Amadiba Adventures
| country: | South Africa |
| duration: | 6 days |
| price: | ZAR 300/390 per person per day (includes horses, guides, all meals, accommodation and hot showers). Excl. international flights |
the amazing things you'll be doing
The Amadiba Tribal Area is a ruggedly beautiful territory that lies between the Mzamba and the Mtentu Rivers (Wild Coast), extending 20km inland. An area of hills and waterfalls, petrified forests and ancient archaeological sites, of long white beaches and hungry rocks which gnaw at the skeletons of ships. It is home to the AmaMpondo, farming people who ride the hills and valleys on their hardy ponies, who meet the twentieth century with their traditions and culture intact.
Tourists can do one to six day hiking or horse-riding trails and interact with the local community. You can also canoe on the beautiful Umtentu river.
Trails and itineraries are flexible and can be changed to suit your personal needs. Standard 6-day trails leave Monday and return Saturday. Standard 4-day trails leave Thursday and return Sunday, with a maximum of 8 visitors per trail.
Tourists can do one to six day hiking or horse-riding trails and interact with the local community. You can also canoe on the beautiful Umtentu river.
Trails and itineraries are flexible and can be changed to suit your personal needs. Standard 6-day trails leave Monday and return Saturday. Standard 4-day trails leave Thursday and return Sunday, with a maximum of 8 visitors per trail.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Upon arrival at the Mzamba Craft Centre, the visitor is accompanied by a local guide for a 2.4km hike to the Mzamba River and then escorted across the narrow waters by canoe. Once across the river it is time to ‘saddle-up’ and enjoy a four-hour horse ride (perfectly suited for beginners) along unspoilt beaches and undulating hills dotted with Pondo settlements. The first camp, Kwanyana, is set by a river and local caterers provide good quality meals in a superb environment. |
| Day 2: | With rested horses and rested bodies, the visitors begin the second stage of the trip. The route from Kwanyana takes one through thick dune forest to the spectacular ‘red sands’, a phenomenal landscape which is a marked contrast to the green valleys and the blue sea. The horse ride continues over long sandy beaches, rugged outcrops and hills of green, to arrive at the second campsite. The afternoon is free to explore the natural surrounds or swim at a nearby fresh water rock pool. |
| Day 3: | The third day is dedicated to a canoe trip up Mtentu estuary. Mtentu is undoubtedly one of South Africa’s most beautiful estuaries. The riverbanks are lined with thick forest and after about 1 km the paddlers leave the main river for a short paddle up a tributary to the base of a large waterfall. Further up the river, an optional activity is a short scramble through the thickly forested gorge to a cave used by sangomas. After about 4 km of blissful paddling the party alights from the canoes at another tributary and departs on a bolder hopping hike up the gorge to a spectacular set of waterfalls for lunch. A further paddle follows this to the ebb and flow of the estuary before heading back to camp. |
| Day 4: | After breakfast the party crosses Mtentu by canoe for a hike into the Mkambati reserve. The route takes the visitors initially on the beach and then into the grassland where it is possible to view a large variety of antelope among other wildlife. From here the trail takes the party to a shipwreck from the 70s. After exploring the wreck the visitors head on the Mkambati river that cascades in an impressive waterfall into the sea. Set further back in the forest is another spectacular waterfall called the Strandloper Fall that derives its name from a cave on the edge of the deep pool at the base of the waterfall. After lunch in the cave and perhaps a swim the party returns along a more inland route back to Mtentu. |
| Day 5: | The morning offers a choice of alternatives that could include a forest hike, a visit to local homesteads or simply sunbathing on the beach. In the afternoon the party is back on horses for the return trip to Kwanyana camp stopping at a hill above the magnificent Sikhombe estuary – ideal for viewing dolphins and whales in winter (usually from late June to late October). |
| Day 6: | The final day takes visitors on an alternative route back towards the Casino. After crossing Mnyameni river the trailheads inland to a spectacular series of waterfalls and natural pools where a break is made for lunch. From there, it is back to the beach for the final leg back to Mzamba river. |
Read travellers reviews of this trip - enter your own feedback on the trip and win a Rough Guide of your choice. "The really impressive thing about Amadiba is the fact that local people really do run this show." (more)how this holiday makes a difference
|
Facilities and services are provided and owned by self-employed members of the community in the form of micro enterprises. Mtentu, where you spend four nights is a campsite with a difference: the complex reflects the project's sensitivity towards the environment. The kitchen, dining facilities and the ablution amenities merge with the local environment. Your participation assists in developing sustainable and responsible eco-tourism focused on real community ownership.
|
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |