FYNBOS TRAIL

GANSBAAI, WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA

34°31’14.7” S, 19°26’51.7” E

The Fynbos Trail leads you through the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom. This nature experience meanders through the exquisite shapes and colours of Walker Bay’s fynbos, through hidden pockets of indigenous forests, and via views of the ocean to take the breath away. And after an inspiring day’s hike, relax at our comfortable, fully equipped accommodation.

Why the Fynbos Trail?

When you hike the Fynbos Trail, you contribute directly to the conservation and social development in the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy.

Fauna & Flora:

This conservancy has brought 50 landowners together, to protect 22 000 hectares in the Cape Floral Kingdom. Together we work to keep our area pristine, by clearing invasive plants, managing fire and monitoring our flora and fauna.

Experience some of the 1 100 indigenous plant species found here – of which many are incredibly rare.

Look out for the secretive animals – especially the 106 bird species found here. And keep your Macro lens handy to witness the world of the miniature, from the butterflies to the marvelous mushrooms.

ACCOMMODATION:

  • There is unfortunately no accommodation available at Steynsbos.

    For any hikers wanting to overnight before the hike we recommend booking accommodation in Stanford or in Gansbaai/De Kelders as both of these are close to the start of the trail. ANVIE VENTURES will assist in options for accommodation closeby !!

  • WITVOETSKLOOF – Fountain Bush – First Night

  • • The first night is at Witvoetskloof at the Grootbos Environmental Centre in Fountain Bush House

    • This exclusive overnight is only available to researchers of Grootbos as well as our Fynbos Trail hikers

    • This house can sleep 10 in 5 bedrooms and has two bath rooms

    • All the beds are twin beds so can be made up as singles or doubles (king size) The bathrooms have a toilet and shower in them

    • Open plan lounge, kitchen as well as small covered stoep

  • WITKRANS – Cone Bush – Second Night.

  • • The second night is at Witkrans Nature Farm in Cone Bush Cottage

    • This house also sleeps 10 in 5 bed rooms

    • Again all the bedrooms have twin beds in them so will be made up as singles or doubles (king size depending on what you selected on your booking sheet)

    • The main wooden cottage sleeps 6 people with 3 twin bedrooms

    • The main bedroom has an en-suite bathroom with shower and toilet and the other two rooms share a bathroom with a shower and toilet

    • Then there are another 2 separate luxury rooms which have their own private entrance right next to the wooden cottage

    • They are standalone rooms with twin beds in each room and an en-suite bathroom with toilet & shower and double doors that open out to beautiful views of Witkransberg

    • The main house has a open plan lounge/ kitchen with large concertina doors that open onto a covered stoep with braai area and looking out towards the Flower Valley mountains

    • Closed indoor fireplace for cold evenings as well as a wood fired hot tub

    • There is cell phone signal at this farm as well as Wi-Fi and the cottage is run on Eskom

WHAT TO BRING:

  • • Walking Shoes (already worn in)

    • Comfortable hiking clothes AND Hat

    • Sunscreen

    • Swimming costume & towel (there are swimming dams on route as well as a wood fired hot tub at the 2nd over-night)

    • Waterproof poncho/raincoat (just in case)

    • Evenings can be cool so a warm jacket

    • Comfortable evening clothes and footwear

    • Small backpack and water bottle

PACKAGES TO CHOOSE FROM:

PREMIUM OPTION – Guided, catered slack packing option PREMIUM PACKAGE SUMMARY:

  • • Three-day guided hiking trail led by our knowledgeable FGASA accredited guide

    • SLEEP WELL – It’s less than a two-hour drive from Cape Town.

    • SLACKPACK – All luggage transfers

    • EAT WELL – Two breakfasts, two dinners and two lunches – all delicious home-cooked meals

    • TASTE – An evening wine tasting of award-winning Lomond Wines

    • ACCESS – Exclusive access to the Fynbos Trail through the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy’s fynbos and forests

    • PLANT A TREE – Tree planting as part of the Stinkhoutsbos Forest Rehabilitation * Project on Flower Valley Farm

    • DISCOVER GROOTBOS – An exclusive tour of the Grootbos Florilegium and Hannarie Wenhold Botanical Art Gallery on the Grootbos Nature Reserve

    • GIFT – A fynbos gift on your departure

  • INCLUDES:

    • Overnight accommodation at fully equipped Fynbos Retreat and Witkrans, two dinners, two lunches and two breakfasts, Lomond wine tasting at Witkrans, expert FGASA accredited guide for three days, planting of indigenous tree at Stinkhoutsbos

    • Forest on day two lunch stop, fynbos gift on completion of trail and all luggage transfers.

    • Exclusive tour to the Grootbos Florilegium and Wenhold Botanical art gallery at the end of Day 3 (the only botanical art gallery in the Southern hemisphere). fires.

  • DAY 1

    • Start your hike at Growing the Futures Farm, Steynsbos. Guide will meet hikers there at 14:00.

