Top seven things to love about the Garden Route Walking Festival

The HI-TEC Garden Route Walking Festival was all about getting to know and connecting with this picturesque destination and raising awareness of its beauty and renowned cultural and heritage resources. “Walking festivals are a big trend globally, but this is a first for South Africa – it’s a massive undertaking that involves the support and involvement of local communities“, says Galeo Saintz, festival founder. If you’re wondering what makes this festival unique and why you should be part of such an intimate and adventurous experience… here are seven reasons to love this festival:

1. Conservation, caring and sharing

The festival was about “great walks with good company in the heart of nature” as Saintz puts it, but also placed a strong focus on supporting local conservation and environmental charities. Events like these are needed in South Africa’s current climate of economic development. The Garden Route is not a single block of conserved land. It’s a new form of conservation: The protected areas spread along the country's south-eastern coast are under one management plan, made up of the exquisite Tsitsikamma National Park, Wilderness National Park and linking them, the Knysna National Lake Area, Soetkraal Wilderness and Conservation Area, and the Robberg and Goukamma Nature Reserves.

The festival was spread across all these areas, giving walkers the chance to experience, see and connect with what officials are actually trying to achieve. The impact is much stronger when you experience its beauty first-hand, rather than hearing and seeing advertisements run all over the country but not actually taking in the responsibility some people face when it comes to nature conservation. The festival played its part with cleaning up trash along the coast on a number of walks.

2. Keep calm and make new friends

Everywhere you go you meet people and it’s truly remarkable how different people from all over can instantaneously connect in a group while walking. During one of the walks called, Cove to Knysna Heads, the group comprised over 17 walkers. The group was mostly split between men and women and with ages ranging from as young as 11 years old to 81 years old.

This was known to be one of the more strenuous hikes. The thing that stood out was how people, who have never met each other, connected. There was no man left behind and when someone needed assistance, everyone helped and supported where they could. Many festival goers were from the Garden Route area. They talked about their dreams and plans. After the hikes numbers were exchanged and friends were guaranteed. It’s the perfect event for building stronger communities.

3. “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl

It’s true. Getaways are a must and what better way to get away than in the beautiful beach and forests that open the mind and let you truly appreciate nature for the magical place it is. The problem most of us experience as we get older is that the strength of our imagination and creativity weakens. Nature’s way of creating things are magical and inspiring. Letting yourself experience and connect with this, helps open up the mind.

One of the walks called Walking with Poetry, showcased exactly this. The walk was just two hours and fairly easy as walkers walked in mystical paths of the Garden of Eden. The walk leader and festival founder, Galeo Saintz, would stop briefly every 10 minutes and perfectly intertwine a poem into the current surroundings. Every poem was carefully selected and allowed the mind to wander away into imagination while connecting us to insights in nature.

4. You live, you love, you learn

All the walks were led either by a volunteer walk leader or by a professional guide. In turn, every walk offered an opportunity to learn something new about the environment around you. The walk leaders were all experts in their surroundings and led the groups with the purpose of educating, informing and inspiring them. Walkers were immediately captivated by their knowledge and experience. Every story led to another interesting fact about animals, insects, plants, trees, etc. They made their surroundings come alive.

5. “Variety is the spice of Love.” – Helen Rowland

The festival offered something for everyone with over 75 walks to choose from - there was something for young and old, for walkers to avid hikers and from coffee lovers to nature lovers. The Kids Coastal Pirate Walk was one of the festival’s favourites. Parents and children enjoyed every moment of the walk. Treasure was buried and the children looked adorable in their Pirate outfits. The children were encouraged to share their treasures and some got a little luckier than others, but the most important thing is that everyone learned something: The children learned to share (to some extent) and the adults learned that no sweet is ever really hidden. Kids will find them. Always.

6. Change is as good as a holiday

Escape, we all need it from time to time. The walking festival is the perfect destination if you’re looking for something different. Research has shown that making changes and experiencing new things, no matter how big the change, could have a significant impact on your life. The brain is ever-growing and constantly seeking ways to develop and gain more knowledge. However, for this to happen it needs to be stimulated. Every walk from The Walking Festival was carefully planned and executed to keep walkers amazed and tuned into their next step. The brain was constantly thinking and experiencing new things. Whether it was physical, mental or both, it felt as if another reality kicked in as soon as you took your first step embarking on your adventure.

7. All you have to do is keep on walking

The walking doesn’t just end with the Hi-Tec Garden Route Walking Fest. This festival is just a reminder of how important the act of walking actually is. Being a celebration of walking and all the benefits it holds for our health and the environment around us. So, keep on walking and join the 2017 Hi-Tec Garden Route Walking Fest next year!