Wilderness River Safaris — Local services in George

Unique opportunity to see beautiful scenery and bird life We had 3 trips with Wilderness River Cruises. I really recommend this trip up and down the Touws River. It provides a unique vantage point for an excellent overview of the Wilderness NP and excellent opportunity for observing river animal life. Every step of the way a very professional operation. Price, including the Park entry fee very reasonable for the very high quality of the service. The waterbirds and other tree dwellers are very difficult to see from the hiking paths due to the beautiful, but very dense vegetation. View from the river provides excellent visibility of the reeds and birds in them. I got the impression that people with a genuine interest in beautiful scenery, bird life and eco systems seem to be most enthusiastic about these trips. The sheer beauty of the river and its dense forested surroundings is really unique and stunning. Sighting of birds was distinguished by quality rather than quantity and the ability to then watch birds in their natural habitat was excellent. The small shallow draft boat with limited seating gives one the impression of being on a private cruise. It is maintained in immaculate condition. The electric motor provided a silent ride up the northern half of the cruise With minimal disturbance of the birds. One of the members of our party, a biologist and wild life photographer, was able to get some amazing photos of birds using an appropriate telephoto lens. The standard trip takes one down river to the mouth, then back to the landing, and from there up river past Ebb& Flow camp to the pontoon that crosses the river. Our first trip was with Chris as the guide, a very talented young Naturalist with an encyclopedic knowledge of the riverine animals and environment. Excellent teacher. We were so impressed with the trip that we signed up for the specific 7 AM Birding Cruise, which was amazing; beautiful light and lovely bird sightings. Mike, with his extensive knowledge of birds and the river environment, was a great guide. Our 3rd trip was unintended, but illustrates what an incredibly good citizen Mike is. One of our party sustained a knee injury while walking the Half Collar Kingfisher Trail. We could only get her back as far as the pontoon. I was unable to contact SANP and called Mike for advice. Without hesitation he said he would come and do the evacuation. Within a very short time he arrived and got us back to Tarentaal…….and then refused to accept payment. How often does one see such idealism nowadays? Overall one of the highlights of a 3 week trip...

Thank you Mike for a really super trip with you a couple of days ago while visiting Wilderness. I’d highly recommend your trip to anyone passing through. It was interesting to learn about the Touw river and surroundings, and to see (and hear!) some great wildlife. The purple heron, giant kingfisher and southern bulbuls calling to each other were highlights. The upper reaches of the river were beautiful and relaxing. What a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours or so on a lazy early summer afternoon. And your recommendation regarding Serendipity was serendipitous! We booked and ate there that same evening - just about to do a review for Rudolf and Lizelle too...

Chris and his father had been so friendly and informative to us. We were very lucky and happy to join Chris on the Boat Trip at the river. We had not to pay an entrance fee to the park as we told them at the gate that we would only do the boat excursion and come back afterward. It is very easy to find if you ask them. Just turn the first street left after about 300m after the main gate, and there you will find Chris and his father with their Alu Boat as also many kayaks/kanus. Thanks a lot, Chris, for this lovely experience and your informative guiding and answering all of our questions. Keep on like that, and we wish you a wonderful season! Kind regards...