Walking Trails in game reserves refer to a longer distance covered on foot and generally includes sleeping in the bush for a few nights. Guests are guided by two qualified and experienced guides. Both of the guides are armed and have the required competencies for their class of fire-arms. Both the Kruger National Park and some privately owned reserves offer this kind of experience. One of the guides is called a lead-guide and the other one a back-up guide. Respectively they fulfill different roles to optimise the effectiveness and safety of the activity.The qualifications requered for these two positions are different but does not necassarily mean that one guide is less qualified than the other. Both the lead and back-up guide always walk in front of the trail group. The maximum number of guests on a trail is 8 people by industry standards.

Warning!! Illegal Guides

For guides to legally take paying tourists on walks in game reserves with dangerous animals the guides must have the following certification.

The Lead -guide:

• Be registered at the National Department of Tourism and have an Identification Card.
• If “Trails Guide” or “NQF4+VPDA“or “Dangerous Game Site Guide” is not stated under the designation “Specialities” on the card then the guide may not legally guide tourists on foot.
• NQF2+VPDA allows guides tot lead walks but only at the site where they we assessed.
• Industry standards prescribe that when there are more than 4 paying visitors on the walk then a second armed guide should assist the Lead-guide and should have the minimum qualification of “Aprentice trails guide“

More to follow…