Category: Africa
Otter Trail (Day 5)

Otter Trail (Day 5)

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[Andre Hut → Nature Valley] (10.8 km)

The final day of this amazing adventure; the day you’ll be back in civilization:) Depending on your transport arrangements and timing, plan your start for this day bearing in mind that this is an easy short day that will take you only 3 hours to finish, with stops.

The first section will be along the pebble beach you spent the previous night on and it’ll involve some challenging boulder hopping.

Then the final uphill of this entire trail will start immediately after you hike along the beach for less than a kilometer. The uphill will be inside the forest and by now you’ll be expert in this terrain so it won’t be tough for you.

After this last uphill you’ll reach the top of the plateau with amazing final views of the towering cliffs above the ocean. You’ll continue hiking on the top and will have this amazing feeling that you almost finished this thrilling adventure.

It is all flat from here, so take your time, enjoy, take your last pictures, and keep going till you reach the metal gate marking the end of the trail!! CONGRATULATIONS YOU DID IT

From this point you’ll have an amazing view of Nature Valley beach 

and the trail will take you down all the way to the beach and civilization.

Now you’ll start meeting people: day trippers and beach goers and they’ll all congratulate you:) so enjoy your glory moment and don’t forget to stop by the rest camp to sign-out from the trail and collect your Otter Trail Certificate…YOU ARE OFFICIALLY AN ADVENTURER!!

 
Otter Trail (Day 4)

Otter Trail (Day 4)

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[Oakhurst Hut → Andre Hut] (13.8 km)

This is the longest, toughest, and most dangerous day of the entire trail! But don’t be discouraged as, since you reached this point already, then you are fit enough to do it, and the rewards along the entire trail are stunning!    

This is the day when the tidal chart you got at the reception on day 1 becomes very very important. Check the low tide and try to plan to reach the Balkrans river half an hour before that for the easiest of crossings, yet you’ll be able to cross at other times but it’ll be more difficult!

The river, itself, is after 10 km from the hut you slept in and 4 km from your next hut, so accordingly plan to start your day which might, sometimes, be at dawn. However, the trail is well-marked and has km markers every 1 km so it’ll be easy to follow even in the dark. Done with all the planning, then let’s start the adventure:)

The first part of the trail will be along the ocean with stunning views and nice sea breeze. This section is fairly easy, so you should be able to hike at a faster pace.

After km 6, the trail will get wilder and tougher. From km 6 to 8, it will be the toughest section before the crossing. In addition to rock scrambling and boulder hopping, it will involve lots of uphills and downhills and you’ll be amazed by the mere fact that such a trail was even built!

The trail will continue inside the forest, and if the weather is hot, beware of where you put your feet because there might be snakes on the trail!

At this point you have done almost 3 hours of hiking today, so take a break and recharge. The final part before the crossing is fairly easy inside the forest and should take you around 1 hour (you’ll be tired by now, so you’ll hike at a much slower pace).

Then the mighty Balkrans river will come into view!!! This is, maybe, the moment you mostly anticipated when you decided to hike the Otter trail…so take a deep breath and enjoy the view.

When you arrive at the river mouth there will be a map showing the crossing routes based on the tide situation. Since we reached the river at low tide, we chose route “A” which is the easiest, yet the longest in which you’ll have to walk in the water.

If you timed it right and had time before the low tide, then this will be an ideal spot for lunch before you cross. In our case, we arrived an hour before the low tide, so we rested, swam and enjoyed the stunning views around us.

Again since we had time, I put on my aqua shoes and decided to test the crossing without the bags and it was really easy as the water was waist level at max.

So when the time came, we decided to cross with our bags on our backs with the rain covers on as we didn’t need neither survival bags nor ropes (didn’t have them anyways since we knew we are going to cross at low tide and had the much cheaper alternative…garbage bags and small dry bags for our valuables… in case we needed them). We crossed 15 minutes before low tide and only the bottom of our bags got a bit wet…nothing more!

The feeling that you crossed and passed the most dangerous part is very refreshing, and since we had time, we celebrated by swimming again; but it is also advisable to relax a bit because the next 4 kilometers are the toughest in terms of hiking.

Immediately after the crossing, you will walk on a very narrow ledge which can be a bit scary, but there are fixed ropes to hold on to if you needed

In this section the adrenaline will be pumping in your veins and you’ll feel like a conqueror who was able to conquer the famous Otter trail, almost:)

After this ledge-walking section, you’ll reach a pebble beach which is very wild and remote.

Then, the first of the two big uphills will start. It wasn’t as bad as previously thought, but after all your effort, the trail will take you down again to another pebble beach:) so take a break here because the next uphill is really grueling. It is the toughest uphill in the entire 5-day trek, so take it slowly and keep going as you know you are almost there.

