Where Is It?
How to get there
Trail Options
General Information
Main Attractions
Parking
Rates
Where is it?
The Entabeni Hiking Trail is situated in the Levubu area, in the eastern Soutpansberg range of the Limpopo Province.
Drive 40 km east of Louis Trichardt on the R524. Turn left at the Entabeni sign and follow the gravel road to the plantation entrance gate. After entering, carry straight on for approximately 1.5 km then turn right at the Entabeni hiking hut sign. From here follow the signs to the hiker's hut, which is situated on the edge of an indigenous forest, 15 km from the entrance gate.
Entabeni two-day, figure-eight overnight trail
On both days, the trail starts from the Entabeni Hut. The trail is a figure-eight hiking route and each circle is 16 km long. It also has shorter loops back to the hut that vary between 8 and 12 km inside each loop. For a leisurely walk, hikers must start early.
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Day One
On this southern route, the trail leads through pine plantations and an indigenous forest where gigantic redwoods and samango monkeys are to be seen. At the top of the Klein Australia Peak (1300 m), there is a magnificent view of the Levubu tropical farming area on the southern side. On a clear day the Hanglip on the western side, as well as part of the Entabeni Plantation can be seen. The trail then leads through a pine plantation into an indigenous forest area and past Vera's Peak (1450 m) and Vera's Tears Waterfall. From there, the route goes up-hill through an indigenous forest to the Ebbe dam, and then along open grassland to the Entabeni Hut.
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Day Two
The northern route takes the hiker along open grasslands and past the Ebbe dam, and from there past tree ferns, through an indigenous forest and around the escarpment to views of the Phadzima valley. It then continues along patches of open grassland that overlook the Thate-Vondo area, and onwards to Mathivha peak (1450 m). To the eastern side, there is a view of the Lwamondo Peak and, on the southern side, a view over the Tshakuma area, which is well known for its fruit markets. The trail then leads downhill through an indigenous forest and pine plantation back to the starting point, the Entabeni Hut.
Distances
Two 16 km loops with shorter loops that vary from 8 km to 12 km.
Difficulty grading
Moderate to difficult. A fair amount of fitness is required for this mountainous terrain.
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The trail starts and ends at the Entabeni Hut. Only this one hut is available.
The Entabeni hut has
- Bunk beds for 22 people
- A donkey that provides hot water for the showers
- Flushing toilets
- A braai area with grids and firewood
- Parking for high-clearance vehicles
Special precautions
- Hikers must take along their own first-aid kit. Malaria does sometimes occur and hikers are advised to take the necessary precautions.
- For assistance during emergencies, phone the plantation manager at tel. 015 583 0100 or tel. 015 583 0387 or on his cellphone at 083 300 1390.
Please note: Visitors must bring their own drinking water during the dry season. Hikers must not drink from the streams. The best time for hiking is from April to November.
- Birds: According to some people, the Soutpansberg area is the best birding spot in the country. Birds here include the bluemantled crested flycatcher, African broadbill, African goshawk, olive woodpecker, black eagle, rameron pigeon, forest canary and the jackal buzzard.
- Mammals: These include the red duiker, hyrax, African civet, Soutpansberg flat lizard, samango monkey and bush buck.
- Flora: On this trail, there are 60-year old redwoods, pine plantations, a blue gum plantation and indigenous forests with trees such as Cape beech, lemonwood, yellowwood, bushwillow, silver sugarbush, Aloe vossii and Aloe vogtsii.
- Scenery: Some highlights on this trail are the Klein Australia Peak, the Ebbe Dam (named after Mr Ebbe Domisse), Vera's Peak (named after the land surveyor's wife), Vera’s Tears Waterfall and the Mativha Peak (named by the BaVenda tribe), which has a beautiful view over the Lwamondo area.
Vehicles with high clearance can be parked at the Entabeni Hut
Rates
R95.00 per person per night