Fire up those engines, fellow road warriors! We're about to kick off a wild ride through the heart of South Africa's festive season. In this blog, we're strapping on our helmets and hitting the asphalt for a Christmas adventure like you've never experienced.
Our guide? Adventure bikers who eats miles for breakfast and thrives on the untamed roads. Get ready to roll with us as we tackle the twists, turns, and surprises that a South African summer on two wheels throws our way. From mastering the art of full gear in the scorching heat to uncovering the coolest spots along the route, we're revved up to share the ins and outs of a holiday journey that's bound to leave tire tracks on your soul.
So, saddle up and join us on this South African Christmas escapade—it's time to ride the festive wave and make some throttle-powered memories!
1. South Africa in summer can be quite hot! How do you adapt your travel plans to beat the heat? Any favourite cool-down spots or strategies for staying comfortable during the warmer rides?
During the extra hot days we are trying to leave early in the morning and make sure that we take a long break during the middle of the day. We also adjust the length of the trip! As we do not have a set time or route, we can easily lower the amount of KM’s per day or we change up the route to something with more tar (more wind cooling). But the main thing is to leave early and make the most out of the cooler morning hours, then ride again after the heat has passed. As we travel constantly and without much research on the routes that we are taking, it is difficult to find cool down spots.
2. Exploring South Africa involves navigating different climates. What's your strategy for packing efficiently while still being prepared for diverse weather conditions?
We pack layers that all can be worn individually. With our current setup we are comfortable from -5 Degrees C to 38 Degrees C. The first layer would ideally be a merino wool T-shirt, which keeps you cool on warmer days and warm on the cooler ones. From there you can add layers based on your preference.
Cissy handles the heat easily, so just a normal tank top is fine during the extra hot days. But once it start getting colder, she likes to layer up: a t-shirt, jersey, soft-shell jacket and end it all with a down jacket, this all goes under her riding jacket. Then for sleeping and riding in cold conditions she takes a legging with.
Werner is better with cold, so he has a long sleeve base layer and his down jacket. The down jackets pack easily, as they take up minimal space, for the amount of warmth it gives, so for us these are the main items that we take for the cold. Then we have small foldable rain jackets that we carry in our backpacks. We try and stay away from riding suites that are GoreTex, or any other way of waterproof. If you live in a cold wet country it is fine, but here in South Africa we need airflow and if your gear is waterproof it also means it is not really breathable.
We stick to the cooler gear and use rain jackets over our gear when the skies start to open up on us. We both have about 3 t-shirts with us and then the few individual items for added warmth. Because of this we can be comfortable in a wide range of weather conditions without packing a lot.
3. What's your go-to packing hack that helps you maximise space on the bike without sacrificing any must-have gear?
Take only what you really need and add 1 extra thing to spoil yourself. Not much qualifies as a ‘Must have’! And the best tip that we can give you is to invest in proper packing cubes and organise your bags.
Incase you do not know what packing cubes are, we will enlighten you to one of the best things in existence. Packing cubes sometimes gets called compression bags or packing cells and basically compress your items (mainly clothing) into miraculously smaller and organised blocks.
We use it not just for clothing, but also for organising our panniers into compartments such as personal hygiene/kitchen/ shoes etc. In this way everything has its place and we can just pull out the personal hygiene bag when we want to shower or the clothing bag when we need to get out of our riding gear, without having to dig through the whole bag to find something. If we did not camp or film during our trip, I think we could get away with one small duffel bag each and a backpack, even though we live on the road permanently.
This would be clothes, tools, wallets, official documents (bike papers, passports, drivers licences, vaccination papers etc) and our phones, with room to spare. Now that we are camping and filming, it becomes quite a lot… but we are down to the basics: Tent, sleeping mats, sleeping bags, pillow and some cooking essentials.
For that one extra thing to spoil ourselves we have added a chair for both of us. We can definitely do without, but it does add so much extra comfort for us around the campsite and it easily clips on the pannier bag. We realised that you don’t need much. As long as you have your bankcard, official documents and a phone with a spare set of clothes you are good to go. The rest is not must-have, but nice to have.
4. Traveling in full gear in the summer heat can be challenging. What are your go-to breathable and lightweight gear options to ensure both safety and comfort on the road?
This is something we struggled with a lot and something we have made expensive mistakes with. I would suggest to be honest with yourself in what type of riding you will do most (Touring on tar roads, more enduro, adventure riding etc) and make a conscious decision. We have considered going for the full body protector with mesh and a enduro shirt over it.
This would be the coolest option for us on the gravel roads, but it has its drawbacks. When it is cold and wet you need extra layers and this becomes quite bulky, the safety is good for impacts but not so good for sliding. It also takes a long time to actually get in and out of this setup and we wanted to be able to quickly get in and out of our gear.