Finally, you’ll reach the top of the plateau with stunning views and it’ll be all flat and downhills from here to the huts:) 

These last 2 kilometers are really fun and the final steep downhill will take you right to Andre huts which are located on a wild pebble beach 
Otter Trail (Day 3)

Otter Trail (Day 3)

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[Scott Hut → Oakhurst Hut] (7.7 km)

This is the first day when you’ll start encountering the famous river crossings of the Otter trail and you’ll have to plan your hike according to the tide chart to be able to cross these rivers at low tide. The third day of the Otter trail is relatively short, yet it has some challenging uphills. The total distance between the two huts is 7.7 km which will take you around 4 hours, with rests, so you’ve time. However, your start time will depend on the low tide time as the second river that you’ll have to cross, the Lottering River, is after 7 km.    

In this day, you’ll hike on a terrain that, most probably, you never hiked before and you’ll go to places you won’t believe your eyes for their beauty, so get ready and prepare for an amazing adventure:)

The first part of the hike will be, the now familiar, uphill from the hut inside the thick forest. Shortly after that the terrain will completely change and you’ll hike close to the ocean shore.

 

It is an unbelievable background for a hike, what more can an adventurer want other than a blue ocean, green forest, and beautiful sunshine:) You’ll stop a lot here for the perfect ocean picture.

The trail here will involve some boulder hopping and uphills, but every few kilometers you can find hidden pools where you can swim…amazing! 

After 2.5 km, you’ll reach the first of the two river mouths…the Elandsbos river…and it is out of this world.

Crossing this river is very easy, at maximum you’ll only have to take-off your shoes, but the views and the feeling of exclusivity here will make you cross this river back and forth from the excitement.

 

The next section of the trail is the toughest. From here it’ll be an uphill after an uphill and all exposed to the sun without the shelter of the forest trees, but I personally, didn’t realize how tough it was because I was owed by the beauty surrounding me (pic).

After around 4 kilometers, the trail will reach the top of a cliff and start to flatten, to much of your relief. Then in 2 kilometers you’ll start seeing the Lottering river mouth and the huts on the opposite side. At first sight you’ll be scared of the crossing as the huts are directly situated above the river mouth which is deep and wild.

But don’t be as when you start going downhill towards the river, the trail will take you away from the ocean and the crossing will be at a very shallow area. The dissent from here is very steep, so be cautious; and if you reach the river at low tide, you’ll only need to take-off your shoes and cross.

You are now almost at the huts, only 20 minutes left, so secure your bags after you cross the river and go for an amazing swim, but don’t let the fun distract you as the high tide will come. From here to the huts it’ll be a slight uphill and when you reach the huts, you’ll realize that they are situated at an unbelievably amazing spot…so enjoy!

And remember, if you want to check the difference in the water levels between low and high tides, you can go back to the crossing area and try your luck:) and don’t miss the amazing sunset over the ocean.
Otter Trail (Day 2)

Otter Trail (Day 2)

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[Ngubu Hut → Scott Hut] (7.9 km)

Having slept your first night in the wilderness of Tsitsikamma forest and tasted your first experience of the Otter trail beauty, you’ll be all enthusiastic to start your proper Otter trail adventure.   

In day 2, the Otter trail will take you to untouched wilderness beauty that is beyond belief, but you’ll also start your experience with the famous Otter trail steps:) This is fairly tough day but full of diverse rewards. In this day you’ll hike 7.9 km that should take you around 4 hours of hiking, but plan for double of that time because you’ll spend a lot of time enjoying the natural beauties of this day! So have a good breakfast and start early to give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the highlights of this day.

The first section of the trail will be a big uphill in the forest from the Ngubu hut to the top of the plateau. You’ll hike inside the dense green forest away from the ocean but surrounded by the morning sounds of the birds.

When reaching the top of the plateau, there will be a viewpoint above the ocean which will serve as a nice rest stop; however, after that you’ll have a series of small downhills and uphills, inside the forest, till you reach Skilderkrens rock.

Once you put your eyes on this magnificent rock, you’ll know right-away what amazing views await you from its top; it is a very rugged rock that stands all alone on top of the ocean!!

Although hiking to the top of Skilderkrens rock is not part of the trail, believe me…its well worth the detour! So leave your bags at the junction and hike, actually you’ll find yourself running, to the top. 

