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Cheetah Experience

Experience the delight, fear and exhilaration when cheetahs hunt.
We offer visitors the opportunity to see and experience cheetah hunting in the wild.  The excursion consists of walking with cheetahs while they are hunting.  One sees the effort and time it takes for these animals to hunt down their prey.  All people participating have to walk in single file, dressed accordingly and be very quite for the duration of the hunt, which in some cases can be up to 6 hours.  

Buks Marais describes his first encounter - “We stood near the vehicle as 2 cheetahs – brothers both about 5 years old – were let out of their camp.  They are tame and walked right passed us, ready to hunt. We followed them for most of the morning as they attempted to hunt down Impala and Kudu.

Finally the kill happened very fast.  We saw the one cheetah heading up the hill, the other cheetah charged down the hill, splitting the herd of Moutain Rheedbuck.  The cheetah caught up with a Rheedbuck ewe at the bottom of the hill and with one decisive bite put her down and starting gorging at the hindquarters.”

Those interested in participating contact Buks Marais – 082 579 1789 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Trip 2 – 4x4 Trip Patensie to Willowmore
(leaving from PE or surrounding area)

Follow the road that Thomas Bains built - the main route through the Baviaanskloof

Day 1

• Pick up in the Port Elizabeth region and leave for Patensie
• Begin the Baviaanskloof Adventure 4x4 road trip through the Baviaanskloof Area (a national park that lies undiscovered)
• Pass through Cambria and marvel at the sights from Bergplaas
• Gasp at the engineering feat of Thomas Bain who achieved the impossible by making a road where no-one thought possible
• Enjoy a tranquil picnic next to the river
• Overnight in a B and B on the edge of the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve

 Day 2

• Enjoy the ride - see the marvels of the Nuwekloof Pass
• Marvel at different fauna and flora of the region
• Travel the single lane cement road between Willowmore and Steytlerville
• Travel via the Grootrivierpoortpass to Patensie
• Arrive late afternoon back in Port Elizabeth

Optional Extra Days

• Enjoy a hike in the mountains
• Spend an extra night in one of the numerous B and B’s on offer in the Baviaanskloof area.
• Visit a waterfall, hear about the local fauna and flora

Tailor-make your own trip

Here visitors can get adventurous by tailor making their own route and itinerary. Combine the following and form your own itinerary for the Baviaanskloof.  Add on two days to a holiday already planned. We will meet up with you so that you can leave your vehicle behind, or if you have a 4x4 drive it yourself and we will issue you with a guide. The choice is up to you.

• Pick up anywhere in the Eastern Cape, preferably close to Patensie, Graaff-Reinet or Willowmore
• Travel to the Baviaanskloof
• Stop for a tea break - the road is cumbersome, so slow travelling makes for great views and awesome experiences
• Enjoy the Baviaanskloof Adventure road trip through the Baviaanskloof Area (a national park that lies undiscovered)
• Marvel at the sights from Bergplaas
• Experience crossing the Baviaansriver numerous times.
• Picnic next to the river
• Hike up mountains, down valleys, into gorges
• Sleep in a cave
• Learn more about the local fauna and flora
• Various different B and B’s are available in the Baviaanskloof area.

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Trip 1 - 4x4 Trip via Steytlerville to Patensie and on to Willowmore

This is a fully comprehensive tour that introduces visitors to the two main routes available in the Baviaanskloof.

Day 1:

• Leave for Steytlerville and visit a few sights in and around Steytlerville
• Travel pass Hadley, onto the Grootrivier and then pass under Cockscomb Mountain en-route to Patensie
• Enjoy a 4x4 ride over the Grootrivierpoortpass in the Baviaanskloof. A road that is travelled very rarely in South Africa
• Overnight at a safari lodge near Patensie
• Basis – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast + lunch provided

Day 2:

• Leave after breakfast and start on the gravel that links Patensie with Willowmore.
• Enjoy The Baviaanskloof Adventure 4x4 road trip through the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve
• Picnic lunch will be provided
• Enjoy local treats with a farmer in the area and hear the local stories/history
• Spend the night in Willowmore or in a nearby farm lodge
• Basis – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast + lunch provided

Optional extra days

• Explore numerous kloofs on foot and swim in gloriously clean rivers and rock pools
• All meals are provided
• Enjoy a rustic experience by staying in a cave in the Baviaanskloof Area. (Facilities are simple which include a flushing toilet, a hot water shower and a front door.)
• Enjoy numerous hiking trails in the area
• Here you can easily stay for a few days and relax and explore the indigenous fauna and flora with a local guide