Canoeing and Hiking in Wilderness, South Africa

Audrey and I both grew up in rural settings with backyards that led down paths covered with forest and dotted by mountains. We're finding now, as we get a little bit older, that we're thoroughly enjoying visiting places that remind us of our roots. While traveling along the coast of South Africa we encountered such a destination named Wilderness. As the name suggests outdoor adventures are what you come here to experience. After doing a bit of research we settled on canoeing and hiking. The following is our journey for the day.
Canoeing and Hiking in Wilderness, South Africa Travel Video Transcript:
So this morning we are in Wilderness and we've decided to do a bit of canoeing. We're out on the water now and it is a beautiful day, so we're just going to be traveling upstream and maybe doing a little bit of hiking later.
So we've done a lot of kayaking before together but this is our very first time to canoe. And it is definitely a little bit more stable. Part of that has to do with the canoe being wider than a kayak. The other part has to do with just these waters. They couldn't be any more calmer.
I know, it is like being on a mirror. Seriously. Look at that. Hardly any waves or ripples.
Here comes another one.
If you see another one come by let me know.
Alright, so we're coming up on a little rope bridge. We're just going to canoe right under it.
Okay, so that is as far as we can get on our canoes. We are going to be hiking the rest of the way. Get moving. Hahaha.
Alrighty, so we're off the river now and we're going to be doing a bit of hiking. We've got our little maps so hopefully we won't get too lost. Yeah, let's head in to the unknown.
I think a lot of people who come to South Africa have this type of image of the landscape being completely barren and dry. Kind of just safari land. But there is so much diversity here. And this is a really good example. We're now walking through a lush rain forest.
Let's go.
I seriously have no idea what animal that was.
But it was very cute.
So I think we're getting closer to the waterfalls. I can hear them off in the distance. And this looks like a bit of a different path so let's go.
Well, well, I don't know if you can hear that but it sounds like we made it to the waterfalls. So we're almost there just follow me a bit longer. We'll show you the water.
And we made it!
So we're now on our way back. We saw the waterfalls and we're heading back to find our canoes. And we met a few travelers along the way. A few hikers who are also making their way to the waterfall. And they asked us, you know, how far to get there? And it made me realize that Canadians are some of the only people who measure distances based on time. How long it takes to get there. They are asking us how many kilometers. How many miles? And that is such a typical question but a Canadian will tell you like 10 or 15 minutes or so. Yep, that's us.
This is part of our Travel in South Africa series. We're making a series of videos showcasing South African culture, South African arts, South African foods, South African religion, South African cuisine and South African people.
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All photos and video taken by Samuel Jeffery (Nomadic Samuel) and Audrey Bergner (That Backpacker).