South Africa’s only walking festival will take place at the Garden Route over the Easter Weekend (March 30- April 2,2018). Home to the country’s most famous trails and hikes, the festival celebrates the region’s iconic walks and is perfect for adventure lovers and walkers of every kind.
Festival founder Galeo Saintz said walking festivals are a big trend globally, and the Hi-Tec Garden Route Walking Festival is the biggest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
“It’s a massive undertaking that involves the support and involvement of local guides and communities. There are walks on offer every day all along the coast from Mossel Bay, George, Wilderness, Knysna and Plett to Nature’s Valley.
“The Garden Route is one of the world's great walking destinations, its incredible mountains,
secret forests, cascading waterfalls, coastal cliffs, amazing beaches and famous trails are ideal for such a festival,”said Saintz .
There is something for everyone at Hi-Tec Garden Route Walking Festival. Pictures: Supplied.
The Hi-Tec Garden Route Walking Festival showcases the true hospitality of the region with many local volunteers involved, tourism associations including Wesgro. There are walks for everyone, including the Moonlight Meander and the brisk hikes up the region's highest peaks, such as the George Peak Challenge and the Peak Formosa Adventure in the Tsitsikamma region. Traditional walks include the Brown-Hooded
Kingfisher Trail or Circles in the Forest Elephant Walk, and for the more intrepid, there is a
Keurbooms to Nature’s Valley walk. A collection of festive walks such as the Hi-Tec Coastal
Pirates Treasure Hunt is perfect for Easter Sunday, or the Inner Magic walk for kids, both promise to be great fun with friends and family on Keurbooms beach.
The programme of over 50 walks includes many unusual walks, such as the Walk with Poetry, the Yoga Walk and the Sketching in Nature walk. For those with an adventurous spirit tough hikes along the rocky coast are a must. This year community Coastal Clean-Up Walks will be a highlight.
“The Garden Route Walking Festival is about building a connection
between our diverse communities and between ourselves and wild nature,” says Saintz.
South Africa’s only walking festival will take place at the GardenRoute over the Easter Weekend. Picture: Supplied.
The festival benefits local Garden Route environmental charities and conservation projects by showcasing their work and facilitating donations by walkers. The walks are all led by local volunteer walk leaders or professional walking guides who share their knowledge of the region and their passion for the outdoors.
For more information about the Hi-Tec Garden Route Walking Festival, visit www.walkingfestival.co.za