Wildlife safarisSouth Africa’s wildlife sanctuaries generally fall into three categories: nature parks, private game reserves and national game reserves. Nature parks are noted more for their scenic beauty and hiking trails than for wildlife. Private game reserves offer a personalised game-viewing program, while national game reserves are generally explored by tourists in their own vehicles. Besides game viewing from vehicles, walking, horseback, camel and canoeing safaris are becoming increasingly popular. Safaris on foot follow a network of wilderness trails in the (compulsory)
company of an armed ranger. A maximum of eight people between the ages of 12 and 60 may participate per trail (which usually lasts for three nights and two days, with accommodation in designated camps). For reservations and further information, contact the South African National Parks Board (tel: (21) 428 9111; website:
www.sanparks.org);
or the Wildlife and Environment Society of Southern Africa (tel: (33) 330 3931; website:
www.wildlifesociety.org.za).
Walking and hikingNature parks offer marked self-guided trails (with sleeping huts en route) or guided off-the-beaten-track trails (with an experienced, armed ranger providing information about ecology, plants and animals). Some operators also offer themed walks with a focus on, for instance, flowers (of which South Africa has nearly 24,000 species). Spectacular flower displays can be seen during August/September in the semi-desert area of Namaqualand.
Wine routesSouth Africa’s 13 major wine-producing regions have signposted wine routes, of which the best include the
Stellenbosch Wine Route (the country’s first, with all wineries situated within a 12km-/7.5 mile-radius of Stellenbosch); the
Olifants Wine Route (200km/125 miles long, passing through the Cederberg Mountains, the unspoilt West Coast and Knersvlakte); the
Klein Karoo Wine Trust (a 300km-/188mile-route through the eastern Cape Winelands); the
Swartland Wine Route (a 40-minute drive away from Cape Town); the
Orange River Wine Trust (comprising the northern wine-making regions, irrigated by the Orange, Vaal and Riet rivers); and the
Robertson Valley (a two-hour drive from Cape Town, known particularly for Chardonnay). Regional wine maps and further details are available from the South African Tourism Board (see
Top Things To Do ).
WatersportsSouth Africa has recently gained a reputation for whale watching and shark-cage diving (with great white sharks) on the Cape. Sharks migrate through the Cape’s
False Bay from June to August and move into the Durban area (KwaZulu-Natal) from October to January. For whale watching fans, the Western Cape Tourism Board has established a
Cape Whale Route to observe southern right whales, which usually swim very close to the shore. The best time to spot them is from June to September, especially in
Walker Bay, where a
Whale Festival is held annually during the last week of September. South Africa’s diving infrastructure and facilities are well developed. Reef diving is popular in
Sodwana Bay (on the northern coast of KwaZulu-Natal), while wreck diving is widespread around the Cape. Popular inland diving sites include Wondergat, Badgat and Miracle Water. The
Tsitsikamma Coastal Park offers excellent opportunities for underwater photography. Diving certificates are required. PADI and NAUI courses are available. Surfing is a popular past-time in South Africa; one of the most well-known of locations is Jeffrey's Bay (J-Bay) near Cape Town. Windsurfing and kite windsurfing can be done at Big Bay near Cape Town.
FishingOne of the country’s most popular sports, fishing can be practiced along the coast or on the lakes and rivers in the game and nature reserves. One of the world’s richest fishing grounds lies around the Cape of Good Hope, where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean currents meet and large shoals of tuna and swordfish draw increasing numbers of game fishing enthusiasts. The major trout fishing areas are the southern mountain ranges of the Western Cape and the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains (in KwaZulu-Natal). Fly fishing is best in the mountain streams and along the coastline of the Eastern Cape. One highlight on South Africa’s fishing calendar is the
Sardine Run, in June, along the KwaZulu-Natal coast, where hordes of feeding game fish and sharks concentrate.
GolfSouth Africa has around 500 courses, often situated in spectacular locations. The best time to play is in the cooler months from May to September. Green fees average £10-20 and a caddie costs around £7. Visitors are welcome on weekdays.
Steam trainsSouth Africa is one of the few remaining countries where steam locomotives are still widely used. They range from the luxury
Pride of Africa to small engines on narrow gauge railways like the
Midmar Steam Railway near Pietermaritzburg. For those looking for a scenic ride, the famous
Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe runs along the Garden Route on a day-trip from George and Knysna and the Union Limited crosses the famous Kaaimans River Bridge, one of the most photographed railway bridges in the world.
Adventure sportsA changing range of adventure sports is available, the most famous of which probably remains bungee jumping, for which South Africa has one of the world’s highest drops – the bridge over the Blaukrans River, Western Cape. At 216m (709ft), this jump is more than twice as high as the jump of the bridge linking Zambia and Zimbabwe across the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls.
Spectator sportsSouth Africans are ardent sports enthusiasts and the success of national teams has been a source of pride and reconciliation for all sections of the community. The South African rugby team are world class, the football team is one of the best in Africa, while the cricket team has proved it is the equal of any in the world. Visitors are made welcome at all these fixtures.
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