This morning you will be collected from Cape Town and transferred to the !Khwa ttu San Culture and Heritage Centre for a guided tour. From here you can choose to do some wine tasting in the area, or visit the West Coast National Park and enjoy lunch at one of the quaint little towns along the West Coast, the afternoon is flexible to your preference, you will have a vehicle and driver-guide at your disposal.
You will then make your way to Elands Bay, arriving at 17.00 at your accommodation. Meet your group and qualified tourist and hiking guide Anette at the lovely Elandsbay Hotel, on the West Coast. Here she will brief you on your entire trip and then accompany you to the Elandsbay cave before sunset to meet the well known antropologist, writer and emeritus Professor Parkington at the cave. He will introduce the group to the San, or Bushman as many of the San people still demand to be called, their culture, beliefs customs and rituals. Prof Parkington speaks to hikers about the history of the San people, how and where they mainly lived and discusses some of the rock paintings still visible in the cave. This sets the tone for the rest of the hike, namely a West Coast experience and something that far exceeds just a normal hike. Tonight the group will all sleep in the hotel and enjoy a lovely dinner here.
ElandsBay to Steenbokfontein (17 Km)
We depart from Elands Bay at 07:00 and by this time you would have had rusks and coffee. Hikers will be provided with a breakfast- and snack pack filled with biltong and something sweet and sour to sustain your energy levels. After arriving at Steenbokfontein, situated behind one of the San middens and white dunes, we will check in to our accommodation and have a warm shower and get dressed for a scrumptious West Coast meal in Die Plaaskombuis (Farm Kitchen) prepared and hosted by the owner, Mrs Kitta Burger. On a tractor ride, we visit the exploration cave as well as the visitors' cave where the San roamed intermittently over the past 30 000 years. Not only the San frequented these caves –as there is clear evidence of regular visits by elephants who used a particular rock to come and scratch their itches! Guests who would like to walk the well-known Steenbokfontein labyrinth are also welcome. The traditionally prepared Sandveld dinner consists of mussel soup, homemade breads, jams, lamb, a variety of vegetables, salads, koeksisters, tea and coffee. Enjoyed while guests listen to the fables of love and ghosts, deriving from the night the HMS Sybille sank in 1901 - to very recent stories of the farm and the local people.
Steenbokfontein to Lambertsbay (10 km)
We start the hike maneuvering the tides (this stretch could be challenging due to walking in thick sand at high tide) and finish at Lamberts Bay no later than 13:00. After a light lunch at the guest house, the afternoon is spent at leisure and guests are welcome to visit the interesting Bird Island or rent a kayak for a paddle in the harbor. Accommodation in Lamberts Bay is on the beachfront and dinner is a real treat - a seafood buffet on the beach at Muisbosskerm.
Lambertsbay to Doorspring (13 km)
Today we will most probably not see another human being enroute for the entire day. We depart from Lamberts Bay early, again depending on the tide. After coffee and rusks we leave with a packed breakfast to enjoy along the way. This section is a beautiful stretch of deserted coastline that only a handful of people has ever walked. We hike through private property and this section offers white beaches as far as the eye can see. Once we arrive at Doorspring, hikers are shuttled by the logistics team to the unique Fryer’s Cove cellar in Doringbaai harbour. After a well-deserved lunch and good local wines we settle into our accommodation for the final night. Doringbaai (directly translated to Thorn Bay) has a rich history and is a typical West Coast 'dorpie' (town) with the most interesting people and of course, stories.
Doringbaai to Strandfontein (10 km)
After a proper breakfast you will have about 10 km to walk some of it off to the small town of Strandfontein. The hike today is completely different to the previous three days in terms of terrain and you will find yourself climbing up and down on a harder surface still hugging the coastline all the way to Strandfontein.
You will be met here by your driver-guide and transferred back to Cape Town.
