Sports and leisure

Beaches
South Africa boasts a 3 000 km coastline, stretching from the Atlantic in the west to the Indian Ocean in the east.
Along it's length is a seemingly endless range of beautiful beaches which are great for a relaxing stop-over on a tour or, with their wealth of nearby attractions, are superb venues for a sun, sea and sand holiday.
Most ideal for families, swimming is generally safe and hygienic.
Tests have shown that the seawater off South Africa's beaches is among the cleanest in the world. There is a host of activities to enjoy - from surfing and windsurfing to sailing and deep sea fishing.

Fishing
Whole coastal communities subsist on fishing, and the catching, sorting, selling, curing and cooking of this marine treasure is an integral part of our cultural heritage. It's the rare Capetonian who hasn't heard the sound of the snoek horn as entrepreneurial fish vendors ply the suburban streets, blowing this traditional homemade instrument to advertise their wares. And between smoked snoek (a delicacy you just have to try), pickled fish and boggems (salted, sun-dried mullet), we have a strong tradition of preserving our catch for somewhat leaner times.

But fishing is not only about subsistence. Many of us head out to the shore with rod and reel more for relaxation than nutrition, although the catch is always a prideful addition to the dinner table or braai. Shore angling is the most popular form of fishing - perhaps because it is the most accessible. All you need is a rod and reel, and a list of marine regulations which you can get from any boating or fishing shop.

Many locals and visitors are interested in pitting themselves against something a bit more weighty, and big game fishing is a popular pastime.
Catch and release is strongly recommended.

For a real challenge, though, nothing can beat saltwater fly-fishing. It's a bit gear-intensive, and does take some time to learn the relevant skills, but there is nothing to beat standing knee-deep in the waves, watching the rising sun reflecting off your tightly looped line as you cast and cast again into the foamy breakers.

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Adventure

welcome to adventure heaven

Whatever your particular preference, there is bound to be an adventure to keep you happy. We have some of the best climbing in the world, with Cape Town particularly well endowed. There are literally hundreds of bolted and natural routes on excellent quality Cape granite or Table Mountain sandstone within the city limits. There are climbing schools and mountain guides in all the main centres, and route guides are available from climbing shops.

River trips range from mostly scenic to grade five white water washing machines. There are over a hundred listed paragliding or hang gliding launch sites, and many more less well known, with schools in every centre. Also up in the air, there are many opportunities for helicopter rides, balloon flights, aerobatics, skydiving and microlight flights.

Thousands of kilometres of hiking trails wind around the country, in desert, forest, mountain or coast, and many have mountain bike trails adjacent. Some hikes are a bit more luxurious - you walk from hotel to hotel and have your luggage taken round. There are wonderful easy horse trails through vineyards, on the beach or in the mountains and, for the adventurous and more experienced, horseback safaris in big game country.

We have the highest commercial bungy jump in the world (at 216m), lots of pretty abseiling and bridge swinging. For something combining adrenalin, peace and tranquillity, and sheer beauty, try the tree-top canopy tour in Tsitsikamma. The art of canyoning, known as kloofing in South Africa, is a hot favourite with self-guided and escorted trips.

Hiking

there is no better way to experience wild places than to put your boots on and put your feet on the ground, one in front of the other.
We have some awesomely wonderful, fantastically scenic hiking trails. Some highlights follow (there are so many this is going to be hard, but I'll try).
The Otter Trail along the Tsitsikamma coast is probably the most popular hike in the country.
Lush forests, rugged shorelines, mountain streams and waterfalls and fragrant fynbos together make this a really special one. It is pretty strenuous with lots of ups and downs, but the distances are not enormous.

If you want the scenery and walking with a bit less slog and a lot more luxury, you have to try the Dolphin Trail.
It traverses similar terrain to the Otter (in fact if joins up with it) but instead of staying in hiking huts, you stay in fully catered guest houses with wonderful views and excellent cuisine.
Your pack, of course, is transported to your next overnight spot by vehicle and you carry only a day pack with lunch, water, camera and a swimsuit.
Now that's hiking with a difference.

