|
Specials |
|
Swaziland White Water Rafting Weekend 6 DAY MPUMALANGA TO MOZAMBIQUEDAY 1: Fly from Wonderboom to Mookodi Camp in Amersfoort. Spend the evening at the country club with a lecture about the fall of Amajuba in 1881, followed by drinks, pub meals, music and a briefing of the trip that lies ahead. Sleep in Mookodi Camp chalets. DAY 2: Depart after breakfast for Nduma camp. It is one of the richest bird life camps in South Africa. DAY 3: Visit Thembe Elephant Reserve where the Big 5 can also be seen. DAY 4: Travel along the border on no mans land sand route via KosiBay Border Post to Ponta do Oura. We will spend the evening at a very traditional Portuguese Restaurant. DAY 5: Water sport, fishing, diving what ever you like in the warm clear Benguela ocean with its very rich coral reefs. DAY 6: Return to Mookodi Camp to fly back to Wonderboom, Pretoria the evening What to bring:
Included:
Passport and visa essential Total cost: R2,740.00 per person (minimum 6 guests) Optional:
SWAZI WHITE WATER RAFTING WEEKENDArrive at Mookodi camp on Thursday evening between 5 pm and late. Bring what you like to "braai" or eat, the rest we will look after: utensils, fire, drinks, ablution, accommodation and bedding. Friday morning 8:00am we will have a briefing session and gear inspection. 10:00am leave Mookodi-camp onboard the very comfortable Samil 50 vehicle for Swaziland. Friday afternoon we put up camp at Phaphati via Oshoek border post, on the Usutu river bank. The evening will be spent round the campfire, listening and watching the great Usutu river roaring through Holomi station rapids. Our second rapid for Saturday morning. 1. THE DAY'S ACTIVITY Free pick-up at our camp. Trips vary in length, depending on river conditions and ability of participants. The average full day trip length is 18 km although a longer trip of 23km and the shorter of 7km (½ day) are undertaken on occasions. In low water conditions, the trip is split into a morning of rafting and an afternoon of abseiling. Note: As of 2003 we have substituted white water tubing for rafting in winter months - it's awesome fun! All rafting trips start with a thorough safety briefing and a flat-water stretch for practicing technique. Participants paddle and portage their own boats and must be prepared for vigorous activity. Lunch is a picnic style affair, at our campsite. The standard menu is chicken/mayonnaise or ham rolls, together with cheese rolls, fruit, chocolates or ice cream and juice. The trip ends with sun downer drinks (beers & soft drinks) on the riverbank. When conditions favour the ½ day trip, abseiling is undertaken during the afternoon on a 15m high cliff alongside the Holomi Falls. This involves learning basic rope-work skills and then descending the cliff by means of a figure-8 apparatus. The activity is controlled by a guide, using a safety line. There are also exciting cliff jump and rapp-jumping options for adrenaline junkies. 2. GUIDES AND SAFETY Swazi Trails is a Certified Operating Member of the
African Paddling Association (previous known as SARA) and subscribes to the
Codes of Safety and Ethics thereof. River guides are handpicked and experienced
in river running, safety and first aid, with affiliation or endorsement from
international bodies. Trips are accompanied by a safety kayaker and followed by
a support vehicle. Basic medical assistance is within 45 minutes drive from the
river. Paramedic assistance is available within 1 to 1.5 hours. At the time of
printing Swazi Trails boasted a 100% safety record over 13 years of operation. 3. REQUIREMENTS Participants must be between the ages of 18 and 55, though younger and older persons are accepted by prior arrangement. Unescorted minors (under 18 years) require the written consent of a parent or guardian. All participants must be of sound health and are required to sign a Waiver and Indemnity Form before departure. No prior experience is necessary to attempt this river. All equipment is provided, including buoyancy aids ("life jackets") and helmets. Rapids range from grade II - IV, all of which are manageable by absolute beginners after the pre-trip safety briefing. 4. DISCLOSURE OF RISK Participants are warned that this is an active and participative adventure pursuit and that considerable effort and physical activity is to be expected on and off the river. The capsizing of the raft is an almost certainty in certain areas of the river and participants are well briefed and prepared for this eventuality. Participants are advised that crocodiles are known to inhabit rivers in the Swaziland, though these are seldom encountered on this stretch of water. River levels vary greatly from season to season, which can alter the level of challenge faced. 5. THE RIVER The Great Usutu is Swaziland's largest river. It flows from the South African highveld through central Swaziland and exits the Kingdom near Big Bend. Thereafter it winds past Nduma in KwaZulu-Natal and up to the Bay of Maputo in Mozambique. The Swazi Trails rafting operation runs from a remote location between the villages of Sidvokodvo and Siphofaneni, which is known as the Bulungapoort. Although the river changes dramatically from full to low water levels, there is always a selection of Grade 2 to 4 rapids to be attempted. At certain medium and high water levels some stretches become Grade 5 in difficulty, with optional or compulsory portages at the river guide's discretion. The river is wide and at lower water levels it winds its way between numerous islands and sandbanks, which are otherwise covered during the full water season. The location is scenic with tall mountains and forested riverbanks, interspersed occasionally by rural Swazi homesteads. 6. WHAT TO BRING 1) Camping clothes (4 sets). Friday, Saturday, Saturday,
Sunday. Included:
TOTAL R2140.00p.p (minimum 6 guests) 50 % Deposit on
booking
R1 070 Sunday morning at 10:00 we return to Mookodi camp where
the team splits up and says goodbye with a lot of excellent memories. |
|
Click here to return to the Home Page Design and hosted by KeepItSimple Web Management Services |