Fanie Botha Hiking Trail Location The Fanie Botha Hiking Trail is situated in the Sabie area in Mpumalanga. It is located on the Drakensberg escarpment and provides hikers with marvelous views over a variety of landscapes far below. How to get there From Gauteng, take N4 to Mpumalanga, turnoff at R539 to Sabie or alternatively via Schoemanskloof. Traveling Belfast via Lydenburg is also an option. From Lydenburg, take the Longtom Pass route to Sabie. When entering Sabie follow the signposts in the direction of Graskop. Mac Mac Forest station is situated 15km from Sabie on the Graskop road. To get to Ceylon Forest Station The last road in Sabie, Lydenburg Road turn left, drive through towards Bridal Veil Falls - the Ceylon Plantation. Drive for ± 2km turn right onto gravel road. Drive ± 2km until signage Ceylon Hut on left. Parking: Cars must be parked at the Ceylon Workshop. To get to Mac Mac Forest Retreat (President Burger Hut) Mac Mac Forest Retreat is situated 15km from Sabie on the Graskop road. Parking: Cars can be parked at the Mac Mac Forest Retreat only at the Electrified fence Workshop To get to Graskop Police station (Graskop Hut) Should you start from Graskop hut, follow the N4 to Graskop (R532). When entering Graskop turn right (before crossing the bridge) into Trichardt Avenue, follow signposts to Graskop hut (+ 2km on gravel road). Walk + 1km to Graskop Hut from Police station. Starting at Graskop, make own arrangement to park at the Graskop Police Station. General information Some highlights on the this delightful trail include Lone Creek and Mac Mac Falls, both national monuments, Mount Moodie and Mac Mac Pools 1
Starting at Mac Mac, you park and walk 400m to the President Burger Hut. Special precautions Hikers must carry their own first-aid kit For assistance during emergencies, Please call 083 677 0904 Main attractions Birds The region is rich in bird life. Species which are commonly encountered are listed below. Stony sites and krantzes Rock kestrel, black eagle, jackal buzzard, rock pigeon, little swift, lesser-striped, swallow, Cape rock thrush, red-winged starling Grassveld Swainson s francolin, helmeted guineafowl, brown-hooded kingfisher, white necked raven, stonechat, fiscal shrike, red-collared widow, bronze manikin Plantation Hadeda ibis, diederik cuckoo, rameron pigeon Indigenous forest and kloof Knysna lourie, red-chested cuckoo, somber bulbul, chorister robin, paradise flycatcher, malachite sunbird, scarket-chested sunbird Along or near watercourses Blue crane, rock martin, long-tailed wagtail, Cape wagtail, masked weaver, red bishop Although the area traversed by the hiking trail is, comparison with the Lowveld, not richly endowed with wildlife, a fairly extensive diversity of game occurs along the route. On the grasslands, especially at Hartebeesvlakte, oribi, grey caracal, rhebuck, mountain reedbuck and klipspringers may be encountered. Buck like bushbuck and duiker make their homes in the forests and plantations. Baboons and monkeys are common along the trail. Wild animals which 2
are not so easily detected, but are definitely present, are leopard black-backed jackal, serval, civet, otter, porcupine, badger and mongoose. Dassies are often to be seen on rocky ridges while bush pigs dig up the plantation floor in search of the larvae and pupae of several types of insect. He brightly-colored green and red larvae of the pine emperor moth are often visible on the pine needles in plantations. A wide variety of butterflies is to be seen. Hut facilities All the Huts, Ceylon, Maritzbos, Stables, Mac Mac, President Burger and Graskop have in common: 24 bunkerbeds, hot water (solar geyzer, except Mac Mac hut), no pots and pans, undercover braai area, firewood and toilets. Ceylon hut and President Burgers hut has electricity and hot water, and Mac Mac hut has no shower while the rest have a shower. Ceylon, Maritzbos, Stables, Mac Mac and Graskop huts have LED lights. Starting points (Parking is only available at these points) Ceylon Forest Station (Ceylon Hut) Mac Mac Forest Retreat (President Burger Hut) Graskop Police Station Trail Options 2 Night Options Mac Mac 2 night trail Graskop 2 night trail Hartbeesvlakte 2 Night Trail Mac Mac / Bonnet 2 night trail Pres. Burger 2 night trail Maritzbos 2 day trail 3 Night Options Pres. Burger 3 night trail Lone Creek 3 night trail Hartbeesvlakte 3 night trail Maritzbos 3 night trail 3
