However you define adventure it’s possible in South Africa. We can conjure up your wildest expectation and more: seeing the Big 5, diving with Great White Sharks, death defying adventure sports or discovering the humanity and generosity of other cultures. Name your adventure – we’ll make it happen.
Big 5 safaris in South Africa are a must-do for anyone fascinated by wildlife. Big 5 refers to buffalo, elephant, ion, leopard and rhino – the term comes from the animals considered most dangerous to hunt. Now the thrill comes from photographing them in their natural habitat. There is a safari to meet every budget - camp it, 5 star it, self-drive or guided in an open landrover with sundowners on the open savannah.
Enter the domain of the great white shark from the safety of a shark cage and witness these uber-predators in their natural environment as they come over and check you out. While shark cage-diving is perfectly safe, it is not an activity for the shy or fainthearted! The best time of year to experience shark cage diving is between April and October. November to March is their mating season, but even so, great whites are encountered almost all year round in South African waters.
Package Deal: Cape Adventurer. Valid through May 2013
The world's highest single span arch bridge, towers 708 feet (216 m) above the river of the same name. Primarily a road bridge, the Bloukrans also hosts a beast of a bungee jump – the highest commercially operated on earth for years after it was opened in 1997 and nowadays ranked overall as the 4th highest bungee jump on earth!
Package Deal: Cape Adventurer. Valid through May 2013
Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, nestled among the hills of northern KwaZulu-Natal, is where the white rhino found refuge from extinction. Trailists are guaranteed close encounters with this two-tonne tank of a herbivore – and possible nerve-jangling brushes with its smaller-but-stroppier cousin, the black rhino. The emphasis is not on big game – though there's plenty of it about – but on the raw wilderness experience. Trails start from Mpila Camp, a three-hour drive from Durban. Spend 3 days walking the African plains with a Professional Guide and game-tracker and 2 nights camped under a starry sky in the heart of the African wilderness. Fall asleep to the grunts of hippo and the call of lions
From enormous caverns to mere potholes leading downwards, caving opportunities abound in almost every province across South Africa. If getting into small, dank and dark places is your cup of tea, there's no shortage of suitable landforms. Prime caving sites to look out for include Peers Cave, just outside Cape Town, the Kalk Bay Caves and Tartarus Cave.
South Africa's most famous landmark, Table Mountain, is more than just a pile of rock in the bay. A protected reserve, it has some remarkable features that make it a great destination for nature-lovers, deserving of more than just a quick cable car ride to see the view from the top. For the thrill seekers - hike up and abseil down!