You can do a similar thing on the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape.
Once part of the nominally independent bantustan of the Transkei, this coast is so beautiful.
It's very different to Tsitsikamma - miles of deserted beaches and then perhaps a small community.
You may come across a young herd boy following his charges as they wander onto the beach for who knows what bovine purpose.
And you stay in coastal hotels instead of huts. Accommodation is not quite up to the standard of the Dolphin Trail and the usual is to carry your pack, but you can arrange to have it driven around, if you plan ahead.

For any purists out there wrinkling their noses up at this, don't worry.
There are miles and miles of unspoiled hiking trail traversing high mountains, deserts and forests where the accommodation is the usual hiking hut, and the cuisine whatever you decided to carry with you.

For an even wilder experience, you can hike for days in the Cedarberg, near Cape Town, or the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal, without seeing a hut or a route marker. These are designated wilderness areas and you simply take a map and a permit and set off, sleeping under the stars or in convenient caves.

Of course, the most important aspect of a hiking trail is that you don't constantly bump into other people - that really would defeat the object. And the only way to ensure that is to limit numbers, so that means you have to book. You really have to.

Horse riding and trails

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You can do a brisk canter along a beach, a leisurely amble through the vineyards, trot off through the forest or meander through magnificent mountain scenery.
If you're pretty comfortable on a horse, you can even ride among some big game, and if you're not, there are some easier options where the game is unlikely to consider eating you or your mount.

Trips range from an hour or two on the outskirts of cities to long multi-day treks, and in some places you can do moonlit rides at full moon.
If you'd like to get in some hunting while you're here, be reassured that we do only drag hunts.
Although everything, including dress, formalities and hounds, is absolutely traditional, the "fox" is actually a jackal-scented bag which is dragged around by a hunt member.

Mountain biking

MTB heaven! There are so many fantastic trails it will just blow you away. Around Cape Town there are some wonderful single track routes on the mountain and in the pine plantations. There are escorted trips on the mountain, around the winelands and in the Cape Point section of the Cape Peninsula National Park. The scenic De Hoop National Park near Swellendam, up the East Coast from Cape Town, has a number of dedicated, easy trails. There are a few pretty hardcore trails near Swellendam, and then onto the Garden Route which is just fantastic. There are four superb, laid out circular tracks in the Harkerville Forest, ranging from mellow to a hectic red route. And nearby are two long, quite strenuous linear trails, Homtini and Petrus se Brand. Locals and international visitors alike agree that the last 6km of Petrus se Brand is the most fun single track ever.

Port Elizabeth has a number of dedicated trails, including one traversing a green belt which cuts right through the middle of the city.
An annual MTB race on the Wild Coast set a precedent for pedaling this fantastic area. KwaZulu-Natal has its share of routes, with many great ones in the Drakensberg or the Midlands.
The Free State has some of the most hectic trails and often has competitions - there's one called the Two Mountains Race, which should give you an idea of what you'd be in for.
And, of course, Johannesburg has a huge active MTB population so there are a lot of trails nearby. Many of these urbanites head out to the wonderful trails in Mpumalanga, where you'll find lots of opportunity to get down and dirty.

Canoeing, Rafting and Kayaking

We have some fantastic rivers so you will be spoiled for choice.
The most popular - for good reason - is the Orange, which forms our northern border with Namibia.
It's a long, green-fringed oasis running through the mountainous desert area known as the Richtersveld. Incredibly scenic, it also has a few fun rapids.
The section below Augrabies Falls is similar, and there is a one-day rafting trip above Augrabies which features some exciting but not radical rapids.
The Gorge section of the Orange is a lot more technical and has some high volume rapids.
The Vaal, a tributary of the Orange, has some fun little rapids and is very close to Johannesburg so it's a popular destination for corporate trips.
Also near Johannesburg, the Crocodile River offers a pleasant day out with some small and mildly challenging rapids.

The Doring River in the Western Cape has a short season towards the end of winter, and offers fantastic, quite technical white water but it's pretty cold.