Mac Mac 3 night trail 4 Night Options Ceylon 4 night trail Maritzbos 4 night trail Mount Moodie 4 Night Trail 5 Night Options Pres. Burger 5 night trail Graskop 5 night trail Trail Options 2 Night Options Mac Mac 2 Night Trail Parking : Park at the Pres. Burger Hut and start hiking immediately to Mac Mac Hut Distances: Pres. Burger Mac Mac Hut 6km Mac Mac Hut Graskop Hut 13.6km Graskop Hut Pres. Burger Hut 23.1km Difficulty: Moderate to difficult Graskop 2 Night Trail Parking: Park your car at the Graskop Police Station Distances: Graskop Hut Pres. Burger Hut 23.1km Pres. Burger - Graskop 13.6km Difficulty: Moderate to difficult Hartbeesvlakte 2 Night Trail Distances: Ceylon hut Maritzbos 8.7 km Maritzbos - Stables Stables - Ceylon Plantation Office 8 km. 4
Pres. Burger 2 Night Trail Distances: President Burger Graskop 19.6 km Graskop - President Burger 23 km (via Mac Mac Pools and Falls) Bonnet/Mac Mac Pools 2 Night Trail Parking: Park your car at Graskop Police Station Distances: Graskop Mac Mac 23 km (via the Mac Mac Pools and Falls) Mac Mac Graskop 19.6 km Maritzbos 2 Day Trail Parking : Park at the Ceylon Workshop Distances: Ceylon Maritzbos 8.7 km Maritzbos Ceylon 9 km Difficulty: Easy 3 Night Options Pres. Burger 3 Night Trail Parking: Park at the Pres. Burger Workshop Distances: President Burger Graskop 19.6 km Graskop Mac Mac Hut 23.1km Mac Mac Hut Pres. Burger Hut 6km Lone Creek 3 Night Trail Parking: Park at Ceylon Workshop and start hiking immediately to Martizbos Distances: Ceylon Hut Maritzbos Hut 8.7km Maritzbos Hut Stables Hut 13.3km Stables Hut Mac Mac Hut 16.3km 5
Hartbeesvlakte 3 Night Trail Parking: Park at Ceylon Workshop Distances: Ceylon Hut Maritzbos Hut 8.7km Maritzbos Hut Stables Hut 13.3km Stables Hut Ceylon Hut 8.5km Maritzbos 3 Night Trail Parking: Park your car at Ceylon Workshop Distances: Ceylon Maritzbos 8.7 km Maritzbos Stables Stables Ceylon 8 km. Mac Mac 3 Night Trail Parking: Park your car at Pres. Burger Workshop and start hiking immediately to Mac Mac Hut Distances: Pres. Burger Mac Mac Hut 6km Mac Mac Hut Graskop Hut 13.6km Graskop Hut Pres. Burger Hut 23.1km. 4 Night Options NB: Should you do a 4 or 5 day route, please arrange slackpacking as it s not a circular route. Bookinging office can arrange it at R400-00 per trip. Ceylon 4 Night Trail Parking: Park your car at Ceylon Workshop Distances: Ceylon Hut Stables Hut 2km Stables Hut Mac Mac Hut 16.3km Mac Mac Hut Graskop Hut 13.6km 6
Difficulty: Difficult. Maritzbos 4 Night Trail Parking: Park your car at Ceylon Workshop Distances: Ceylon Hut Maritzbos Hut 8.7km Maritzbos Hut Stables Hut 13.3km Stables Hut Ceylon Hut 8.5km Difficulty: Moderate to difficult Mount Moodie 4 Night Trail Parking: Park your car at Ceylon Workshop and start hiking to Maritzbos Hut immediately. Distances: Ceylon hut - Maritzbos 8.7 km (Sleep first night at Maritzbos not Ceylon) Maritzbos Stables Stables - Mac Mac 16.3 km Mac Mac Graskop 13.6 km Graskop Depart. 5 Night Options NB: Should you do a 4 or 5 day route, please arrange slackpacking as it s not a circular route. Bookinging office can arrange it at R400-00 per trip Pres. Burger 5 Night Trail Distances: Ceylon Maritzbos 8.7 km Maritzbos Stables Stables - Mac Mac 16.3 km Mac Mac Pres. Burger 6km Difficulty: Difficult. Graskop 5 Night Trail 7
Distances: Ceylon Maritzbos 8.7 km Maritzbos Stables Stables - Mac Mac 16.3 km Mac Mac Graskop 13.6 km Difficulty: Difficult. Rates R105.00 per person per night Reservations Reservations are done at the SAFCOL ECOTOURISM office in Sabie. Tel: (013) 7542724 Email: ecotour@klf.co.za. We advise that you do your reservation well in advanced Badges Badges (R10.00 each) can be purchase from our Safcol Ecotourism office Sabie Forestry Museum, on the corner of 7 th and 10 th Avenue, Sabie. Email purchases are accepted at ecotour@safcol.co.za 8