What’s the deal?

Spend 4 days hiking, kayaking and exploring the natural history of the Boggomsbaai and Vleesbaai areas with Sandpiper Safaris. Learn about the natural environment and history of the area, enjoy hiking in breathtaking scenery, camp out and enjoy the great outdoors.

Where is it?

This 4 day hiking adventure trail takes place in Vleesbaai and Boggomsbaai

Places visited include:

• Sandpiper in Boggomsbaai
• Vleesbaai
• Kanon Bay
• Fransmanshoek
• Pandokkie
• Nautilus Bay
• Gouritz River

What is included in this 4 day Hunter Gatherer Trail?

• Accommodation in either huts or tents
• Your daily food packs
• A qualified guide 
• Aerial photos, maps and GPS waypoints to follow 
• Both double and single kayaks for the final day of kayaking on the Gouritz River with a professional guide
• All the necessary braai wood and utensils
• All necessary pots, pans, cutlery and crockery are available
• Pillows, camp beds or mattresses and beds are provided

What is excluded from this 4 day Hunter Gatherer Trail?

All hikers are to provide their own sleeping bags for this 4 day adventure

Catering:

What we provide:

Food packs per person that consist of:

• A selection of in season vegetables and fruit
• Bread and maize flour
• Rice
• Eggs
• Coffee and tea
• Milk
• Sugar
• Salt and pepper
• Basic spices
• Butter and jam
• Cooking oil
• Yoghurt and muesli

Meat packs per person that consist of these options

• Chicken and beef sosaties-chicken
• Pork chops
• Lamb chops
• Ostrich
• Boerewors

Accommodation:

Hikers on this 4 day Hunter Gatherer hiking trail will stay at 2 camps:

Camp 1:

• This camp is situated at Vleesbaai.
• It is a tented /caravan camp on the edge of the dune.
• Hikers will spend the first and second nights at this camp.
• Basic facilities provided are cooking, braai, cooling and ablution.
• Each tent offers 2 single beds complete with mattresses and pillows.

Camp 2:

• Pandokkie camp situated at Boggomsbaai
• Hikers will spend the third and fourth nights here.
• The accommodation consists of 1 dormitory room equipped with 6 bunk beds complete with comfortable mattresses.
• For couples Pandokkie camp also offers  1 bedroom equipped with a double bed.
• Pandokkie offers a small kitchen equipped with a 2 plate gas stove and ice and cool boxes in stead of a fridge.
• There is a lounge area with a spacious open fireplace and a wood burning store.
• At this camp hikers are also provided with mattress covers and a pillow.
• Ablution facilities consist of an outdoor shower, a toilet and basin and an indoor shower.
• Further accommodation available includes a private tent in the nearby bush for 2.

Please Note:

• Hikers are expected keep their camps clean and clean their own dishes
• Hikers must prepare all of their own meals
• We offer drinks for sale, we are licenced.
• Minimum group size 4 hikers
• Maximum group size 8 hikers

Sample Itinerary:

Day 1:

• Enjoy a self drive trip to Boggomsbaai, you should aim for arrival between 14:00 and 16:00 in the afternoon.
• Meet and greet at 16:30, discuss the program, handing out or aerials and maps and electing a ‘clan leader’.
• Organisers will provide your transport from Boggemsbaai to Vleesbaai. Your vehicles will remain safely at the Sandpiper Sport Centre for the coming 2 days.
• Food packs suitable for 2 nights are supplied.
• Please note that each participant is to take their own bedding with them to the Vleesbaai campsite.

Night 1:

• All meals and lunch packs are prepared by the hikers themselves.
• Discuss the aerials and maps for the next day’s walk along the shore line.
• Discuss the history and ecology of the area as well as the fascinating history of the Khoi San, the hunter gatherers, and the weapons they used, lifestyles they lived and what they ate daily.
• You will study the given way points and the locality of oystercatcher nests, middens and various other marine organisms that are of interest.

Day 2:

• Have breakfast and prepare the lunch packs and water bottles for today, all prepared by the hikers themselves.
• Douse the fire, clean up the braai area and pack wood for tonight’s fire.
• Clean the tents/rooms and wash and pack away any dishes.
• Depart at approximately 08:30 on the hike Kanon bay.
• Visit dune middens, fonteintjies, fish traps and observe the activity of the beach, sea, birds, animals and other marine organisms as you explore the beach, rocks, currents and tides in the area.
• Take notes of anything you find of interest.
• Ensure that you do not move too close to Oystercatcher or Sand Plover nests.
• Ensure that you do not trample any sensitive dune vegetation or middens.
• You should arrive back at camp where you will overnight at approx 16:00
• Enjoy a refreshing shower, clean up and get ready to relax.

Distance hiked: 12 km+

Night 2:

• Prepare dinner and enjoy leisure time.
• If the sky is clear enjoy some star gazing while you listen to the sounds of the night.

Day 3:

• Get an early start
• Pack up and clean up the camp site after breakfast
• Pack up all your belongings as you are leaving this camp site today
• Departure is at approximately 08:00
• The day’s hike takes you to Vleesbaai via Fransmanshoek and then on to  Pondokkie at Boggomsbaai.
• Unload sleeping backs and other items at Boggomsbaai
• New food packs will be provided at Pandokkie but remember to take your left over food packs

Night 3:

• Settle in to your rustic overnight accommodation at pondokkie.
• Prepare dinner/braai, you can do this either in the Lapa outside or inside pandokkie as the weather allows.
• Spend your evening at leisure.

Day 4:

• Get an early start to the day.
• Clean up the camp site.
• Douse the fire.
• Each hiker takes their own prepared lunch and drinking water along.
• The hike departs from Boggomsbaai and you make your way to Nautilus Bay.
• Early rise and breakfast.  Camp clean up. Fire doused.
• Along the way stop off and explore elephant bones, dune middens and historic Stone Age artifacts.
• Return to Pondokkie camp site via Fynbos.
• Spend your last evening together around a cosy camp fire.

Day 5:

• Clean up the camp site after breakfast
• The transport provided departs from the camp site at approximately 08:30, taking you to the Gouritz River from some kayaking.
• Please ensure that you take drinking water along with you.
• Enjoy a guided kayaking adventure.
• Remember to take swimwear, binoculars and cameras along to capture all your memories.
• Return to Sandpiper for a prize giving and a discussion about data collection.
• You will depart on your journey home no later than 14:00.