Sure Travel Journey Vol 3.4 Spring 2017 | Page 27

4 • HIKE WITHOUT THE HASSLE E N Fancy a dose of the great outdoors without worrying about where to camp, how to cook dinner and whether your tent leaks? Say hello to “slackpacking”, where your bags are portaged between overnight stops and a warm dinner and comfy bed await tired legs. © VAN GYSEN R O U T E / / C O V E R S T O R Y The Cederberg Heritage Routes offer a wonderful glimpse of far-flung mountain scenery, while the Green Mountain Eco-Route through the Elgin Valley blends fynbos with fine-wine tastings along the way. Further east consider the wonderful Strandloper Trail near Mossel Bay, or tackle the 85-kilometre Wild Coast Walk from Kob Inn to Cintsa. The Cederberg is renowned for its incredible rock formations. 5 RIDE THE RAILS With our budget airlines and wide-open freeways we rarely look to the rails for a holiday escape, but South Africa offers a handful of remarkable train adventures. The classic journey is between Johannesburg and Cape Town: this route dishes up a cross-section of the country, from the budding vineyards of the Western Cape to the empty plains of the Great Karoo and the waving grasslands of the Highveld. Out of Johannesburg the tracks meander past the Drakensberg and through the Midlands to Durban. If you don’t have pockets deep enough to splurge on the five-star Blue Train or Rovos Rail, Premiere Class offers an excellent four-star alternative. The double compartments are cosy, comfortable and well equipped, and fares include all meals. MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 27