Orange River Wilderness

Description:  The experience of a lifetime! Leave behind all the stress of modern day living and escape to the mighty Orange River. Drift silently past weaver birds nesting in the trees and reeds overhanging the river banks, sleeping under a sky so vivid it out does any modern-day planetarium. Navigate different levels of white-water rapids in your raft or float down them using your life-jacket as a nappy. Enjoy pristine birding, fishing and hiking and photography in this pristine environment. All wrapped up into one simple package- so grab your backpacks and your friends, meet us in Cape Town and jump aboard!

Highlights:  Camping under the stars | White-water rafting| A pristine natural environment |Unbelievable fishing and birding| Mind-blowing geological formations and the opportunity to collect rare minerals | Beautiful hot weather and swimming in the river | Feeling like you have gone back in time

Price:

From R4200 per person

*Depending on the size of your group and whether transport is needed.

Day 1

Drive Cape Town – Orange River

After breakfast we leave Cape Town and begin our journey north towards Namibia. It is a full day driving and we will stop at Springbok where we do shopping for snacks, booze and any items of a personal nature (last decent shops before the river). Continue on to the camp on the banks of the river, drop our things and settle in, swim etc. Later once the border-post has quietened down we go and get our passports stamped before returning to camp for dinner.

Day 2

Enter the River in South Africa

We pack everything into our rafts and head down the river! Spend the day swimming, relaxing, cliff-jumping and trying not to tip over in the rapids (awesome fun!). We have lunch on the banks of the river. In the late afternoon we find a beach/ grassy bank to camp for the night. Make a big fire, cook some well-deserved food, catch some big fish and check out more stars than you can imagine. 

Day 3

Orange River

After a good cooked breakfast and packing up camp we get onto the river again for another day of paddling, rapids, birds, swimming and some amazing geological formations. We hike up into the barren mountains in search of unique crystals and unbelievable views! Once again we sleep under the stars after a big dinner around an even bigger bonfire.

Day 4

Orange River

By now most of us have forgotten what day or month it is, we work with the rising and setting of the sun, no need for time. We spend the day moving down the river, sometimes drifting with the current, negotiating rapids and can even join our boats together and put up a sail – sailing the Orange River! We fish, bird and explore and will probably see things like Fish Eagles, Goliath Herons, Otters, Klipspringer, Monitor Lizards and a myriad of other wildlife. The river is like going back in time and generally there are no other people to be seen. Once again we sleep under the stars.

Day 5

Exit the River in Namibia

This is our last day paddling on the river. After breakfast and packing up camp we are on the river again to face the final sets of rapids and take in the ancient isolation of this vein of life cutting through an otherwise arid and inhospitable part of the world.

We are collected and drive two hours back to the Namibian border where we cross over to our base camp back in South Africa. Once again this evening is fully catered. We swap photos and stories around the fire.

Day 6

After a light breakfast we say goodbye to the mighty Orange River and make our way back to Cape Town arriving in the evening.