The Blyde Adventure Camp is situated on the banks of the Lower Blyde River on the edge of the Escarpment in Limpopo.
Our camp accommodates up to 160 students in dormitories and 7 adults in private rooms (13 adults shared). We have several thatched roof dormitories fitted with double bunk beds and en-suite bathrooms, all beds are dressed with the suitable linen. For the adults we have comfortable double, single and triple accommodation; set at a comfortable distance from the student’s accommodation. For presentations or conferencing we have two beautiful thatched roof open plan communal lapas. The first is situated right on the banks of the river and has a projector, screen and various electrical points. Projector and Flip Charts are available for use at a small additional price. The second hall is located in the middle of the property, between the dormitories; this hall is generally used for meals or night activities. We do have tables and chairs available for the halls the seating can be arranged to suit your needs. Guests are invited to visit our new Eco Center on our premises. This Eco Center has exhibitions on Southern African Fauna & Flora found in the lowveld regions.
Meals
Three meals per day are included in the overall package pricing. Extra packed lunches for the trip home can be arranged at a minimal fee. There is no need for your group to bring any catering equipment or crockery/cutlery – we have it all! As an added activity guest make their own stickbreak for breakfast and have a potjiekos competition for dinner. We supply all the ingredients and elements needed to make such an event an unforgettable experience. If you have a planned outing for the day we pack the lunches individually and send it with you on your trip. We have planned all meals to include healthy options. Have special dietary requirements in your group? No need to worry- let us know in advance and we will try our best to cater for all your needs. No one will ever go to bed with an empty tummy. We have standard menus for our groups that are included in the price per person per night. If you want to make any changes to the menu please do not hesitate to let us know and we’ll price this menu for your group. We are open to any special requests when it comes to meals so please do not hesitate to send us your ideas.
Activities
The Blyde Adventure Camp brings you the most exciting, challenging and fun activities for adults and children alike- without ever compromising on safety. Our trained and accredited adventure guides have been in the tourism industry for many years and we rely on our collective experiences to always ensure a safe and fun time for all. We have many different activities which are included in the official group pricing. Take only the included activities or add on from our diverse selection to suit your group’s needs. We specialize in getting guests to work together as a group, stepping out of their comfort zones and leaving our premises feeling like they’ve achieved their goals. Specialized kids teambuilding activities for Leadership Identification, Leadership Development, Self Defense for high school students, Group Dynamics Courses and lots of other adult programs are available on request. Design an itinerary to perfectly suit your group’s abilities and goals, whether it’s just for fun or for having fun while learning, we can do it all!
Safety & Medical Services
We are extremely serious about safety. That is why all our adventure guides have first aid experience. We have the best, fastest and most reliable medical technicians on standby. This is a private medical service supplied to us by the experts from Africa Safe-T. We are prepared for any medical emergency, from a scratch to an emergency medical evacuation. With the best people in the emergency medical field and the accreditation of our adventure guides your children will always be in safe hands. All of our activities start with an equipment hand out and safety briefing. No child will ever be caught on one of our activities without the basic safety equipment such as helmets and lifejackets. Activities are supervised by teachers and camp guiding staff over and above the supervision of the group’s appointed adventure guide. We always know where the children are, and what they’re doing.
OUR STANDARD PRICES INCLUDES:
Volley Ball / Nuke ‘em
Soccer and/or Rugby
Obstacle Course
Group Dynamics Course
River Crossing
Sleeping a night out at our bush camp under a Baobab tree where we braai marshmallows and play Stalk the Lantern
Blyde Bundu Walk Night Adventure
Nature Walks
Potjiekos Competition for dinner
Make your own Stickbread as an activity for breakfast
Night Activities i.e. Stargazing, Night march, Niteline
Ice Breaker Games
Rainy weather games
Tarzan Swing into the Lower Blyde River
Super Slide into the Lower Blyde River
Visit to local waterfalls with one of our facilitators (own transport needed)
Visits to Blyde Dam and eco centre with one of our facilitators (own transport needed)
Included Activity Description
Children and adults alike are facilitated by our in-house guide on various activities on your individually designed program. This includes for example the sleep-out under a giant Baobab tree on our property if your group wants this activity.The Sleep-out is on our property (a working citrus farm) under a 700 year old Baobab tree. Children only bring their sleeping bags and warm clothes to make the “bush” experience as authentic as possible. Our guides spend the night with the children. Children and adults have a designated Activity Day during their stay at the Blyde Adventure Camp. To start off the Activity Day they cook their own traditional breakfast, Stickbread over a fire. Then for dinner they prepare their own Potjie in the form of a Potjiekos Competition. Children are divided into groups and each group get all the ingredients to make a successful Potjie (firewood, fire starters, potjie, various vegetables, soup and chicken), all supervised by our in house guide.
