Extreme South Africa – Holidays to Get Your Heart Racing
Rare is the visitor who expects everything to be quiet and placid on South Africa holidays – it is, after all, a place where people go for excitement. It is one of the few places in the world where a ride on a 4 x 4 can put you in the path of hippos, rhinos, lions and an elephant or two! For those who can’t stand still, here are a few of the more heart-pounding activities guaranteed to give the ultimate thrills on South Africa holidays:
Mountain Climbing
There’s definitely no shortage of mountains to climb on South Africa holidays – the bigger problem might be deciding where to start! This topographically gifted country boasts several mountainous regions offering a wide choice of conquests for climbers of different levels, all offering picturesque locations filled with breathtaking views. These include Lion’s Head in Cape Town, the Drakensberg Mountains of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, with its famous Restaurant At The End of The World, and Hogsback on the Eastern Cape.
Rock Climbing And Abseiling
For those who want to take their climbing to a whole new level, there’s nothing quite like scaling sheer cliffs and rock faces for an exhilarating time on South Africa holidays! Table Mountain is the favoured location for both casual rock climbing and extreme abseiling. It boasts the highest commercial abseil, measuring 112 metres off an otherwise impassable cliff. Mpumalanga is another favourite of rock climbers the world over, offering great rock climbing opportunities in the area, with numerous faces that have yet to be scaled.
If your South Africa holidays take you to the Eastern Cape, there’s Van Stadens Gorge, the Grips, Windmill Hole and Lady’s Slipper to satisfy your rock climbing and abseiling needs. The Blouberg in Limpopo, the Drakensberg Mountains in KwaZulu-Natal and the Magaliesberg in the Northwest Province also offer a wide range of options suitable for climbers of various levels of expertise.
Kloofing (Canyoning)
Said to have been introduced in the Western Cape, and rapidly growing in popularity among visitors on South Africa holidays, kloofing (also called canyoning) involves following a mountain stream or river gorge down its course, by floating along, swimming and most often, abseiling and jumping over waterfalls into the icy waters below.
Suicide Gorge and Steenbras River Gorge are among the popular kloofing spots in the Western Cape. They involve a series of very high mandatory jumps. The Mfongosi River in KwaZulu-Natal, on the other hand, offers steep rockslides, and is the ultimate challenge in extreme South Africa holidays.
Bungee Jumping And Bridge Swinging
Bungee jumping, bridge swinging and bridge jumping can also offer loads of fun as well as a healthy, heady rush of adrenaline on South Africa holidays!
The Bloukrans Bridge jump, the third highest commercial bungee jump in the world, which involves plunging head-first in a full body harness 216 metres down towards Bloukrans River below, and the Gouritz River Bridge for both bungee jumping and bridge swinging, remain two of the most popular destinations for adrenaline junkies on South Africa holidays.
Obviously, all these extreme adventures offer elements of risk and danger, especially for visitors on South Africa holidays not familiar with the geography. Fortunately, there are a number of specialists offering guided adventure tours for these various activities, to ensure safety for both beginners and more advanced adventurers.
Rachel Hill is a Southern Africa Travel specialist, a company specialising in luxury, tailor-made South Africa holidays as well as holidays to other destinations in Southern Africa. Our experienced consultants will help you design your very own luxury South Africa holiday, and will be happy to provide you with a free quote.
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