Our Partners
These are a few of our fantastic partners:
Our Team
Julia Invernizzi (Colvin) is the founding member and director of Spekboom Tours. Passionate about the great outdoors, sustainability, and animals she has had a diverse career as a veterinary nurse, a teacher and environmental facilitator. A mother and wife, Julia often involves the whole family in scouting for undiscovered trails that will form the basis of exciting new Spekboom Tours offerings. Most days she can be found on her beloved mountain bike in the Karkloof/Howick forests, spotting birds or helping a local school setup a permaculture garden or library.
Spekboom Tours was established as an extension of her passions and way of life after spending many happy months backpacking and cycle touring through Southeast Asia, South America, Europe and South Africa. Julia holds a firm belief that the best holidays are ones that combine time outdoors with unique experiences, good food and good company, Spekboom Tours was started to share these experiences with others. Few will disagree that slackpacking, hiking and cycling are some of the best ways to have an authentic outdoors experience!
Why Spekboom Slackpack Tours?
Why Spekboom? It was on our first self-supported cycle tour through the World Heritage reserve of the Baviaanskloof that we first came across the humble but wonderful little Spekboom plant, a native resident to the Karoo region.
Our vision is that these hiking tours can in their own way mirror the ways of this miraculous plant. Our tours are committed to enriching the lives of those around us and leaving the earth in a better state than we found it.
Being a pioneer species, the Spekboom will provide a nursery and microclimate to a spectacular diversity of other plants that may have never grown there. Known for its uncanny ability to absorb large quantities of CO2 in the atmosphere and return nutrients to the soil, we look to this plant as a mitigator in our fight against climate change and other ravishes people have inflicted on this earth.
Our ecological conscious tours endeavour to live up to the highest standards of sustainability, providing in-season, local vegetarian meals, as well as supporting conservation projects in the area and choosing to use eco-friendly accommodation where available.
What is slackpacking?
Slackpacking is a luxurious spin on traditional thru-hiking or backpacking that allows you to experience nature without the crushing weight of a heavy pack. Instead of hauling a heavy pack containing your tent, sleeping bag, stove, and multiple days of food, you hike with only a light daypack containing the essentials—like water, a rain jacket, and some snacks.
The heavy lifting is handled for you. After a full day of hiking, you arrive at a comfortable guesthouse, lodge, or cabin, where your bags are already waiting. Instead of pitching a tent and eating dehydrated meals, you get to enjoy a hot shower, delicious carefully prepared meals, and a soft bed.
This style of hiking makes long-distance trails accessible to a broader range of fitness levels, families, and older hikers who love the outdoors but want to avoid physical strain. Slackpacking allows adventurers to focus entirely on the scenery and good company rather than physical burden of the journey.
Have a look at some of our current trails that are available such as the popular Clarens San Traverse, Wakkerstroom Wonder or Zululand Rover and start planning your next trip today!