing and get from point a to be. I really enjoyed the fact that they had so much knowledge of all the animals and plants we saw on the trail and that includes everything I got to learn about Southern right whales and humpback whales. The food Gilly and Ralph prepared for us was amazing and to meet people that have so much passion and love for nature was truly an amazing experience!
I would without a doubt recommend Ralph and Gilly as tour guides for anyone interested in doing something like the wail trail!
Best regards,
André Kuschke
We were a group of 12 friends, the hike was easy, the huts comfortable & adequately furnished/equipped (after all you're on a hike!), the nature absolutely stunning, we saw the most amazing variety of veld flowers. Then came the best - whales, whales and more whales as well as lots of dolphins! It was just the most incredible views. We never had to look for the whales, they were just there all the time! It is absolutely a MUST DO!!
Organised the trip with 5 complete strangers, 3 of which bailed out, then Cape Nature threw in 6 more strangers without telling until 4pm of the first night. Despite what was seeming like a disastrous start proved to be an amazing experience and a great group once we broke through the normal "get to know" period- amazing how a roaring fire at a beautiful beach can do that. As the oldest fart amongst the group I was pleasantly surprised at how well I coped and set the pace for my little group of 3 who were a good 10 years junior- their reward was my exhibition of monstrous snoring one evening- oops. At the end of the 58km we were all repeating similar variations of "so amazing" whether it be the views, the whales, the dolphins, the otters or the fynbos- it was all captivating and a pleasure.