We used to ride with Adventure gear that was GoreTex and very well made, ( If you want a read on the models of gear we used to ride in have a look here at our blog post www.thetravelingtortoises.com ) which were very good on the safety aspect, cold weather and wet weather, but too warm during the hot days due to the thick material and limited venting options.
We have now upgraded to something with bigger vents and more lightweight : KTM Terra ADV V2 Safari Jacket and Pants. The gear is not waterproof, which makes it breathable and much lighter. It also has very large mesh air vents on the chest, arms, shoulders and back. The pants has large air vents on the front.
The clothes are still new, but we have tested them in +C33 recently on a day trip and they are considerably cooler than the previous gear we used. Besides the pants and jacket, the helmet can also make a big difference. We now both ride with the Arai Tour X 4 helmets due to the ventilation it provides. It is a more expensive option, but as we are using this every day it is worth the investment.
Make sure when getting a helmet that you don’t go cheap, get a good helmet with a good safety rating and get the helmet fitted properly to your head. There is nothing so bad as to have hot spots or pressure points from a helmet that does not fit properly.
5. Speaking of gear, any summer-specific modifications or accessories you add to your setup for South African adventures? How do you balance protection and ventilation when the temperatures rise?
The gear setup that we are now riding with is specifically for hot climate, so there is no summer specific modifications to the gear. All inners are taken out, including the rainproof layer of the pants.
If it get’s colder, it is easy to add extra layers underneath of your riding gear. What we do have with us are buffs and in hot conditions we often make them wet and wear them around our necks for extra cooling. You can also wet your t-shirt or just your whole suite if the heat really gets to you!
But a wet buff and a wet t-shirt will keep you nice and cool for a while if your jacket has proper ventilation. But besides opening all the vents and trying to ride faster for more wind flow, we do not have other modifications.
6. Are there any particular routes or destinations in South Africa that you find especially refreshing during the summer? Any scenic spots where you can take a break and cool off?
If the temperatures are getting high, any stream/lake or river we see on the GPS can be the perfect spot to cool down! We never really ride the same routes or destinations, but there are a few that I can remember that could work well on hot days!
In the Lowveld area, around Hoedspruit, there is Mariepskop and you can ride to the picnic spot where you can camp and swim in a beautiful mountain river. Eastern Cape - We loved Baviaans Kloof and sure you are going to get wet with all the river crossings. Once you are across the river and you need a bit more cooling down take a quick dip with all your riding gear on. It will cool you down and keep you cooler for longer.
Western Cape has so many places and beautiful riding, but we truly loved the Cederberg Oasis, they even have a pool and it is normal to see a fellow adventurer arriving and falling into the pool fully geared up for a quick cool down.
7. Let's talk hydration! How do you stay well-hydrated during long rides in the summer heat, and do you have any favourite local beverages that keep you refreshed?
Naturally we take water with us on our rides, often in bottles on the sides of our backpacks. We try to refrain from buying a lot of cool drinks on the road, but a nice cold coke on a very hot day is often hard to resist. There is one thing that has gotten us through the extra hot days: electrolytes! We always try to carry the Bio-Gen electrolyte tablets with us.
You can just dissolve them in your water bottle and rehydrates you quickly. They are easy to get in South Africa, every Dischem or Clicks stocks them and they come in different flavours. For us this is a cheaper and better alternative than trying to find a shop for a cool drink.
Don’t put this in your bladder, keep your bladders for clean water and use a bottle for the tablets or any other mixtures you want to drink. Besides water bottles, Werner has a bladder that he carries in his backpack and Cissy has a 3 litre empty wine bag. The empty wine bag is great for keeping the water cooler for longer and it also doesn’t give off a taste to the water.
You can buy a 3 litre box wine in the shop, have a very good evening and the next day you can fill it back up with water. It fits perfectly in the bladder compartment of the backpack and the hole is even big enough to throw in some ice. Once you need to fill water bottles you can just pour it from the wine bag or you can fill a cup. We stay away from any alcohol drinks while riding, this is saved for the end of the day at camp around a camp fire.
Alcohol does not help you to stay hydrated, we all love a cold one on a hot day, but keep it for the end of the ride and I promise you that beer is going to taste so much better around the camp fire after a long day of riding.
8. South Africa's summer festivals and events can be lively. Any upcoming festivals or celebrations you're planning to attend during your summer road trip? How do you incorporate these festive moments into your journey?
No festivals planned for us this summer! But we might just bump into a random one while traveling and those are the best ones.
9. Adventure often means embracing spontaneity. How do you balance your planned route with the allure of unexpected detours, especially when chasing the perfect summer adventure in South Africa?
