ORANGE RIVER TOUR – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do we get to the campsite?
The campsite is called ‘Fiddlers Creek Campsite’ and is situated in Vioolsdrift, Northern Cape. From Springbok you will head out towards Steinkopf which is 50km away. Steinkopf is your last opportunity to fill up your car before you drive the final stretch to basecamp. From Steinkopf to Vioolsdrift is another 58km. Once you arrive in Vioolsdrift you will see the South African border post (photo 1). Do not go through the border post but take the left turn and follow the tar road that will turn in to a gravel road. Stay on the gravel road for +/- 10km until you see the Bushwhacked Overland truck (photo 2) on the right side of the road. Take the turn and follow the road down to basecamp where you will meet us.
What is the easiest mode of transport to use to travel to basecamp?
This is completely up to the group to decide. Bigger groups normally hire a bus (mostly Paarl Rock or we have a contact that you are welcome to use – Ted 083 297 5985). Please make sure you discuss everything with the transport company (who pays for the driver accommodation/food while you are on the water?) when hiring a bus. Students also tend to ‘carpool’ and drive in convey and arrive together at basecamp. If your group must travel far, try and overnight somewhere to shorten the distance. Be safe and responsible at all times when driving – it is quite a long drive to camp!
What can we expect when we get to basecamp?
You will check-in at the office and meet your guide team. There is nothing hectic planned for the arrival day. You can arrive at any time, but preferably before 17:00. Set up camp – yes you will be camping on your first night at basecamp – enjoy a dip in the river or a cold beer at the bar. Your guides will inform you what time dinner is. After dinner your guides will do a briefing explaining everything (how to pack, what to pack, what to expect etc) and you have a chance to ask all your questions. *If you do not want to camp on the first night, we have glamping units available for upgrade.
What facilities do you have at basecamp?
We have electricity, warm showers, a cash bar and a kiosk. We do NOT have a card machine so bring enough CASH. Please bring everything you need for your trip from home (sleeping bags, mattress etc) as we don’t sell them at camp.
What is the differences between the Henkries Route and the Richtersveld Route?
| Henkries Route | Richtersveld route |
| No passport needed | A valid Passport needed |
| No Covid-19 test or vaccine certificate needed | Valid Covid-19 fully vaccinated certificate needed, but no Covid test required |
| Need provincial borders open to operate | Need international borders open to operate |
| First night at basecamp | First night as basecamp |
| Drive 2 hours to get to put-in | Put-in at camp |
| Take-out 30 min from camp | Take-out on the Namibian side about a 1 hour drive to the Namibian Border Post |
| Last night at basecamp | Last night at basecamp |
At the moment we highly recommend the Henkries Route. There is no need for extra paperwork and no border delays. There are no extra logistical expenses. There are rapids on both routes, the catering will be the same and you will have the same guides. The only thing that change is the logistics. We have two separate docs for the two routes that we will attach to explain in detail.
Do I have to be an experienced paddler?
No, we will teach you how to paddle. You don’t need any paddling experience. Anyone can join on this adventure.
What is the min and max group size?
The minimum for a private group is 10 and the maximum for a private group is 50. If you don’t have a group of 10 we will send you our ‘open’ dates we have available.
How far in advance do I have to book?
We work on a first come first serve basis. If a trip is fully booked it is fully booked. We work with a 25% non-refundable deposit to secure your spot. March, April, September, October, December and January are our busiest months. This is a very popular activity among students. Make sure you book in advance to avoid disappointment. We make use of the deposit system to know a trip is guaranteed and the group is serious about booking. The remaining amount only needs to be in 40 days before arrival at camp.
What happens if I’ve paid my deposit, but can’t go anymore?
The deposit is non-refundable, but transferable. You can get someone to take over your deposit. If you send us a mail with your booking form, the proof of payment of the deposit and the new booking form of the person taking over your spot, we will transfer the deposit. Communication needs to be very clear when transferring a deposit. If you can’t get someone in your spot you will lose your deposit.
What happens if I’ve paid my full amount, but can’t go anymore?
Check the booking form with our cancellation policy on the Terms and Conditions page.
What equipment is included in the price?
We provide boats, lifejackets, paddles and a 65L drybag per person for you to pack your clothes etc in. You need to bring your own sleeping bag, tent, camping chair, matrass, cutlery etc. Please see packing list at the end of this page.
Do you rent out equipment?
No, we don’t.
How does the meals work on the trip?
All meals are included. The first meal is the arrival night dinner at camp. Three meals a day while on water. Dinner on the last night at basecamp also included. The morning of departure is normally coffee and rusks (very light breakfast). We have coffee/tea/milk/sugar available on the trip. There is enough food, but please remember this is not a buffet – please bring your own extra snacks! TIP: It can get VERY hot during our summer months. Snacks like chocolate/jelly sweets melt. Try to bring snacks like biltong/droewors/nuts/energy bars instead.
Do you cater for my dietary requirements?
We cater for vegetarians and any dietary requirements related to religion. We CAN cater for vegan, lactose free and gluten free, but it will be an additional R300pp. We are not close to any shops and need to know these dietary requirements in advance.
Do we have to bring our own water?
We have fresh borehole water in 25L cans that we take with on the trips. No, don’t drink the river water if your stomach is not used to it. We normally recommend that every person coming on the trip bring a 5L water with to keep on their boats. You can always refill from our cans. If we run out of water for some crazy reason, we can always boil water and we have water purification tablets with us.
Do we have to bring our own First Aid?
Yes, please bring your own First Aid and tablets you might need. We always have a fully kitted First Aid with us, but we use it for emergencies only.
What can I bring to make my life easier?
You can bring a long sleeve shirt and a hat to avoid sunburn. A kikoi/sarong is very convenient on the boat to cover your legs while paddling. An umbrella, floatie, extra cooler, bats and balls are nice-to-haves, but not essential. A string to keep your sunglasses from falling in the water can be of great help.
Do people sleep in tents or under the stars?
Some people bring tents, and some people bring a groundsheet to sleep on under the stars. This is completely up to you.
How long are the paddling days?
You can paddle anything between 10km and 25km a day. This depends on the weather conditions and the time of year. In summer we have more daylight (longer days) to play with than winter (shorter days). Some days we are lucky with a tailwind and other days we have to paddle against the wind. Remember that we are out in nature and we have to take things day by day.
What are the campsites like on the trip?
We never camp at the same sites on each trip. Your guide will start looking for a suitable campsite in the afternoon. It can be anything from a big, open sandy beach to a grassy site or rocky and sandy terrain or a mixture of everything. You will be camping in a natural environment so be prepared for anything.
What is the toilet situation like?
We make use of a bucket system that your guide will explain (1) or we have a spade with toilet paper and matches to burn the paper (2) Your guide will explain everything once you get to basecamp.
Does each boat have its own cooler box?
No, we make use of communal ice boxes in the group. It depends on packing space, but we normally give 1 cooler box to every 8 people. You will have a cooler box (bread, milk, eggs, meat, ice etc) or a wood crate on your boat. It is a group effort to paddle all the food and ice. Once we get to our campsite for the night, we offload all the equipment, and you can access your ice. The guides take spare ice with to refill the communal boxes on the trip.
