5 Day Dam Trip
2 days off river and 3 days on dam
Are you ready for your advenTure?
Arrive no later than 17h00. Book into Stoney Rapids Lodge or Sandgat camping resort.
Braai, briefing and meet and greet.
Pick up from accommodation at 06h00 the following morning, short travel to launching place at the Vanderkloof Boat club.
Pack boats, have breakfast then head off to your camping spot +-25 k paddle (touring kayaks used for easy paddling) Fair amount of fitness required.
Stop for rest, lunch and sightseeing. Get to camping place +-14h00. Setup camp. Paddle to various interesting places such as Bird Island, Nature reserve and other beautiful places.
This trip is a must for bird watching, people who are not too keen on big rapids, family group with small children, fishing and if you just want to relax.
Price: R4000 all inclusive. Accommodation, transport to and from dam, catering and equipment.
Children under 12 less 20%.
what happens on the beautiful dam
Dam trip gallery
Space is limited – keep it small
WhaT to bring
camping necessities
For camping
- Water / juice enough for 3 days
- Your drinks – beers, wine etc
- Fruit
- Snacks e.g. biltong, dry wors, peanuts, raisins, chocolate, energy bars, jelly babies etc
- Towel (Swimming)
- Towel (Bath)
- Costume
- Suntan lotion and lip protection (water resistant)
- Long sleeved top (light weight for sun protection)
What else to bring
for camping
- Long pants (light weight for sun protection)
- Sun hat or cap with straps in case its windy
- Sunglasses with strap
- Takkies and/or slops
- Warm jacket (can get a bit cold at night)
- Clothing for 3 days – shorts, dresses etc
- Toiletries
- Book, fishing rod (whatever you prefer)
- Binoculars (fabulous bird and wild life)
Our supplies
WhaT We bring
- Boats
- Paddles
- PFD (Life jackets)
- Fully catered
Have a look at what others say
4 Responses
Highly recommended Van Der Kloof Excursion.
Highly recommended Van Der Kloof Excursion.
It was Sunday the 24th April 2022 and I put in at the Philippolis Bridge on the R717, which was a nice quiet spot just north of Colesburg where I could launch without any problems or spectators looking on. The rain, which had been falling for the last 24 hours was clearing into a mild sunny afternoon, although it was still cold. For the first 5 km, the river still had flow but this stopped soon enough reducing my paddling speed from 9 to about 7 km per hour in my heavily loaded kayak. Within 5 km the low profile river banks closed in, and I was paddling in a narrow gorge with the surrounding mountain hills rising along both the left and right bank about 150 m above the river. With the high river from all the recent rains, there was nowhere to stop and camp for the next 10 km until the river or dam widened at Doornkraal. Once past this point there were several beautiful camp spots and abundant firewood.
I had to take caution with navigation as some of the side inlets entering the dam are large and can be easily mistaken for the main route downstream towards Van Der Kloof. My Garmin GPS and a good chart proved handy a few times. I also had to be aware of the Tiger Canyon Private Game Reserve situated downriver of Doornkraal on the right hand (Orange Free State), however I did not encounter any tigers but did make sure I camped on the southern or left bank. These tigers are related to the wild cheetahs that were wiped out of this area about a century ago and is one of the few places in the world where you can see wild tigers roaming free outside of their native Asia. There was other plenty other wildlife, kudu, gemsbok, warthog, several monkeys and baboons and abundant raptors all the way along the trip. Other than wildlife I did not encounter any people, houses, pumps or pivots and only an occasional track. It is undoubtedly one of the most remote stretches along the entire 2000 km Orange River.
On my fourth morning coming around a left bend and the mighty Van Der Kloof dam wall came into view, some 5km distant, the spray from the overflow rising high into the blue sky dwarfing the wall. I made sure to paddle in at the Van Der Kloof boat club safely upriver from the wall and was met again by Lorna Myburg, who provided land support for my trip. Lorna and her husband Gavin run Adventure Kayaking with a large set up in the village of Van Der Kloof. They have superb local knowledge and a very comprehensive infrastructure which enabled me to hire a kayak and full support and back up on the trip. Nothing is too much of a problem for Lorna, who went out of her way to ensure I was equipped to run the trip and also provided good safety for the solo expedition.
PAUL LEE
HI there
Do you have any availability from 22 June onwards for a 4 or 5-day trip on the Orange river and for two persons that can be added on to an existing group? Kind regards
Vanderkloof Dam trip
We booked a river trip, but mother nature had other plans. The mighty Orange River was in flood and the dams were overflowing! We opted for the dam trip. Tour guide Gavin and chef Lorna quickly converted it to a dam trip! A well-organized trip, with awesome food, breathtaking views and lots of laughter was the result.
The energy spent to paddle was all neutralized by Lorna’s scrumptious food!
I can highly recommend this for a family, friends and team building exercise.
Well organized, good food, safety paramount and lots of fun !
Great trip!
We had a wonderful time on the river with Gavin and Steve, and thanks to Lorna for the fabulous food! They’re great, experienced guides and the river was great fun- some white river rafting as well inbetween! A little more action than I remember from my previous trip down the Richtersveld area of the Orange River 20 odd years ago, but manageable.
Tips: only take one change of river wear (long sleeves and long pants, preferably quick dries, but not essential), and one change of sleeping clothes with a warm item. No need for extra clothes!