One of the best ways to explore South Africa is through an adventure highlights holiday, which will see you travelling along the 3,000km coastline, through the far-reaching vineyards, and down the impressive mountains in the Western Cape. Below are some of our favourite picks of the wealth of activities South Africa can offer:
A bouquet of promising excitement, a full-bodied density of adrenalin, a palate of un-paralleled adventure, and an unstoppable desire to take another sip. Partnering a full-on cycling excursion with a wine tasting tour through the Cape Winelands is the perfect pairing for a holiday of activity and delectable gastronomy. As the winelands are criss-crossed by cycle paths, both on and off road, you have the choice between a fast-flowing tarred road cycle, an epic 707km mountain bike team race, or a scenic ride round undulating routes through the peaceful hills. Whatever your level or preference, each run has intermittent wine tasting opportunities and picnic stops that will have you falling in love with the South African countryside.
To see which wine estates to visit, look at our wine highlights of the Cape Winelands.
Flanked by two oceans (the vibrant Indian Ocean to the east and the fish-rich Atlantic Ocean to the west), South Africa enjoys a climate that allows for beach festivities throughout the year, and with world-class reefs, pristine beaches and a varied sea-life, ocean sports and in particular, surfing, is a most popular pastime. From Sodwana Bay’s northern crystal waters to the tourist meccas of Durban, the east coast will spoil you for choice. Known as Surf City, the Durban areas of Bay of Plenty, New Pier, North Beach, Wedge and Dairy are popular surfing destinations as they have beach breaks capable of holding both winter swell and summer cyclone swell.
Forming thrilling barrel waves, the country’s biggest surfing event takes place during winter in the town of Ballito. The Mr Price Pro competition is a fantastic opportunity to watch the pros and world-class surfers in action, so make sure to spend some time in early July on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
For a hair-raising view of Cape Town and Johannesburg, abseiling and rap jumping is the answer. Table Mountain in Cape Town has the world’s highest commercial abseil. Located on top with a descent of 112metres, the leap involves a backwards walk down a cliff face while you brace yourself with your feet and the secure harness. Looking around as you descend, you will be able to see Cape Town’s city centre, the chic V&A waterfront, the Atlantic Ocean and far beyond the Mother City.
In Johannesburg, the jump is slightly more adventurous as you will scale face-first down the Orlando Towers. Called rap jumping, you are still harnessed to a rope but as traditional abseiling allows participants to watch the summet getting further away, rap jumping allows you to watch the ground getting closer. Just in case you felt like the 100m descent went by too quickly, the experience includes two jumps, allowing you to be more daring the second time round.
