Hiking in South Africa is a great way to see a wonderful country for those of you who like to explore the world on foot. This lovely country with its mixture of cultures will provide you with stunning scenery that you will want to photograph and friendly people who you will enjoy getting to know.
The landscape is varied so you will have a range of terrains to choose from when you are hiking in South Africa and some sort of exciting terrain awaits you in every province. There is the famous Drakensburg in Kwazulu-Natal which is the main mountain range in South Africa and home to some fine examples of San rock art. Hiking in KwaZulu-Natal also extends through the lush green Midlands area. Table Mountain in the Cape Province offers a magical hiking experience as does Namaqualand in spring when the entire region is carpeted with wild flowers. If forests are your thing, then the majestic Tsitsikamma Forest is not to be missed. As far as the South African coastline goes, there are many trails along the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape. The Otter Trail is one of its most popular and well-known hiking trails. Even Gauteng has a number of hiking spots and the Cradle of Humankind is one of them.
South Africa is considered to have one of the best climates in the world and you should be able to hike throughout the year with the exception of one or two locations. A word of warning though, the sunny skies that predominate in South Africa are not an indication of good hiking conditions. Weather conditions that seem fine on the ground are often unpredictable in mountainous terrain like the Drakensburg or Table Mountain. Hikers should always take cognizance of weather conditions and not go hiking when weather reports do not advise. It is also better to go on a guided hike where there is a hiking expert in attendance than to attempt rugged and unforgiving terrain alone. It may be a beautiful country but hiking in South Africa is not for sissies!
Speaking of sissies, you do not have to be a sissy to want to hike in comfort and hiking in South Africa can be a very comfortable experience indeed. Many country estates and guest houses offer nature trails and hikes that can take anything from a couple of hours to a day but you wont need to sleep out under the stars as there will be a soft bed, a soothing shower and a hot meal waiting for you back at your lodgings. If you like to stretch your legs and really hit your stride with a hike of more than a couple of days duration but dont want to rough it overmuch then slack packing is the way to go. Slack packing means you dont have to carry a heavy pack on your back while you are hiking. Your back pack is transported to the days destination for you so all you will have to carry is a day pack containing water, a lightweight jacket, trail mix, sandwiches or energy bars, and wet wipes. If you go on a guided hiking tour that offers the slack packing option of hiking you will probably not even have to carry any survival or first aid gear as it will be carried for you.
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