    • From here you enjoy a 6.6 km walk to Fountain Bush Cottage – which should take you approximately three hours.

    • The trail meanders through an amazing diversity of habitats including coastal strandveld, enchanting milkwood forests, limestone and mountain fynbos.

    • On arrival at Witvoetskloof, you can put your feet up and relax or take a swim in the beautiful dam and watch the sun set over the water.

    • We then serve you a delicious home-cooked meal.

  • DAY 2

    • Start day 2 with a walk down the Witvoetskloof Valley to a beautiful indigenous forest and enjoy a coffee or tea stop at the waterfall.

    • The trail then climbs up through the limestone fynbos-clad hills to the summit of Grootberg with 360-degree panoramic views of the Overberg and oceans.

    • From the summit the trail winds down to Stinkhoutsbos Forest on Flower Valley Farm.

    • Here hikers are treated to a scrumptious picnic lunch under the shade of the forest trees. After lunch you can plant an indigenous tree at Stinkhoutsbos Forest as part of the forest rehabilitation project and on a toasty day, take a dip in the Flower Valley dam.

    • Day 2 is an 11 km walk. It will take most of the day as it leads you to the second overnight rest at Witkrans Nature Reserve.

    • We then host a wine tasting of the local award-winning Lomond Wines and treat you to a delicious home-cooked meal.

    • Don’t miss the opportunity to soak in the wood-fired hot tub afterwards.

  • DAY 3

    • Day 3 starts with a scrumptious breakfast at the Witkrans boma and then takes you around Witkransberg and up the Baviaansfontein valley, through patches of indigenous forest and rare limestone fynbos.

    • On exiting the valley, the views of Walker Bay open up and hikers head down to the Grootbos Milkwood forest.

    • From here the trail winds through the forest to the Grootbos Foundation, where we’ll serve you a picnic lunch.

    • After lunch, hikers head to the Grootbos Florilegium to enjoy the magnificent artworks depicting the many plant species and their pollinators that you would have seen along the trail.

    • You are then transferred back to your vehicles at Steynsbos, as your Fynbos Trail experience comes to an end.

    This is a 9 km walk that takes about four hours from Witkrans to the finish at the Grootbos Florilegium

  • RATES FOR PREMIUM OPTION:

    • R6950 per person over weekend (or including Friday and Saturday nights)

    • |R6650 per person during the week (Sunday to Thursday night)

  • Note: Minimum group size of 4 required for this option and 6 over weekends.

    (If you book for 8 you will have the trail exclusively for your group, any smaller may have others joined to it)

  • STANDARD OPTION

  • Self-Guided, Catered Slack Packing Option

  • Exclusive access to the Fynbos Trail through the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy’s fynbos and forests

  • STANDARD PACKAGE SUMMARY:

  • • SLEEP WELL – One night’s accommodation at Fountain Bush Cottage on Witvoetskloof and the second night’s accommodation at Cone Bush Cottage on Witkrans Nature Reserve

    • SLACKPACK – All luggage transfers

    EAT WELL – Two breakfasts, two dinners and one lunch – all delicious home-cooked meals

  • INCLUDES:

    • Overnight accommodation at fully equipped Fynbos Retreat and Witkrans,

    • two dinners, one lunch and two breakfasts,

    • (drinks excluded but you are welcome to bring along drinks, and they will be transported to overnight stops and chilled for your arrival) and all luggage transfers.

    This is a circular route that takes hikers all the way back to the start at Steynsbos.

  • DAY 1

    • Start your hike at the Growing the Future project at Steynsbos. From here you enjoy a 6.6 km walk to Fountain Bush Cottage – which should take you approximately three hours.

    • The trail meanders through an amazing diversity of habitats including coastal strandveld, enchanting milkwood forests, limestone and mountain fynbos.

    • On arrival at Witvoetskloof, you can put your feet up and relax or take a swim in the beautiful dam and watch the sun set over the water.

    • We then serve you a delicious home-cooked meal.

  • DAY 2

    • Start day 2 with a walk down the Witvoetskloof Valley to a beautiful indigenous forest and waterfall.

    • The trail then climbs up through the limestone fynbos-clad hills to the summit of Grootberg with 360-degree panoramic views of the Overberg and oceans. From the summit the trail winds down to Stinkhoutsbos Forest on Flower Valley Farm.

    • Here hikers are treated to a scrumptious picnic lunch under the shade of the forest trees. After lunch hikers head through the magnificent Flower Valley.

    • Day 2 is an 11 km walk. It will take most of the day as it leads you to the second overnight rest at Witkrans Nature Reserve.

    • You’re then treated to a delicious home-cooked meal. Don’t miss the opportunity to soak in the wood-fired hot tub afterwards.

  • DAY 3

    • Day 3 starts with a scrumptious breakfast at the Witkrans boma and then takes you around Wtkransberg and up the Baviaansfontein valley through patches of indigenous forest and rare limestone fynbos.