CHOOSE ANY OF THESE ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES TO AD ON TO YOUR ITINERARY AT THE STIPULATED PRICING ON YOUR QUOTE.
River Rafting on the Lower Blyde River
Tubing on the Lower Blyde River
Wall Climbing
Abseiling on our climbing wall for primary school groups
Abseiling next to the Blyde Dam Wall for small high school groups
Zip Line
Kloofing
Visit to a Cheetah Breeding Project (hike or game drive)
Visit to a Reptile Park
Visit to a Wildlife Rehab Centre
Insect Day with an Entomologist
Beginner Yoga
River Ecology
Climb to 5th waterfall in a series of 17 in the Blyderiverspoort
Specific Team Building Exercises with special props
ADULTS – choose any of these adventures to ad on to your itinerary at the stipulated pricing on your quote.
Olifants Gorge River Rafting
Olifants Overnight River Rafting
Upper Blyde River Rafting
Upper Blyde Overnight River Rafting
Kloofing on the escarpment
Kloofing and an abseil on the escarpment
Abseiling at the Blyde Dam Wall
River Rafting on the Lower Blyde River 3km or 5km
Tubing on the Lower Blyde River
Beginner Kayak Courses
Kayak the Olifants River (kayaking experience essential)
Kayak the Upper Blyde River (a bombproof roll and kayaking experience absolutely essential)
Full Day Adventure – rafting, tubing, abseil, blyde dam boat ride
Blyde Dam boat ride
Description of Full Day Insect Course by an EntomologistVery important: this activity is subject to availability of the Entomologist and is absolutely perfect for primary school children.
A recently retired Entomologist from the ARC (Agricultural Research Council) hosts a fun filled full day Insect Course. Wherever possible she stays within the Dept. of Education’s biology curriculum. The program for the Insect Day is as follows:
Short talk and presentation on insects
Collection of insects in the forest on our property, children use the provided collection nets, petri dishes and ground traps. This takes some time as the entomologists “walks & talks” the children through the collection process and insects gathered along the way.
Killing of the collected insects by the entomologist, then the children take the insects and learn step by step how to handle the specimen, and finally how to mount and identify according to ARC standards. (Here there is a choice of the children handling the insects themselves or just watch as the entomologist does it – it’s all up to the group). While this is going on the Entomologist shares information with the children about the various biomes and living standards of the collected insects.
Design Your Own Insect Competition; each child gets art material and they have to design their own perfect insect. Prizes are for everyone and the “winner” receives a slightly larger prize than that of the other children.
Notes on Beginner Yoga
Yoga is best done on an empty stomach so we present the Beginner Yoga early in the morning before breakfast is served. The session lasts an hour and is perfect for kids and adults of any age. A general background is given on Yoga and then the fun starts! Our experienced yoga facilitator guides the group through a series of gentle, easy and fun yoga poses. A maximum of 30 children per group, but multiple sessions are available.
Notes on Adventure Activities
Our Adventure Activities For Kids are designed specifically with primary school children in mind. All our activities are facilitated by two of more registered and industry accredited adventure guides. Activities start with an equipment hand out (standard of helmet & lifejacket) and a safety briefing. Tubing, Kettie Paintball and Zip Lining can easily be combined for a half day program. We also have a permanent special running on the Tubing, Zip Line and Kettie Paintball – just ask our office for the pricing.
Notes on a couple of Extra Adventure Activities aimed at High School Students and adults.
Kloofing
The trail at the Strydom Tunnel will take you through the absolute untouched beauty of the rare Tufa waterfall. Explore caves, jump into pools, and hike through the stream that builds up the Tufa Waterfall. Hike this trail or combine it with an abseil. Note that schools need your their transport to and from the Kloofing section. For smaller adult groups (+_ 30)we can arrange transport at an additional cost.
Lower Blyde River Rafting
(ONLY available in summer months and subject to usable water levels)Enjoy a laid back and relaxed introduction to whitewater rafting. Run this river on two man inflatable rafts. The Lower Blyde River is graded 1 – 2 during summer months and is suitable for students aged 13 and up (age limit is also subject to change if there is very high water levels). The Lower Blyde River is suitable for beginner adults.
Very important note on the River Rafting; the river rafting differs from the tubing. Own transport is needed to take the school group to the put-in point approx. 3km from our camp. For adult groups we provide the transport which is included in the activity pricing. The group receives the standard safety equipment (helmet, lifejacket) and is briefed on the basics of river rafting. We use standard croc rafts – seats two people – for the trip. The group is guided down the 3km or 5km stretch of river by our qualified, registered and experienced River Guides. This stretch of river is absolutely perfect for the more adventurous high school or grade 7 group.
