Top Outdoor And Adventure Activities While On Safari In The Western Cape, South Africa

A safari or guided tour to the Western Cape in South Africa is said by many to be the most idyllic vacation one can ever experience. Majestic Table Mountain oversees a vibrant city, beautiful beaches and superb scenic mountains that surround wonderful, world renowned winelands.

It is as much as you could ever want in one vacation, but what about those who want to know where to go just to boost their adrenalin flow? Is this serenely beautiful, relaxing place somewhere you can have a real adventure holiday? You bet it is!

Whether you are in the Mother City itself, or go South, East or North/West, the thrills and spills are not just about sighting Africa’s big five, but blood boiling, eye popping, heart stopping adventure activities that will have you thinking you have arrived at adrenaline Nirvana. 

So what are the top outdoor and adventure activities while on Safari in the Western Cape, South Africa? They are really too numerous to include in one article, but this is a reasonable overview of what you can expect in terms of adventure in Cape Town and beyond.

Cape Town

Whilst in the Mother City you’ll find out that Table Mountain is not just for looking at. Some may take the cable way up the mountain, but you can hike it on foot, take a helicopter flip over it, or even abseil off it!

You can experience a thrilling paragliding adventure off nearby Signal Hill or Devil’s Peak too if the sky is your limit, but why not also plunge to the depths of the ocean and dive with sharks in Gansbaai or Simon’s Town or go snorkelling with seals in Hout Bay?

If you love the beach you can learn to surf in full view of Table Mountain, or in the warmer Indian Ocean waters of Muizenberg and take a sunset gallop on horseback along Noordhoek beach. Nature lovers can go kayaking with penguins and other animals in Simons Town, South Africa’s naval base.

The West Coast

Travel North-West and you will begin to experience the fun and fantastic attractions of the Cape’s West Coast. Famous for seafood, surf and quaint little coastal villages, many of the adventure activities are all about enjoying the beaches and the ocean.

Take horseback rides along long, unspoilt beaches and boat trips from Langebaan Lagoon and Saldanha Bay to Lambert’s Bay further north up the coast. Sailing in these waters reveals the wonders of the coastline, an abundance of birdlife and marine mammals. Deep sea fishing too is a favourite around these parts.

For something totally different, you can book mountain biking tours or enjoy fabulous scenic hikes. In the ocean we get back to the adrenalin junkie stuff with jet skiing, kite surfing and kite boarding, which are very popular because this is where the wind blows to some great speeds every day.

The Cape Winelands

Now head to the East and venture into the Cape Winelands with miles of vines, stunning mountainous surrounds and of course elegant wine farms that produce some of the World’s finest. As relaxing and serene as this environment is however, action still abounds!

Again, mountain biking and bike tours are a favourite, as are quad biking, tram tours and E-bikes, especially for just taking a casual tour of the winelands. In Stellenbosch you can enjoy exciting activities at the Acrobranch Adventure Course. Designed as the ultimate treetop experience, Tarzan swings, walkways, acro-bungee and zip-lines are some of the challenges that await you on an Acrobranch Adventure course.

Staying with the unusual, regardless of the weather, on any day you can go Cable waterskiing, no water required and suited for waterskiing, wakeboarding and knee-boarding! Take to the air with a myriad of airborne adventures like gliding, hang gliding, hot-air ballooning and stunning helicopter flips!

Do take some time out to thrill your taste buds too and savour some of the world’s finest wines, olives and cheeses in one of the most beautiful regions in the Cape.

The Garden Route

Now we travel South over the mountains to embark on one of the most stunningly beautiful drives you can experience anywhere. Mile after mile of scenic beauty and stopovers at the small towns that are dotted along the coast. Once again just as one is lulled into a dreamy stupor of relaxation, action adventures await around every corner.

The abundance of forestry beckons you to indulge in tree-top activities like Canopy tours that have you zip lining above the forest floor and Acrobranching obstacle courses. The mountains beckon you to abseil, hot-air balloon and take more breathtakingly beautiful helicopter flips.

There are just so many things that are crazy and exciting, like crocodile cage diving, crawling in caves, cliff jumping and walking with Cheetahs to name just a few. All along the way the experiences match the features of the area like the world’s highest bungee jump off the Storms River bridge.

There are water sports at Plettenberg Bay, surfing at the world-renowned premier surfing spot of Jeffrey’s Bay and lounging on a lagoon cruise at the Knysna Heads as you savour their famous oysters. Head to the small town of Wilderness for some scenic canoeing, paragliding off the dunes and onto the beach, and forest hikes to waterfalls and rock pools.

Do It Your Way!

Whatever your choice, we at Jewel of Africa encourage you to do it your way and our flexibility will suit you perfectly. We tailor make tours to take our visitors to South Africa exactly where they want to go and do exactly what they want to do!

Contact us to compile a package that takes into account your availability, budget and especially activity preferences. Whether you want to indulge in some of these top outdoor and adventure activities while on Safari in the Western Cape, South Africa, thrill to a luxury African safari experience, or simply just chill, we’ve got you covered!