The Garden Route, the Panorama route and the vibrant coastal city of Durban are South African tourism regions that frequently find their way onto itineraries of international visitors. In this feature, Tourism Update takes a look at adventure offerings in these locations, so that those keen on adventure can get more out of their exploration.

Glorious Garden Route

The 200km Garden Route stretches from Mossel Bay in the Western Cape, to Storms River in the Eastern Cape. The blend of mountainous terrain and ocean makes the Garden Route ideal for adventurers. Here are some of the experiences that travellers can enjoy.

Abseiling, canyoning, kloofing and tubing

Here, adventurers can plunge over the edge of a sheer cliff amongst lush foliage, or feel the spray of a waterfall as they swing downwards to the pull of gravity. They can zip-line over rock pools, abseil in and around waterfalls or navigate natural water slides, and the braver at heart can even attempt a (safe) jump. Locations in which to abseil include Kaaimans Gorge, The Crags near Plettenberg Bay, and the cliffs of the Robberg Nature Reserve.

The Garden Route canyons are some of the most beautiful in the country, and kloofing (descending a deep canyon in multiple ways such as walking, climbing or jumping) is an adrenaline-boosting activity. This form of adventure is considered an extreme sport, and challenging locations with names such as Kamikazi Canyon and Suicide Gorge make for an adventure never to be forgotten.

Clients in the Storms River area, they can challenge themselves with a black water tube expedition down the river. The name of this experience is derived from the dark colour of the Storms River water, which is caused by tannin leaching out of plant matter much like tea. Tubing trips take place in the Plaatbos Nature Reserve and Tsitsikamma National Park.

Christiaan Steyn, Marketing Manager of Drifters Adventours, a division of Tourvest, says: “We include a visit to the Tsitsikamma National Park on our 18-day South Africa tour. Here, guests can explore the dramatic coastline by either walking over the suspension bridges or walking a short section of the acclaimed Otter Trail. This stretch of coastline definitely provides some adventure for visitors with a multitude of optional activities available in the area. We spend a night at Storms River and a night in Knysna, giving clients plenty of time to explore and enjoy the activities on offer. Trips include canyoning, tubing, mountain biking, and several hikes, amongst other activities.”

Other adventure activities include:

• Acrobranch: being strapped into a harness and attempting a tree obstacle course, swinging from tree to tree.
• Canoeing: exploring the rivers and lagoons of the Garden Route coastline.
• Wall and rock climbing: from bouldering (rock climbing on small rock formations or artificial walls known as boulders) at Coney Glen to hiking and climbing at Montague Pass Crag near George, and Old forest Crag near Plettenberg Bay.
• Helicopter flights
• Horseback riding: in the Botlierskop Private Game Reserve in Mossel Bay, or Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve. There are also numerous horse riding establishments across Sedgefield, Knysna, Riversdale, George, Vleesbaai, and Kareedow.
• Paragliding, hang-gliding and parasailing: see the dolphins and whales from the skies; excursions depart form Wilderness.

Quad bike rides, segway tours, shark-cage diving, bungee jumping, crocodile cage diving, skydiving, and sandboarding are all available to tempt the adrenaline junkie.

Perfect Panorama Route

At the centre of Mpumalanga’s Panorama Route is the Blyde River Canyon – the world’s third largest canyon, which has numerous waterfalls. The route begins at the foot of the Long Tom Pass just outside Lydenberg, and follows the natural descent from the Great Escarpment to the Lowveld, ending near Echo Caves which marks the border between the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.

This impressive canyon means that abseiling, zip-lining, hang-gliding, extreme climbing and gruelling hiking trails are a given. But serial adventurers can find a lot more to do along the Panorama Route.

• White water river rafting pits adrenaline-seekers against the roiling waters of the lower-Sabie River. They can hop on a ‘croc raft’ or tube and navigate the 20 grade two and grade three rapids.
• Freefall 68m at 180km/h in under three seconds over Graskop Falls, on one of the world’s highest cable gorge swings – The Big Swing. Or fly across the gorge on a 135m-high wire called the ‘foefie slide’.

Take a trek by foot back to Graskop though, so not miss out on seeing God’s Window, Lisbon Falls, Berlin Falls, The Pinnacle and Bourke’s Luck Potholes.

Other activities include microlight flights, helicopter flips, and hot air ballooning.

Daring Durban

Adventure tourism is a burgeoning sector in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Authority explains: “KwaZulu-Natal is a mecca for tourists seeking new adventures. This is largely as a result of the fact that this province has one of the most spectacular landscapes in Africa. KwaZulu-Natal has the Drakensberg, ‘Africa’s Alps’, and as a result some of the world’s highest cliffs, deepest gorges and valleys and fastest flowing rivers. It also has one of the world’s most unspoilt sub-tropical coastlines. The coral reefs that are found along this province’s coast are renowned for providing some of the best scuba diving experiences.”

Some of the more extreme activities available include gyrocopters, paramotors, sea kayaking, kite boarding, wind surfing, yachting, bouldering, ice climbing, rap jumping (the reverse of abseiling, where the ropes are attached behind your back), and 4x4 trails.

Visitors can also take part in one of the two classic Eco-Series sports events, where they can experience power trail runs and extreme-mountain biking through wild areas, off-the-tar gravel, and onto game paths.

“This is a very important niche market for us and we would like to grow our product offering in this regard,” says Abie Wentzel, Tourism KwaZulu-Natal’s Acting GM for Tourism Development.

Sbu Zondi, Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications, Durban Tourism says the growth of adventure tourism has increased extensively in Durban.  “Adventure tourism products range from the third-biggest water theme park in Africa (Ushaka Marine Park) to the bungee jump and sky-car at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, surfing classes on the beach, shark cage diving at Aliwal Shoal, safaris in Phezulu, and twilight hikes and cycling trails through the Inanda Green Corridor route.

“Product owners have realised the need for more products, and a revitalisation of existing products to cater for the needs of such visitors. Durban has undergone much tourism development in the past two years to meet the expectations of our visitors.”