Climb to 5th waterfall in a series of 17 in the Blyderiverspoort
Climb to the 5th waterfall in the majestic virgin forests of the Blyderiverspoort Nature Reserve. Groups walk the 900m to the first waterfall and have the opportunity to swim in the pool and do various cliff jumps if they want to (under guide supervision). Then the Adventure Guide sets up safety and the group can climb/scramble/slide to the second, third, fourth and finally the fifth waterfall. Here they spend some time swimming and exploring before heading back to campAge limit: 11/12 years (it depends on how adventurous your group is so if you’ve got a younger group and still want to go on this outing please let us know and we can follow it up) Duration: 2 – 3 hours For more information or pricing on our extra High School Student adventure activities contact me directly on the numbers and addresses below.
Programs at the Blyde Adventure Camp
At the Blyde Adventure Camp we strive to design each group’s program for their individual needs. We do, however, have a wonderful range of programs that you can choose from to work into your program. Remember, no group is the same and therefore no program can be the same. So have a look at our range of programs and their descriptions and feel free to request changes to the itinerary for your group.
List of Programs
Career Camps
Leadership Identification
Leadership Development for Primary School Learners
Leadership Development for High School Learners
Adventure Camp (high school and primary school)
Adventure Based Team Building
Conservation Program
Self Defense Program for High School Learners
Touring Program
Important Note on all Programs run by the Blyde Adventure Camp
Although we have specific activities, games, field trips and/or lectures for the different programs we do keep in mind that it doesn’t always fit into your group’s budget or time constraints. No program is set in stone and we are always open to your ideas for your group. Therefore basis of each program will stay the same, but we design an itinerary for your group after finding out exactly what your goals are for your visit to us as well as what fits into your budget especially when it comes to activities that aren’t included in the standard price per person per night. We are also open to any requests or variations on the programs. Remember that the standard free activities will always be incorporated into every program that we present. Please note that we run all of our programs from the moment that the students wake up to the moment they go to sleep at night.
Each program varies slightly in cost. The standard price per person per night is always applicable to the program and then the overall cost is dependant on the extra activities or courses that are ordered for the group. Please see the price list for the options available.
Detailed Description of Programs
1. Career CampsSummary
Blyde Adventure Camp offers a program aimed specifically at High School students or students who want to learn more about the various career options available for them after leaving school. We do specialize in the Tourism, Hospitality and Conservation fields, but more fields can be covered if requested. Guest speakers active in each of the specified fields come to our venue to inform the students of the various options available in their industry. They also cover what is needed from the student’s side to become involved in the industry of choice and where to go to either get help or more information. This program requires input from the students and that they are actively involved in discussions and Q&A time.
Program Duration
The Career Camp can be completed in a minimum of two nights and three days (over a weekend). For a full program with field trips to various venues and extra guest speakers a minimum of three nights and four days must be considered.
2. Leadership Identification ProgramSummary
The Blyde Adventure Camp’s Leadership Identification Program is designed to identify the natural leaders in your group. This program is based on continual facilitation with the focus on set team building games, puzzles and activities. The facilitators run and score the rotational activities and games and after the end of the last activity for the program; a summary of the scoring is drawn up and discussed with the group’s teachers. We use our Obstacle Courses, Group Dynamics Courses, specifically worked out team building games and activities (mental and physical activities) and adventure activities to draw out the leaders in the group. This program is suitable for primary and high school learners.
Program Duration
The Leadership Identification Program can be run over a minimum of 2 nights and 3 days (a weekend). Most of our groups prefer to run this program for a full week; 4 nights and 5 days (Monday to Friday). We can run this program for as long as you require – just ask us for a detailed itinerary for your group.
3. Leadership Development Course for Primary School ChildrenSummary
The Leadership Development Course is designed to introduce primary school learners to the different aspects of being a leader. We have a set leadership development course presented by a speaker that covers various points (i.e. what is Leadership? Communication, Conflict Handling) in theory and practical sessions. We focus on the practical sessions with the primary school learners as we’ve learned from experience that they take in more information if it’s presented to them as a practical game or activity.
Program Duration
The Leadership Development Course can be run over a minimum of 2 nights and 3 days (a weekend), but then only specific points of the theory can be covered. We determine which points in the theory section must be covered after discussing the group’s needs with the teacher in charge. For the full theory and practical sessions to be covered we recommend a stay of 3 nights and 4 days departing after lunch. Also see the Program Duration notes for program number 4 here below.
4. Leadership Development Course for High School LearnersSummary
The Leadership Development Course for High School Learners is in short: designed to update and improve the basic knowledge the learners have on leadership skills, to teach them how to think and act like leaders and to practice the newly learned skills in a controlled environment with our facilitators. We do this according to the Leadership Development Course we have compiled and as with the primary school course we can either focus on points in the course that you think are more important for your group or we can cover all the points in the course – it all depends on what you want for your group. The high school learners have longer theoretical sessions where they are involved in discussions and role playing after our speaker has explained the relevant information. After the theoretical sessions the group is taken to our various group dynamics courses and team building games to practice and apply the theory.