When reaching the top, just take your time and admire the 360 degrees views surrounding you. From the dramatic waves crushing on the rocky cliffs, to the lush green forest below you, to the wide blue ocean in front of you…so take lots of pictures from every possible angle & enjoy:)

 

After getting back to the trail, proper, don’t forget your bags:) and continue your hike. The next section of the hike will be very enjoyable as it’ll continue downhill inside the forest till you reach this day’s second highlight…the Kleinbos river! This is a nice relaxing picnic spot, but first you’ll have to do some rock-hopping to cross the river, then pick a spot, have lunch, and enjoy.

But wait, this is not what all this river has to offer!! If you venture a little bit upstream, you’ll do some more rock-hopping, then find yourself at a magical water pool imbedded into the forest, so put on your swimsuit and take a dip:)

Being refreshed and ecstatic, get ready for some more uphills and the famous Otter trail’s steps! Take your time, have as many rests as you need, and continue hiking in the forest till you reach the junction for the Blue bay!! At this point you’ll be tired and start doubting whether it is worth the detour or not, especially that it involves a big uphill on your way back to the trail, but I’ll just show you this next picture and the decision will be extremely easy.

Take the detour, you can leave your bag up and hope a baboon doesn’t take it:) we did that! And go down to the bay. You are now in heaven…not only that it is an exclusive heaven, only you and 11 other hikers in this paradise! No matter how I try to describe the beauty of this bay, I won’t be able to really capture it in words…but it is one of the most beautiful sights that I’ve ever seen. Not only that, but you’ll have an opportunity to swim in a clear blue ocean water, surf some waves, and relax in amazing surroundings…it is simply heaven.

 

 

I know you’ll want to spend the night there, and who doesn’t, but unfortunately, you’ll have to go to your hut, so when you are ready, hike back up to the Otter trail, which turned up not as tough as I previously thought. Now take a final rest because the next section of the trail is a big uphill.

It is the final push towards Scott huts, tough one though, so take your time, and put all your effort into it. After this big uphill, you’ll reach an emergency exit, after which it’ll be all downhill to the huts. The huts are located at the Geelhoutbos river mouth, so another opportunity to swim:) 
Otter Trail (Day 1)

Otter Trail (Day 1)

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[Stormsriver Mouth → Ngubu Hut] (4.8 km)

It is the big day, it is the day you have been planning and preparing for for maybe a year. I know you can’t hide your excitement that its finally here and that you’ll finally fulfill one of your bucket list dreams…so don’t! it is the first day of the Otter Trail & it deserves all the excitement you are feeling:) 

The first day of this famed trail is a nice introduction to the trail as it is the easiest of the 5 days. The total distance that you’ll hike today is only 4.8 km from Stormsriver Mouth to Ngubu hut which roughly takes 4.5 hours to complete, yet it’ll be as rewarding as every coming day of this masterpiece of a trail. And being a short day is an advantage as it’ll allow you time for last minute shopping & packing before taking your transport to Stormsriver Mouth, but don’t start later than 2pm (in the summer) to allow yourself time to enjoy all the highlights of this day bearing in mind that if you are based in George, it’ll take you around 3 hours to reach Stormsriver.

When reaching Stormsriver Mouth entrance there will be a designated road for the start of the Otter Trail where, at its end, your transport will drop you at the registration office. Here you’ll sign-in for the entire trail, and do all the necessary paperwork; in addition, they will give you valuable information about the trail, timings of each day, location of emergency exits & numbers to call, the location of the drinking water sources, and above all, a very good map of the trail and the, all important, tide chart (click to request info). After finishing the registration process, there is a preparation room on the opposite side of the street where you can make final adjustments to your backpack, weigh it, and fill your water bottles; and next to this room is the start of your adventure!!

All excited and ready for 5 days of absolute nature beauty away from civilization, then take a picture of this milestone of a step and start:)

The first part of the trail is a downhill hike through the lush green forest. In this part, you’ll be very excited and hike quickly on the sounds of birds & squirrels, then you’ll start getting a glimpse of the magnificent ocean through the thick trees.

You’ll continue hiking downhill for almost an hour till you reach a rocky beach.

At this point, you’ll find a lot of day hikers coming from the direction of the beach aiming for the waterfall which is the furthest they are allowed to go. Right after the beach is the Guano Caves. Often overlooked by hikers who are excited to reach the waterfall, this cave is definitely worth exploring. Although it’s a bit eerie to go inside, the adventurous spirit in you will encourage you to go inside and you’ll feel like a true explorer into the unknown with some amazing rock formations.

