Extended Short Weekend Trails Are 3 Nights 4 days
Imfolozi Park Extended Short Weekend trails are run from about 14 February to about 10 December, and start on Tuesdays. They are 3 nights and 4 days in duration.
This trail is fully catered, and all food will be transported into the wilderness trails camp on donkeys, but hikers are expected to carry a daypack with their personal effects, water and lunch.
Personal items will, however, be transported back from the wilderness on the donkeys at the end of the trail.
Guests who overnight at Mpila Camp the night before the trail, may arrange to have the bulk of their personal belongings carried into the wilderness camp in "donkey bags" that are available from the Mpila camp reception.
These are then transported to the wilderness camp by donkeys. These bags must be dropped off at the Mpila Resort office by 16:00 the day before the trail.
Please note if you are staying overnight outside the Park that the gate times are 06:00 to 18:00. Gate times are strictly enforced.
Arrival and Registration
Safari Hikers,are required to check in at Mpila Resort by 11:00 as the trail starts at 12:00 on the first day. The Mpila trialists will be met by the trails staff and given a briefing. After their bags have been packed, trailists walk approximately seven kilometres to the wilderness camp.
Where they will spend the following three nights in dome tents, with two mattresses per tent. The camp has no ablution facilities, apart from a traditional bucket shower, hung in a tree. A spade, toilet paper and matches serve as a toilet.
Hikers will walk back to the Mndindini Base Camp on the fourth day, carrying only their personal affects and snacks. The trail ends at about 10:30.
The distance walked on the first day is approximately seven kilometres. The average distance covered on the second and third days can be up to 15 km, But its flexible depending on conditions.
Hikers carry all their personal equipment on the first day. On the second and third days they carry only a light pack containing their picnic lunches and water bottles.
This trail is by no means an endurance test, but a fair level of fitness will ensure greater enjoyment.
It is important to arrive early on the date indicated on the reservation voucher, to allow time to pack and walk to the trails camp before dark. Once the trail departs from the Mndindini Base Camp, any latecomers cannot be accommodated.
It is thus important to make adequate provision for traveling time between your point of departure and the Mpila Camp office. The driving time between Johannesburg and Mpila Camp is approximately seven hours. Durban to Mpila is approximately four hours.