Program Duration
We recommend a minimum of a 2 night and 3 day stay but this course can also be run from a Monday afternoon to a Friday morning (or in other words a 4 night/5 day course). Then the course can be run more intensively and more time can be spent on the elements that are relevant to the group’s demographics. We then also start off the camp by dividing the group as a whole into smaller groups that are monitored and counselled throughout the duration of the course. Also incorporated – because we have time on our side here – are various team building games, indoor – and outdoor activities that are designed to complement the theoretical element of the Leadership Development Course.
5. Adventure Camps for Primary and High School LearnersSummary
The original Blyde Adventure Camp program. This program is designed out of our love for adventure and getting learners to step out of their comfort zones and challenge themselves on every possible level. The Adventure Camp program is a comfortable mix of standard adventure activities presented at our premises and extra adventure activities that can be ordered depending on the needs for your group.
Program Duration
The Adventure Camp program is a very flexible itinerary that can be run for the amount of time that you have available.
6. Adventure Based Team BuildingSummary
The Adventure Based Team Building program will teach your group how to work together, be more tolerant of each other and how to adapt as a group to the different environments they find themselves in. We specialize in getting your group to work as a unit while having fun and challenging themselves with our adventure activities. This program can be run for younger as well as older learners – the difficulty of the adventure activities are adjusted for older learners. Adventure activities for this program include our standard adventure activities and a selection of mild to wild adventures as extras.
Program Duration
From a one day visit to as long as you require. There are no limitations to the time needed to run this program.
7. Conservation ProgramSummary
The Blyde Adventure Camp is passionate about conservation and as the many slogans out there re-affirms: conservation happens through education. This program focuses on teaching learners about River Ecology and how we as a civilization have a dramatic effect on our water resources. Speakers such as Entomologists, Reptile handlers and leaders in the local conservation fields are brought in for talks and practical demonstrations. Learners are also taken to a variety of wildlife rehabilitation centers, breeding projects and wildlife orphanages in our area.
Program Duration
Although full day visits can be arranged we recommend a minimum of a 2 night stay. Longer stays for the Conservation Program will result in more detailed information being taught to the learners and more time for field trips to the above mentioned facilities.
8. Self Defense Course for High School Students
Summary
The Blyde Adventure Camp presents a much needed Self Defence Course for High School students. This course is presented by an experienced and licensed Self Defence Instructor. As we all know violence is an unfortunate part of our culture and our world. Most people view self defence with the classic "it will never happen to me" attitude; until it happens. This is the course to get you and your children in the right state of mind to do something about the violence in our country. The course will cover various points and to list a few:
Avoidance & Prevention Strategies;
Belief Systems and Personal boundaries
Awareness & Intuition
Understanding the Psychology of Fear and Confrontation
Physical Drills & Confidence building
A course such as this one is not about being scared, it is about being confident and empowering yourself. Self protection is as much a state of mind as a set of physical skills.
Program Duration
This program can be run as a one day course but can also be run over the maximum time of 2 nights and 3 days. If extra adventure activities are added to this program it can be run over a period of 4 nights and 5 days.
9. Touring ProgramSummary
The Touring Program focuses on showing the learners all the beautiful and amazing facets of life in the Lowveld. The Blyde Adventure Camp is centrally located and this makes it very easy for groups to make day trips in the area and spend the nights at the camp. We arrange trips and tours to many of the surrounding facilities and famous landmarks in our area. The amount of trips and tours the group can takes largely depends on the time available as well as the group’s budget. The group is accompanied by one of our facilitators. Visit places such as:
The Kruger National Park
Bourke’s Luck Potholes
Pilgrims Rest and Graskop
The Panorama Route
Cultural Villages
Visit local waterfalls in the Blyderiverspoort
Elephant Sanctuaries
Wildlife Rehabilitation Programs
And many more.
Program Duration
This program relies largely on the amount of time available for traveling. We recommend a minimum of a 3 day and 4 night stay. Although shorter tours can be arranged.
Some of our previous happy visitors
à Bryanston Primaryà Capricorn District Municipalityà CARE South Africaà Hlokomela and the Hoedspruit Training Trustà Bavariaà Childline Limpopoà Mpumalanga Landserviceà King Edward Primaryà Bothavilleà Laerskool Menloparkà Glenanda Primaryà Kingfisher Primaryà Enjabulweni Primaryà Laerskool Tzaneenà Do It Now magazineà Extreme Footprintsà
And so many more. If you would like to contact any of our references please request their telephone numbers from us.
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