After taking your time exploring the cave, the next part of the trail will involve a lot of boulder-hopping along the coast. At first it’ll be physically demanding, but you’ll get the hang of it;

and after, approximately, 2 km from the start you’ll get closer and closer to the ocean and the roaring sound of the waves crashing into the rocks. Throughout this section you’ll find some wooden paths to help you navigate the rocks, but don’t let your enthusiasm to reach the waterfall make you forget that there are amazing pictures to be taken here…so take your time & lots of pictures:)

Just before the 3 km mark you’ll reach the waterfall. Whether the waterfall, itself, is at full force or not, it is still an amazing refreshing sight to admire and the natural pool below it will be a very welcome refresher, so put on your swim suit, unleash your spirit, and take a dip in this amazingly pure fresh water.

Now you are three quarters of the way to the hut so take your time, have a picnic, and don’t let the waterfall distract you from the opposite sight. So grab a comfy rock and relax with a view like no other…the endless ocean and the white washing waves!

Now you’ll realize that all the talk about the beauty of this trail is not exaggerated; and from now on, it’ll be all exclusive for you and your other fellow 11 hikers!!

The final section of this day will start by more boulder-hopping, then you’ll hike a bit uphill info the forest… and it’ll be only you…no more day hikers! Soon after 1 hour, you’ll reach the Ngubu hut and you’ll get a taste of the amazing nights to come.

Settle in, pick a bed for yourself, and get to know your fellow hikers, as they will be the only people you’ll see for 4 days:) At every hut, you’ll find drinking water, fire wood, bbq facilities, fire pits, and toilets, so prepare your first dinner & ENJOY:)
Africa

Africa

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Algeria: Algiers

Egypt: Alexandria, Aswan, Cairo, Hurghada, Luxor, Marsa Alam, Sahl Hasheesh, Sharm El Sheikh, Taba, Western Desert 

Morocco: Casablanca, Marrakesh, Mt. Toubkal, Ouzoud Waterfalls, Essaouira    

South Africa: Addo Elephant NP, Cape Agulhas, Cape Town, Drakensburg Mountains, Durban, Otter Trail, Table Mountain NP 

 
Otter Trail

Otter Trail

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The Otter Trail

It is the crown jewel of South Africa’s national park system, a dream for every nature lover and the one trail on every adventurer bucket list…it is the famed OTTER TRAIL!! 45 km of coastal and forest hiking in 5 days, starting from Stormriver Mouth to Nature Valley; involving: countless uphills, steep downhills, 4 nights sleeping in wilderness huts away from civilization, and, above all, 3 river crossings! All of this can be done independently and on your own…all it requires is some careful planning…So Lets Start the Adventure:)

Without question, the first step is to book your spot on this famed trail as only 12 people are allowed to start the hike per day! Depending on your group’s size, people sometimes need to book a year in advance to secure a spot, so the smaller the group, the higher chance to find a spot. I, personally, was lucky enough to find a spot only a month & half in advance, but they were the last remaining spots in the entire month! So plan ahead and be flexible with your dates.

The booking process itself is very easy and straightforward. You can do it in person, over the phone, or online and pay instantly with your credit card (click to request info).

One final note before setting your date, check the tide chart for the 4th day of your hike to see if you can reach the river crossing at low tide or not as this will play a major role in being able to finish the entire hike and what to pack. Remember, on that day you will need approximately 4.5 hours to reach the river and 2 hours after you cross to reach the hut.

Having booked your spot, the next important thing is to book your transport to & from the trail. Some people prefer to rent a car and leave it at Nature Valley rest camp and book a transport to Stormriver, but this way you’ll be incurring a 4-day rental cost without using the car while, also, leaving the car unattended for 4 nights. So, in my opinion, its best to book a transport from your hotel/hostel to Stormriver and on the last day from Nature Valley to your next adventure. To help you with this, there are two transport companies specialized in Otter Trail transfer, and I contacted both, but found one to be more professional & reliable than the other (click to request info). Booking with them, everything went smoothly from start to end and I, even, left my extra luggage with them till I finished the trail.

Finally, what to pack?? This is the most important preparation step as this will be all the stuff you will have for 5 days. Although you will be tempted to take everything you can, remember that you will carry all this stuff on your back for 45 km, so you have to know what do you exactly need, what your body needs, and, certainly, the weather. I prepared a simple packing list of the items needed based on my experience and if you need help with that, I can send it to you for free (click to request info).

P.S.: some fellow hikers might suggest that you have to train for the Otter Trail or you will not be able to make it…you don’t!! You just need to be moderately fit with a passion for hiking and adventure travel…so enjoy:) It is a once in a lifetime adventure that captures the true spirit of adventure independent travel!

Day 1  Stormriver → Ngubu Hut
Day 2  Ngubu Hut → Scott Hut
Day 3  Scott Hut → Oakhurst Hut
Day 4  Oakhurst Hut → Andre Hut
Day 5 Andre Hut → Nature Valley

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