The Baviaans/Kouga 4×4 Route runs between the farm Rus en Vrede in the Baviaanskloof and Baviaans Lodge on the Kouga Mountain side of the Baviaanskloof Wilderness.
Technical details:
This remote jeep track is some 32km in length and normally you should allow three hours of travel time to cross the trail. The trail is rated for 80% of its distance as a grade 2 and 20% as grade 3 where a diff-lock is advisable, as well as 4×4, but not necessary for experienced off-road travellers. During the winter months, care should be taken to start the route early enough to cross it in daylight hours, certainly by 14:00 at the latest in mid winter. Summer months allows you to start the trail up to 16:00 in the afternoon. The trails use is subject to abiding by the terms and conditions applied to the route by the landowners as amended from time to time.
Trail facts and info:
The trail offers superb vistas of the Baviaanskloof, as well as the entire Kouga area. Up to seven mountain ranges are visable from the route, with views of St Francis Bay to the Outeniquas on the Kouga side and a panaorama of the Baviaanskloof on the Rus en Vrede side. The trail vegetation varies from Baviaanskloof Valley Bushveld (typical Eastern Cape veld) to the wetter fynbos on the Kouga Mountains side slopes . A wide variety of proteas, broodbome and other plants are found alongside the trail. The trail also passes through the Honeybush Tea farming area belonging to ‘the Melmont Tea brand‘ of Quinton Nortje from the farm Nooitgedacht. On the Kouga Mountain slopes, Honeybush tea is organically farmed and harvested as a natural product. (see www.melmont.co.za).
Accommodation:
Superb accommodation is offered at Baviaans Lodge, both guesthouse, self-catering or camping while at Rus en Vrede an excellent campsite is on offer.
Baviaans Lodge:
Contact Person(s): Rob le Roux
Tel: +27 42 288 0557
Cell: +27 79 893 0106
E-mail: rob@baviaanslodge.co.za
Website: www.baviaanslodge.co.za
Rus & Vrede:
Contact Person(s): Chris and Tanya Lamprecht
Tel: +27 49 8391160
More about Baivaans Lodge:
Warm hospitality, superb country style cuisine and friendly staff welcome you to this stunning lodge built with natural stone from the area. The lodge with its quaint stone cottages provide comfortable accommodation, and an added attraction is a focal fireplace in each cottage which has a special romantic appeal during winter months. We have a total of nine bedrooms which can accommodate up to 22 people sharing in five cottages, offering small groups and individuals a pleasant and peaceful getaway break. The lodge boasts a superb dining room, lounge and fireplace, as well as country theme pub which is a gathering point in the evenings for discussing the past days events. Enjoy outdoor entertainment in our wooden boma and braai (barbeque) area, as well as a the use of a dedicated observatory with a professional Celestron XLT Telescope for observing the spectacular night skies. Accommodation is normally provided on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis, but self-catering is also available in some of the cottages. We are proud to serve freshly prepared country style cuisine, which is one of the hallmarks of staying with us, and our delicious breakfasts are a treat for all.
Activities:
- Explore this exclusive natural wilderness on your doorstep;
- Short and long walks;
- Overnight and wilderness hikes;
- Camping;
- Mountain biking;
- Kloofing;
- Game tracking;
- Birding;
- Flora trails;
- San art;
- 4×4 Trails;
- Adventures, botany and geological features;
- Astronomy observatory; and
- River rafting.
