Walk with Africa’s Big 5, in their natural habitat. WildSide Trails offers a Wilderness Trail experience that provides a platform for you to discover your most wild self, in some of South Africa’s premier Big 5 tourism destinations.
We take time moving slowly walking through the bush, encountering big and small wildlife while experiencing nature on foot. We offer deep wilderness immersion.
I had an absolute amazing time on the Pafuri Traverse, so much so that I am busy booking my next adventure with WildSide Trails! - Heidi Meintjes
Spend 5 nights and 6 days moving on foot through the Pafuri region—one of the most remote and untamed landscapes in South Africa.
This is a true backpacking trail. Everything you need is carried on your back as you walk from camp to camp, covering 10–15km a day through a diverse and constantly shifting wilderness.From the sandstone ridges and baobab-dotted slopes of the first day to the floodplains and riverine forests that follow, Pafuri reveals itself slowly. The Luvuvhu and Limpopo Rivers shape this land, drawing wildlife and birdlife into a space that feels both ancient and alive.
Tracks replace roads. Sign replaces certainty.Evenings are simple—fires, open sky, and the quiet that comes with being properly removed. Days are deliberate. You move with awareness, reading the ground, the wind, and the animals that move through it.
This is not a managed or softened experience. It demands effort, presence, and a willingness to be uncomfortable at times.The Pafuri Traverse is our most immersive trail. It is for those wanting to step beyond the edge of the ordinary and experience what it means to move through wild country on its terms, carrying your life with you.
Explore the 25,000-hectare Greater Makalali Reserve on foot, moving between campsites or settling into one for the duration of your stay.
Spend 4–6 days immersed in a prime Big 5 environment, where encounters are frequent and the bush reveals itself at a steady, grounded pace.
This is a more accessible wilderness than Pafuri—less raw, but no less real. A strong introduction to walking in Big 5 country, suited to families or groups of friends looking to step away from the pressure of modern life and experience the bush in a more direct, uncomplicated way.
How about walking the Pafuri in a multiday hike over the full moon? This limited trail happens on request. We don't hike at night, instead we set camp at elevated points where we overlook rivers and springs and view animals coming into drink.
Its best done at the end of the season from August to October when the bush is dry and the temperatures a little higher. These conditions mean animals are much more likely to visit water sources we overlook.
A pair of binoculars is essential for this experience.
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