Table of Contents
Tsitsikamma – Place of Beautiful Waters
Dolphin Trail - Day 1
We met up with our fellow hikers – three couples from Germany who fortunately all spoke very good English.
At the start of the hike, you cross three very long suspension bridges. For once, I took my eyes off the beautiful waters of Tsitsikamma and concentrated on putting one wobbly foot in front of the other). Once we had made the crossing, a long, steep ascent followed. It was hot and this part of the hike was the most challenging.
Flora and Fauna
Fauna
The hike was certainly not without its rewards though – we saw a pod of dolphins almost as soon as we got going!
The walk meandered through forests, where we were warned about deadly venomous snakes and ticks. I was very glad to have an expert guide to show us the ropes here.
We also saw locusts, cockroaches, a millipede and a slug eating snake (not venomous!)
Flora
After a picnic lunch by the stunning coast line, we made another steep ascent through beautiful fynbos of pinchsuions, king protea (the SA national flower) and many varieties of ericas – as well as arum lilies.
Highlight - High Tea""
After the challenging ascent in the heat, we were rewarded by “high tea` which was served in china cups! These had been drive up to the top – our two African guides had carried water etc. for the trip – but obviously not all the tea cups!
A very refreshing rose syrup and sparkling water mocktail awaited us on arrival at Misty Mountain Reserve.
We were warned about closing all our windows and door tightly when we left the room in case of baboon invasion.
Glad I Packed
Insect repellent and sunscreen and a good sun hat.
Our guide removed all the visible ticks for us at the end of the forest stretch – for which I was very grateful. You need to be really careful about these and consider packing tick tweezers.
Tips for Future Travellers
If you are looking for luxury guided hiking experience in South Africa, with your bags transported for you and all your needs expert catered for – look no further than the Dolphin Trail! be sure to book well in advance though as numbers are very strictly limited. This ensures that your trail is quite and peaceful – only pre-booked hikers are permitted to do this walk.