Our whole life is spontaneous! We only plan a general route for the next day, the evening before. Unexpected detours happen all the time during our adventures and that is what makes it an adventure. If we can’t stay on our planned route, we take a break and get our paper map out of the tank bag. Together with the GPS and sometimes apps like iOverlander and Tracks4Africa we look at other routes that we would like to take and sometimes even our end destination for the day changes at those moments.
There are so many different roads here in South Africa, you will always find another one. Sometimes the detour becomes better than the actual route! The main thing is to just accept what happens and not develop negative feelings because things don’t go as planned. Sometimes that is difficult, but remember why you went on this trip in the first place, for adventures!
10. Traveling in summer means longer days. Do you have any favourite spots for catching a sunrise or sunset in South Africa that fellow bikers shouldn't miss during their summer journeys?
Many places… but one of our best was probably both sunset and sunrise in the Tankwa Karoo. There are several camping sites and overnight accommodations that gives you the possibility to enjoy the remoteness and beauty without having to ride another long stretch in the dark after sunset.
Another one for us personally is on top of Mariepskop Mountain around Hoedspruit. You can ride all the way to the top on the dirt road and watch the sun set over the whole of the low veld below you. It is incredible and you can just pitch your tent there. But remember, every sunrise and sunset can be enjoyed. Slow down, reflect where you are and be in the moment.
You are on YOUR adventure and sometimes you find yourself in a not so beautiful place but just being there and truly being present can reveal an unknown beauty to a place. I believe a lot of times the beauty of a place and what we see is an inner reflection of ourselves, be there in the moment. Realise where you are and enjoy it.
11. Let's talk tricks of the trade for keeping costs low. Any budget-friendly accommodations, local eats, or savvy travel tips you've picked up along the way?
Budget travel means looking at all your options. We always though that camping is cheaper than getting accommodation, but that is definitely not the case. We got into the habit of looking on Lekkerslaap, Airbnb and booking.com before booking a campsite and often found places for cheaper or the same price. In the recent years, camping became expensive and caravan parks and camping resorts can easily charge you R500 or more for a basic camping spot (for 2 people).
Often you pay for a stand based on a rate of 4 individuals, they don’t lower the price just because you are alone or with 2. The tip for the cheapest camping site is to look for one that is small/private and does not have extra entertainment such as bars/shops/swimming pools etc. The best ones are the local farms that offer a couple of camping spots.
Also keep in mind additional costs such as wood, some camping sites easily charge you R50/R60 for a small bag. Just 2 bags and you can add another R100 to your bill just to make a fire for cooking and then you still need to buy your food. In that way it might be cheaper to get some takeaways or even go out for dinner.
Another tip is to not be focused on a specific town when you are looking for overnight options. We often look at the general direction we would like to ride to and search in a broad area for both accommodation and camping sites. Sometimes one town is very expensive with limited options, but just ride 30 km to the next town and it is half the price.
We have had a camping site that was R500 for 2 people (excluding wood and electricity) with limited basic amenities on a busy, cramped resort. But 20 km down the road there was a beautiful farmhouse that we could rent for R350 with a comfortable bed and a full kitchen. This is the joy of internet, compare ALL your options and pick the one that best suits your needs.
When it comes down to food, you can make it as cheap or expensive as you like. For a good plate of food without having to cook yourself or go out for dinner, I suggest to make a turn at the deli counter of Pick n Pay or Checkers. Ask if they have a plate of food, they often have this and you even have the choice between a few different dishes. We pay around R50 per plate, even now recently with the increased prices. Of course this varies per location and per shop.
And last but not least: Don’t be too picky and be realistic. If you are traveling on a budget you can’t expect a place that is perfect. The glasses/plates and cutlery might be all different, the window does not close completely, the kitchen might be just a slab of wood with an old 1 plate stove and the bed might squeak.
Sometimes you find an absolute gem and you wonder how this can be so cheap, sometimes you actually still paid too much. It is all part of it, go explore and be adventurous!
12. Safety first! What are your top recommendations for staying safe on the road during the festive season, especially when the holiday spirit might lead to a bit more hustle and bustle?
Don’t be in a rush and try to avoid highways. We try to do this at all times and not just during the festive season, but I think by avoiding busy highways or main roads and making sure you don’t have to hurry you can avoid most accidents.
DO NOT DRINK AND RIDE! This is a rule with us but even more so over festive seasons, we all know the accident percentage goes up over this time of the year. And finally, don’t trust other road users to remember the actual rules.. be aware that they can do random things at all times (just like every normal day in South Africa).
If you need some inspiration on routes to ride and where to go this festive season, go and look at our routes we shared on our website. You can have a look at them on google maps, watch a video, read info and even down load the GPX files. We wish everybody a very happy festive season and safe travels! Go and adventure!
Werner & Cissy
The Traveling Tortoises