The Palmiet River is absolutely wonderful. It runs through the Kogelberg Nature Reserve and offers fantastic technical rapids and wonderful scenery.
The trip offered takes one day and includes all meals and sometimes a visit to a winery.
The Molenaars is a very technical, white water river that only works for a few days immediately after heavy rain in its catchment area, so it's not easy to plan a trip.
The Sonderend River is a smallish river where you can do a fun day trip or overnighter.

There are two trips on the Breede River: a one day "wine tasting" trip near Worcester, which is really just an excuse to have a lovely picnic and sample some local wines, with a little bit of paddling thrown in.
Lower down, near Swellendam, two-day trips are run on some small rapids and quite rocky sections.
This section is used mainly for corporate trips.

There is some fun canoeing in the lakes area of the Garden Route, especially Wilderness and Knysna Lagoon.
Other enjoyable flatwater trips include the two self-guided excursions near Port Alfred, one of which is up and down the conveniently tidal Kowie River.
The other is a short paddle up the Kleinemond River to a wonderful overnight spot, called Kayak Camp.
Far more luxurious would be an escorted trip through the spectacularly beautiful and biologically unique Kosi Bay lake system.
And, also in the Maputaland area of northern KwaZulu-Natal, there are fantastic escorted one-day trips on Lake St Lucia, where you may see crocodiles and hippos, and on Lake Bhangazi, also part of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park.

The Umkomaas River on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast offers fantastic paddling with some fun, challenging but not too technical rapids.
Just north of Durban, the Umgeni has some delightful little rapids. The section paddled is part of the gruelling two-day Dusi Marathon.
The Buffalo River used to be the border between the kingdom of Zululand and the British colony of Natal and is near some fantastic historical sites.
It's a lovely river with some quite challenging rapids. Standard trips are two days.
The Buffalo is a tributary of the nearby Tugela River, which also has some pretty impressive white water with some very scary rapids indeed.

The Blyde River in Mpumalanga is probably one of the most beautiful rivers in South Africa - a somewhat hectic, technical alpine-style river with a steep gradient.
A second trip on a tamer section of the same river is far easier, and the nearby Sabie River also offers an easy day out.
The Olifants River, also close by, has some wonderful, big but not too technical rapids and also traverses some beautiful scenery.

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Climbing

South Africa has some of the best climbing in the world. There is something worth climbing almost everywhere but some areas do stand out.
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is a fantastic venue near the small town of Waterval Boven in Mpumalanga.
With literally hundreds of bolted routes ranging from easy to a superhuman 33, there is something for everyone here.

Outside Durban, there are also a lot of sport climbs, and a few close to Johannesburg.
En route between these two major centres you'll find some wonderful bolted routes in good hard sandstone in the eastern part of the Free State.

If you're more of a traditionalist, don't worry.
You can revel in miles of unbolted rock in the fantastic, virtually pristine Blouberg in the Northern Province, the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal or in the miles and miles of fantastic mountains in the Western Cape.

But for a close-to-city experience nothing can possibly beat Cape Town.
The city is built around Table Mountain, which is now a national park and consists of two great, hard rock types - Table Mountain sandstone, which gives nice positive edges, and Cape granite, which offers fantastic friction climbing.
There are hundreds of sport and traditional routes within the city limits.

Horse racing
Horse racing is a hugely popular sport in South Africa, with regular racing taking place around the country.
The sport in South Africa enjoys a long and rich history, with the prestigious Durban July first being run in 1897 at its present home, Greyville.

Golf
South Africa's year-round sunny climate, glorious scenery, top quality courses, low costs and welcoming clubhouses make it an ideal destination for golfers.
Some of the country's golf courses are true seaside links while others are surrounded by forests or set against the grandeur of magnificent mountain ranges.
There are over 600 golf courses, many of championship standard, to choose from.
Clubs provided excellent facilities, with knowledgeable professionals, challenging courses and charming clubhouses.
Golf resort complexes have been opened up, giving golfers the chance to stay in luxury properties set in superb golf courses.
Helped by the effects of the extremely advantageous exchange rates, green and caddy fees are remarkably low.
Green fees average between US$25 - US$40 - and why carry your own clubs when you can hire a caddy for less than US$15 per round.

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