Augrabies Rafting, 4 - 8th April '12

THE 3 or 4 NIGHT ORANGE RIVER CANOE TRAIL

Augrabies, northern Cape

Dates: 4 - 8th April '12
Price: Available upon request
Includes: 3 or 4 nights wilderness rafting trip (additonal options listed below)
Optional add-ons: game drives, quad biking, hiking, visit to Riemvasmaak with its heated springs and 4 x 4 trails, visit to the Augrabies Falls or a day's hiking trail

Terms & Conditions apply

You don’t need loads of technical training and the adventure is yours for the taking. No need to hesitate and deliberate. Just say “Yes, I’m in!” and before you know it, you will be having an unforgettable experience. This does not mean your courage will not be tested or that you won't be nudged out of your comfort zone – after all, that is the point of an adventure. Enjoy the thrilling experience in an unspoilt natural setting.

MULTIDAY RAFTING EXCURSIONS

Wilderness Experience (3 or 4 days):

Price ranging between R2 620 (3 nights) and R3 300 (4 nights) per person

This adventure is for the young at heart. This entails 3 or 4 days of exhilarating fun in the great outdoors, camping, cooking and sleeping under the stars. This is the basic package, roughing it with raw adventure.

Tented Camp (3 days):

Price starting @ R3 895 per person sharing

Rough it in style, overnight in camping areas in tents with beds and ablution facilities with running water. Enjoy meals prepared by your guide. This package is suitable for family excursions and provides a good balance of adventure and comfort for all comers.

Luxury (3 days)

Price starting @ R5 895 per person sharing

This is for the connoisseur with a zest for Life: You stay in 3 and 5 star Lodges and B&B’s for the duration of your excursion and enjoy the finer living that the Green Kalahari has to offer. Dinner and breakfast will be at your Lodge while you enjoy lunch on the River. During the course of the trip we also offer a wine tasting of the best wines our region has to offer.

The Wilderness and Tented Camp excursions start and end at a game farm located on the Northern Bank of the Orange River at Augrabies, about 20km west (downriver) from Kakamas.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The Orange snakes through some of the most unspoilt areas of our country and the lush greenery of its banks provide the paddler with a welcome contrast and respite from these beautiful but ruggedly arid landscapes.

Heading downstream with the current the silence is broken only by your fellow paddlers chatting or squealing at the rapids and the sound of the water and the birds along the banks. Occasionally Fish Eagles call overhead and delight the paddlers with their aerial acrobatics on the desert thermals.

ALTERNATIVES

You can choose any of the above or we can offer tailor made tours: We also offer a wide range of other activities that we can combine to your requirements. Quad bike safaris, mountain biking, horse riding and game drives are some of these.

Bird life species

Cormorants; Goliath and Grey, Black-headed Herons, Fish Eagles, Black Eagles; Pied, Giant and Malachite Kingfishers, Rosy Faced Lovebirds, African Reed Jacanas, Bee-Eaters, Masked and Sociable Weavers, Rock Kestrels, Egyptian Geese, African Black Duck, African Shell Duck and many more.

For the Birder: Bring your binoculars and a good field guide. The area boasts almost 400 species.

Wildlife species

Baboons, Velvet Monkeys, Scrub Hares, Ground Squirrels, Leopards, Caracals, African Wild Cats, Bat Eared Foxes, Cape Foxes, Jackal, Cape Clawless Otters, Kudu ,Gemsbok, Giraffe, Blue Wildebeest, Springbuck and Eland.

Fish Species

Yellow Fish, Large and Small Mouth, Silvers, Catfish, Mudfish, Bream and several other species inhabit these waters.

For the Fisherman: The fishing is superb and all tackle works well from bait to lure fishing. For the Fly fisherman these waters offer rich pickings with trophy Yellows everywhere as well as a variety of other fish species.

WHAT TO BRING

General:

* Wet gear: Sunblock, hat, sunglasses with ties, track shoes, costume, shorts, long sleeved shirts, waterproof windbreaker.
* Dry gear: Mosquito repellant, tracksuit, shirts, underwear, dry shoes or boots, environment friendly toiletries, torch and camera.
* Camping gear: (only for the Wilderness) Sleeping bag, camp chair and eating utensils (knife, fork, spoon, plate, mug). Although
this is the desert, rain is not unheard of so a compact tent can be useful.
* Provisions: Drinks - only cans are advisable. No glass please. It is the desert so pack double to what you would normally use.

Ice is supplied on the first morning but it will melt! By day 4 there won't be anything cold. The river is entirely drinkable and we do take purification tablets. WHATEVER YOU THINK YOU WILL DRINK, DOUBLE THE QUANTITY! (THIS APPLIES FOR NON ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES)