Phaladingwe Hiking Trail Africaland:The Hike That Almost Wasn’t

jeeksparties8
Mar 28
3 min read

Ah, Phaladingwe. Another one checked off the ever-growing list! But let me tell you, this one almost didn’t make the cut.

Because I had heard so little about it, I tried to do the responsible thing and get some info beforehand, but Phaladingwe had other plans.

Phone? Voicemail.

Website? Nothing.

Reviews? Sparse.

Their Facebook page —active, yet eerily silent.

Was it open? Did I need a permit? Would we get there only to be greeted by a locked gate and my own poor life choices? Who knew??

In the end, I rolled the dice, backup plan in tow, fully prepared to turn around and shake my fist at the sky if it turned out to be closed. But you know what? It wasn't and boy am I glad!!.

My ever-patient, ever-chilled hiking buddy, Sage, was this hike's chosen victim. And from the second we rolled up, the energy was positive.

First win? The guard at the boom—friendly and helpful.

Then came the host, who was all kinds of lovely… even after I hit her with my "why-do-you-not-answer-your-phone" rant.

She explained. I got it. I immediately felt like a drama queen. We laughed, I cringed, and we moved on.

And then… there was a dog. Not just any dog—a guide dog. If you’ve been around long enough, you know how desperately I’ve wanted a trail dog to lead me on a trail. I’ve waited. I’ve hoped. I’ve manifested. And finally, finally—my moment had arrived!

Or so I thought. Two steps in, the dog glanced at me, sighed (probably), and just bailed. No hesitation. No second chances. Just a "nope, not today" on whatever energy I was bringing. Even Sage, with her peaceful vibes, made no difference.

When, when will the universe grant me my day in the sun?! Anyway....moving on...

So, after weeks of playing an intense game of dodge-the-downpour, we finally scored a weekend where Mother Nature decided not to be a total menace. Shocking, I know.

The morning started misty, which only added to the whole ethereal hiking aesthetic. And the trail? Absolute heaven. Loved every second of it.

This trail did not hold back on the views. They were everywhere—rolling mountains drenched in greenery, stretching out like a postcard. Official viewing points? Plenty. But honestly, even the “not-a-viewing-point” points

were ridiculous. You could stop anywhere, dramatically stare into the distance, and still look like the cover of an adventure magazine.

As for the trail itself? A dream. Enough inclines to keep things spicy, just the right amount of barely technical sections to keep it from being a boring stroll, and a perfect mix of terrain—a river, rocky bits, shady sections, reed canopies, and a whole lot of slate, which gave it that extra something. Basically, this trail had everything.

The river was basically that one friend who can't stand being out of the spotlight—

popping up every few minutes like, "Oh hey,

miss me? Look how scenic I am!"

With more open spaces than not, there’s no hiding the sun on a hot day, so plan (and hydrate) accordingly.

Once we finished, the host sweetly apologized for some of the overgrowth—blaming all the rain. But honestly? I’ve hiked way more overgrown trails. This was basically pristine.

There was some litter, thanks to the rain and rising water doing their thing, but this was an unfortunate side effect and I didn’t allow this to ruin the trail,

Even the other hikers we bumped into were awesome. Just good energy all around.

AREA - Broederstroom, Hartbeespoort

COST - Entry is R 80—cash preferred,

DIFFICULTY

Inclines not for the unfit or beginners, but also not a soul-crushing suffer-fest.

LENGTH - 7.4 km