Shingwedzi 4×4 Eco Trail
Go off-road, Go Wild, Go on a 4×4 Eco Trail
Drive seldom travelled tracks in a 4×4!
The Shingwedzi 4×4 Eco-Trail offers an unforgettable five night six day 4×4 adventure through a remote wilderness area with a minimum of four and a maximum of six 4×4 vehicles This self drive off-road adventure in a hired 4×4 is the ideal way to explore areas seldom visited or seen.
Drive through and camp in these remote wilderness area for an adventure and experience of a life time.
Have you ever asked where to go on a 4×4 Eco Trail – this is the answer.
The trail departs every Sunday of the year from the Pafuri Picnic site in the most northern part of the Kruger National Park. You will need to stay over you will need to stay in one of the Kruger Park camps the night before so your adventure will begin on Saturday.
DAY 1
The trail departs on Sundays at 8h30 am from the Pafuri Picnic Site in Kruger National Park.
The trail follows the Luvuvhu River to its confluence with the mighty Limpopo at “Crooks Corner”, from where we cross the Pafuri border post into Mozambique.
After border formalities, the trail passes through a spectacular Fever Tree forest, before following the Limpopo river to the village of Mapai. We’ll have a quick stop at the local shop for Mozambiquan beer, before we officially enter Parque Nacional do Limpopo at the Park’s Mapai entrance gate. From here the trail turns away from the Limpopo valley, and we make our way to our first wilderness campsite at Mamba Pan (with the only serviced ablutions of the trip.)
DAY 2
Depart after breakfast, and follow the tracks deeper into the Mozambique sector of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. Pristine wilderness as the tracks takes us deep into the unique Sandveld region of this Park. Huge Baobab and Pod Mahogany trees guide us past a system of water-filled pans (wet season) and unique vegetation, until we arrive at Impala wilderness camp site (no facilities).
This is virgin “Wild Africa”, and who knows which of the African night sounds will keep us spellbound around the camp fire.
DAY 3
We travel away from the Sandveld region, and enter a mix of Combretum and Mopane savannah, which takes us closer to the foothills of the Lebombos, and deeper and deeper into a pristine wilderness.
Abundant bird life is the order of the day, and after stopping for lunch at the beautiful Fube Pan, we continue to our overnight wilderness campsite in the foothills of the Lebombos (no facilities).
DAY 4
Today’s focus is on the Shingwedzi River. Westart by using the rough tracks through the mountains to the spectacular Ngwenya waterhole which is situated in an “S” bend in the Shingwedzi river.
Hippo, Crocs, wild life and spectacular bird life is the order of the day, before we re-trace our tracks and continue southwards with our journey.
We cross the Shingwedzi River, drive past the village of Chimange, before arriving at our wilderness camp site which is situated on the banks of this wild river – this is one of the “hot spots” from where to watch the Elephant herds as they come down to drink water at the water hole below the camp site. There are no facilities here.
DAY 5
Reluctantly we leave the Shingwedzi River valley behind, and follow the tracks through the Mopane woodland into the last of the Sandveld regions, before we once again hit the Lebombos and negotiate our way to the top of the mountains.
Frontera wilderness campsite allows you to witness the sun setting over the Kruger Park sector, and the rising again the next morning over the spectacular Parque Nacionale do Limpopo.
Depart after breakfast, arrive shortly thereafter at the “inter-park” Giriyondo border post, where after border formalities you cross back into the Kruger sector and proceed to Letaba Rest Camp.
Ntomeni “Soft Road” 4×4 Eco-Trail (1 night or more)
Designed specifically for “soft road” 4×4 or 4×2 vehicles. Depart from Phalaborwa and enter the Letaba Ranch sector of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. Explore secluded areas and back roads of this part of the park. Overnight at Ntomeni Camp in safari tents – all camping equipment is provided. A barbecue based dinner and continental breakfast is included.
Wildlife
Parque Nacional do Limpopo is making good progress in recovering from the ravages of many years of civil war in Moçambique. Trained rangers and an effective anti-poaching programme ensure that wildlife numbers in the Park are ever-increasing.
Large tracts of fence-line between Kruger National Park and Parque Nacional do Limpopo have been removed which allows for the natural movement of game between the two Parks.
In addition Parque Nacional do Limpopo has been re-stocked with game over the past few years in a joint programme with Kruger National Park and many young are being produced.
Sightings of animals previously thought to be extinct such as wild dog, cheetah and black rhino are recorded on a regular basis.
Trailists therefore have every prospect of encountering a variety of wildlife in addition to excellent bird sightings on the journey.
Campsites
Are unfenced and located in the bush. Rustic ablution facilities are only available on the first and third night of the trail.
No water is provided for cooking or drinking. Water is available only at the first and third night stops for you to refill your tanks, however; this cannot be guaranteed owing to the possibility of elephant or other damage and this water is not suitable for drinking.
Vehicle Types and Insurance
The terrain is such that it is suited only to off-road 4×4 vehicles, off-road trailers or off-road caravans. Vehicles must be equipped with low range transmission and have good ground clearance.
Please ensure that you have adequate insurance cover for your vehicle and equipment whilst in Moçambique. It is not a requirement that you have Moçambique Third Party for your vehicle so long as you don’t exit Parque Nacional do Limpopo into the rest of Moçambique.
Equipment and Supply’s
- No camping equipment is supplied
- Trailists must for safety considerations sleep in a tent
- Trailists must be totally self sufficient for the duration of the trail. This includes all fuel, food, water, firewood, camping gear, cooking utensils, cutlery and crockery etc.
- No waste may be burned or left in the Park therefore you should have strong plastic bags available to manage waste effectively