Our Blog
If you’re lacing up your boots for the first time or already dreaming of your next walk through the Karoo, this is your space to explore, learn, and be inspired. Here you’ll find personal stories from fellow walkers, practical tips, route insights, and everything in between – all centred around the magic of our Caminos.
If you’ve completed one our Caminos and would love to share your experience, we’d be honoured to feature your story. Send your account, reflections, or tips to slackpackingthekaroo@gmail.com – your words may be just the inspiration someone else needs to take that first step.
7 Things that will Surprise You about the Karoo
You think you know what you're getting into. You don't. Most people arrive in the Karoo with a rough idea of what to expect: flat land, dry heat, empty roads. And yes, some of that is true. But the Karoo has a habit of delivering things you never thought to prepare...
Winter Walking in the Karoo: What to Expect
There's a particular kind of cold that exists only in the Karoo - the kind that bites at dawn and disappears by ten, leaving you wondering if you imagined it. If you're weighing up a winter booking for the Nieu-Bethesda Camino and feeling a little unsure about...
A First-Timer’s Guide to Nieu-Bethesda Village
From the Owl House to the best place for roosterkoek - everything you need to know before your first visit to Nieu-Bethesda, South Africa's most extraordinary Karoo village. Image: The Owl House There are places you visit, and then there are places that visit you...
Breaking In Your Camino Hiking Boots: A 4-Week Guide
Why This Matters More Than You Think Let's be honest: blisters can ruin a Camino faster than bad weather, sore muscles, or that uphill section on Day 3 that nobody warned you about. And 90% of blister problems? They start with boots that weren't properly broken in....
Airport to Camino Shuttle Service
One of the questions we’re often asked by prospective walkers is: “How do I get from the airport to Nieu-Bethesda?” Until now, many guests have hired a car and driven the approximately 316km from Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (formerly Port Elizabeth...
Which Camino is Right for You?
A Guide to the Three Slackpacking the Karoo Experiences There are three ways to walk the Karoo. All of them will change you. But not all of them are for the same person - and that's exactly the point. If you've been dreaming about karoo landscapes, silence that...