Otter Trail
The Otter Trail
It is the crown jewel of South Africa’s national park system, a dream for every nature lover and the one trail on every adventurer bucket list…it is the famed OTTER TRAIL!! 45 km of coastal and forest hiking in 5 days, starting from Stormriver Mouth to Nature Valley; involving: countless uphills, steep downhills, 4 nights sleeping in wilderness huts away from civilization, and, above all, 3 river crossings! All of this can be done independently and on your own…all it requires is some careful planning…So Lets Start the Adventure:)
Without question, the first step is to book your spot on this famed trail as only 12 people are allowed to start the hike per day! Depending on your group’s size, people sometimes need to book a year in advance to secure a spot, so the smaller the group, the higher chance to find a spot. I, personally, was lucky enough to find a spot only a month & half in advance, but they were the last remaining spots in the entire month! So plan ahead and be flexible with your dates.
The booking process itself is very easy and straightforward. You can do it in person, over the phone, or online and pay instantly with your credit card (click to request info).
One final note before setting your date, check the tide chart for the 4th day of your hike to see if you can reach the river crossing at low tide or not as this will play a major role in being able to finish the entire hike and what to pack. Remember, on that day you will need approximately 4.5 hours to reach the river and 2 hours after you cross to reach the hut.
Having booked your spot, the next important thing is to book your transport to & from the trail. Some people prefer to rent a car and leave it at Nature Valley rest camp and book a transport to Stormriver, but this way you’ll be incurring a 4-day rental cost without using the car while, also, leaving the car unattended for 4 nights. So, in my opinion, its best to book a transport from your hotel/hostel to Stormriver and on the last day from Nature Valley to your next adventure. To help you with this, there are two transport companies specialized in Otter Trail transfer, and I contacted both, but found one to be more professional & reliable than the other (click to request info). Booking with them, everything went smoothly from start to end and I, even, left my extra luggage with them till I finished the trail.
Finally, what to pack?? This is the most important preparation step as this will be all the stuff you will have for 5 days. Although you will be tempted to take everything you can, remember that you will carry all this stuff on your back for 45 km, so you have to know what do you exactly need, what your body needs, and, certainly, the weather. I prepared a simple packing list of the items needed based on my experience and if you need help with that, I can send it to you for free (click to request info).
P.S.: some fellow hikers might suggest that you have to train for the Otter Trail or you will not be able to make it…you don’t!! You just need to be moderately fit with a passion for hiking and adventure travel…so enjoy:) It is a once in a lifetime adventure that captures the true spirit of adventure independent travel!
| Day 1 | Stormriver → Ngubu Hut |
| Day 2 | Ngubu Hut → Scott Hut |
| Day 3 | Scott Hut → Oakhurst Hut |
| Day 4 | Oakhurst Hut → Andre Hut |
| Day 5 | Andre Hut → Nature Valley |
