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Special Interests

Walks & Hikes
Mountain Biking
4x4 Adventures
Fly Fishing
Bird Watching
Forestry
History

 

Webmaster's Notes

The golden rules to enjoyable hiking:

"Slow down, enjoy and experience the trail - this is not a race."

"There is more to life than increasing it's speed"
Mahatma Gandhi

Follow these
Route Markers

Walks & Hikes
 
The numerous hiking trails around Sabie cater for everyone - whether you are a bird watcher, a fauna and flora enthusiast, or merely want to experience the delight of relaxing within sight of sparkling waterfalls or meandering streams.

The hiking trails around Sabie range from easy walks of a few hours to gruelling hikes over several days.

Permits for Day Walks

Permits for day walks costs R30/person/walk and are available in Sabie from:
Forestry Museum
Merry Pebbles Holiday Resort

Day Walks
Forest Falls Walk
Loerie Trail
Secretary Bird Walk
Misty Mountain Trails

Over-night Hikes on the
Fanie Botha Hiking Trail

Bonnet/Mac Mac Pools 2-Day
Hartebeesvlakte 2-Night
Bridal Veil 2-Night
Maritzbos Circular 3-Night
Fanie Botha 3-Day & 2-Night
Mount Moody 4-Night
Fanie Botha 5-Night

Day Walks

Forest Falls Nature Walk
This 3.2km circular route starts and finishes at the picnic spot, 15km from Sabie on the R532 road to Graskop.  It is a refreshing walk that takes you through fragrant pine forests to the Forest Falls - the only waterfall in the area that is wider than what it is high.  Toilet facilities available at the picnic spot. You will need a permit for this walk.

Loerie Trail
Foto: Komatiland Ecotourism The Loerie trail is one of the most popular day walks in the area.  This 10km circular route starts at either the Ceylon Forest Station, or from the Castle Rock Municipal Caravan Park.  Or, if you park one of your vehicles at either end, you can walk the 5km one-way.  This is an easy and level trail along the Sabie river and takes you through pine and eucalypt plantations, as well as through patches of indigenous forest and grassland.  You will need a permit for this walk.

Secretary Bird Walk
Foto: Komatiland Ecotourism This 3km circular route starts and finishes at the Mac Mac Pools, 13km from Sabie on the R532 road to Graskop.  The trail takes you through grassveld and scattered patches of indigenous forest.  There is little shade along the route and precautions against sunburn is advised.  You do not need a permit for this walk, but an entrance fee of R30/person is payable at the entrance gate to the Mac Mac Pools. Picnic and toilet facilities are available and swimming in the crystal clear mountain stream is refreshing.

Misty Mountain Trails
Photo: Misty Mountain Well mapped and maintained 15km trails through indigenous forests, pine plantations, open grassland and along spectacular waterfalls on the Long Tom Pass. The trails vary in difficulty and in length/duration (from 2.7km to 5.3km) and start and finish at the Misty Mountain lodge (24km from Sabie).  The trails are part of a 280 hectare South African Natural Heritage Site, where the endangered blue swallow still breeds.  There is no charge for walking the Misty Mountain trails and a pub & restaurant awaits the weary wanderer. Safe & secure parking is available at the start of the trails.

Over-night Hikes
on the Fanie Botha

Starting Points
Starting points are either at the Ceylon Hut (on Ceylon Plantation), or the President Burger Hut (at Mac Mac Forest Retreat), or the Graskop Hut (near the town of Graskop) and parking is available at these points only. Should you do a 4 or 5-day route, please arrange your own transport from Graskop or Mac Mac Forest Retreat back to Sabie. This is not a circular route.

Hiking Hut Facilities
All the huts - Ceylon, Maritzbos, Stables, Mac Mac, President Burger and Graskop - have 24 bunk beds each, undercover braai area, firewood, shower (with the exception of Mac Mac hut) and toilets.  There are no cooking utensils.  With the exception of the Cylon & President Burger huts, none of the huts have hot water or electricity.

Booking

These hikes are extremely popular, especially during school holidays and long weekends. Prior booking (up to a year in advance) is advisable.

Bookings can only be made with Komatiland (previously known as SAFCOL) on:
 

Tel:   (013) 754-2724
Fax:   (013) 754-2790
E-mail:   ecotour@klf.co.za
 

Bonnet/Mac Mac Pools 2-Day Trail (32.0 km)
From the President Burger Hut, situated at Mac Mac Forest Retreat (15km from Sabie on the Graskop road), the trail follows an easy path through pine plantations and indigenous forest, along the eastern slopes of the Stanley Bush Hill, partly following an old coach road, descending to the beautiful hut at Graskop. Starting at the Graskop hut the trail passes through pine and grassland to descend into the ravine via indigenous forest to cross the river on a suspension bridge. The trail climbs to reach the Mac Mac Pools, before descending to the Mac Mac Falls - an area originally called Geelhoutboom because of the abundance of yellowwood trees.
  

Distances President Burger Hut to Graskop Hut 19.0 km
Graskop Hut to President Burger Hut 13.0 km
Difficulty Difficult

Hartebeesvlakte 2-Night Trail (30.1 km)
The trail starts from the Ceylon Plantation where you park your cars and start hiking immediately to Maritzbos Hut on the edge of the indigenous forest. The next day you climb through the indigenous forest, crossing streams and small falls, climbing up rocky cliffs to reach the Hartebeesvlakte. The trail follows a mountain stream with pools and waterfalls before descending via some pine trees to the Stables Hut.

Distances Ceylon Plantation Office to Maritzbos Hut  8.1 km
Maritzbos Hut to Stables Hut 12.0 km
Stables Hut to Ceylon Plantation Office 10.0 km
Difficulty Difficult

Bridal Veil 2-Night Trail (30.1 km)
Arrive and spend the night at Ceylon Hut. Walk the next morning past Maritzbos hut to Stables for 20.1km, and spend the night at Stables.
From Stables walk for 10km back to where you started, i.e. Ceylon.

Distances Ceylon Hut to Stables Hut
(via Maritzbos)
20.1 km
Stables Hut to Ceylon Hut 10.0 km
Difficulty Difficult

Maritzbos Circular 3-Night Trail (30.1 km)
The circular trail starts at the Ceylon Hut and winds its way through plantations as its passes the Lone Creek Falls on its way to the Maritzbos hut on the edge of the indigenous forest. The second day involves a climb through the indigenous forest crossing streams and small falls, climbing up rocky cliffs to reach the Hartebeesvlakte. The trail follows a mountain stream with pools and waterfalls before descending via some pine trees to the Stables Hut. The trail descends through pine plantation and patches of indigenous forest back to the Ceylon Hut.

Distances Ceylon Hut to Maritzbos Hut  8.1 km
Maritzbos Hut to Stables Hut 12.0 km
Stables Hut to Ceylon Hut 10.0 km
Difficulty Difficult

Fanie Botha 3 Days and 2 Nights (19.0 or 28.3 km)
Park at Mac Mac Forest Station and start walking to Mac Mac Hut where you spend the first night.

Distances Mac Mac Parking to Mac Mac Hut  6.0 km
Mac Mac Hut to Graskop Hut
(via Mac Mac Pools
22.3 km
Graskop Hut to President Burger Hut
(via Bonnet)
13.0 km
Difficulty Difficult

Mount Moody 4 Night Trail (49.5 or 58.8 km)
The trail starts from the Ceylon Plantation where you park and start walking to the Maritzbos Hut to spend your first night. Unlike the Maritzbos 3-day circular, from Stables you hike to Mac Mac Hut. The route to Mac Mac Hut follows the edge of the pine plantations as it winds up its way to Mount Moody, providing wonderful views of the Sabie Valley. From this vantage-point the trail descends to the Mac Mac Hut. The last day's walk is to Graskop Hut where a lift must be sought back to Ceylon where cars would have been parked.

Distances Ceylon Plantation Office to Maritzbos Hut  8.1 km
Maritzbos Hut to Stables Hut 12.0 km
Stables Hut to Mac Mac Hut 16.4 km
Mac Mac Hut to Graskop Hut
(via Mac Mac Pools)
22.3 km
Graskop Hut to President Burger Hut
(via Bonnet)
13.0 km
Difficulty Difficult

Fanie Botha 5-Night Trail (49.5 or 58.8 km)
Arrive, park and sleep at the Ceylon Hut. Another car to be parked at  Mac Mac Forest Retreat where President Burger Hut is situated.  You have a choice of leaving immediately after the hike or spending a night at the President Burger Hut, where your second car would have been parked at the Mac Mac Forest Station.

Distances Ceylon Hut to Maritzbos Hut  8.1 km
Maritzbos Hut to Stables Hut 12.0 km
Stables Hut to Mac Mac Hut 16.4 km
Mac Mac Hut to Graskop Hut
(via Mac Mac Pools)
22.3 km
Graskop Hut to President Burger Hut
(via Bonnet)
13.0 km
Difficulty Difficult


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