    • On exiting the valley, hikers have the option of either summiting Swartkransberg or traversing around the peak on a contour path.

    • The trail then heads down back to the cars at Steynsbos.

    • You normally finish around lunchtime on the final day.

    • This is a 9 km walk that takes about four hours from Witkrans to Steynsbos.

  • STANDARD OPTION RATES:

    • R5400 per person over weekend (or including Friday and Saturday nights)

    • R5200 per person during the week (Sunday to Thursday night

    • Note: Minimum group size of 4 required for this option and 6 over weekends.

    (If you book for 8 you will have the trail exclusively for your group, any smaller may have others joined to it)

BUDGET OPTION

  • Self-guided, uncatered, slack packing option

  • STANDARD PACKAGE SUMMARY:

    • SLEEP WELL – One night’s accommodation at Fountain Bush Cottage on Witvoetskloof and the second night’s accommodation at Cone Bush Cottage on Witkrans Nature Reserve

    • COOK – Both houses are fully equipped

    • Prepare own meals

    • SLACKPACK – All luggage transfers

  • NOTE:

    • Only available for select weekend dates and is not available over long weekends.

    • Minimum group size of 6 required for this option and 8 over weekends. (If you book for 8 you will have the trail exclusively for your group, any group smaller may have others joined to it.)

  • INCLUDES:

    • Overnight accommodation at fully equipped Fynbos Retreat and Witkrans (bedding and towels provided), route map and narrative and luggage transfers.

    • This is a circular route that takes hikers all the way back to the start at Steynsbos.

  • DAY 1

    • Start your hike at the Growing the Future project at Steynsbos. From here you enjoy a 6.6 km walk to Fountain Bush Cottage – which should take you approximately three hours.

    • The trail meanders through an amazing diversity of habitats including coastal strandveld, enchanting milkwood forests, limestone and mountain fynbos.

    • On arrival at Witvoetskloof, you can put your feet up and relax or take a swim in the beautiful dam and watch the sun set over the water.

    • The cottage is fully equipped and ready for hikers for your own catering.

    • Firewood and a wood-fired pizza oven and braai area available

  • DAY 2

    • Start day 2 with a walk down the Witvoetskloof Valley to a beautiful indigenous forest and waterfall.

    • The trail then climbs up through the limestone fynbos-clad hills to the summit of Grootberg with 360-degree panoramic views of the Overberg and oceans. From the summit the trail zigzags down to Stinkhoutsbos Forest on Flower Valley Farm – a perfect spot for a picnic lunch under the shade of the forest trees.

    • After lunch you head through the magnificent Flower Valley Farm with the opportunity to swim in the Flower Valley dam, to your evening accommodation at Witkrans Farm.

    • Here you can enjoy a soak in the wood-fired hot tub.

    • Day 2 is an 11 km walk. It will take most of the day.

  • DAY 3

    • As you leave Cone Bush Cottage on Witkrans on day 3, the trail takes you around Witkransberg and up the Baviaansfontein valley through patches of indigenous forest and rare limestone fynbos.

    • On exiting the valley, hikers have the option of either summiting Swartkransberg or traversing around the peak on a contour path.

    • The trail then heads back down to the cars at Steynsbos.

    This is a 9 km walk that takes about four hours from Witkrans to Steynsbos

  • BUDGET PACKAGE RATES:

    R2350 per person

    Note: Minimum group size of 6 required for this option and 8 over weekends.

    Budget Option is only available for select weekends & high season dates.

    (If you book for 8 you will have the trail exclusively for your group, any smaller may have others joined to it)

ADDITIONAL INFO:

  • • Our Premium trail is led by a professional FGASA registered trail guide who has a wealth of knowledge about the region’s history, natural wonders, beautiful landscapes and remarkable ecology

    • All meals are prepared and made from fresh, local ingredients.

    • We do provide options for any serious dietary requirements – please indicate this to us well ahead of time as our menu’s and meals are planned well in advance as we are not close to shops

    • All hikers will participate in the Planting of an indigenous tree at Stinkhoutsbos Forest

    • Guided tour of the Grootbos Florilegium Botanical Art exhibition at the Hannarie Wenhold Botanical Art Gallery on Grootbos (the only botanical art gallery in the Southern hemisphere)

    • Wine tasting of award-winning Lomond Wines

    • Fynbos gift on completion of the trail

    • There is small honesty bar with a couple of drinks & for purchase (Snapscan is available for payments)

    • Should you need emergency assistance or extraction off the trail in non-emergency situations we will charge R1500 for the first 4 hours and then R500 per hour after that. For Life Threatening emergencies we contact Medical Emergency Services (EMR) or CMC (Critical Medical Care) which is for your own cost.

  • • Please note if you forget any clothing or equipment at the overnights or along the trail and require our assistance in retrieving lost property we will charge R9/ per km for collection services. (If we can include retrieval in our standard operational logistics, we will gladly assist free of charge).