Things to do in South Africa

South Africa

I’ve traveled to South Africa twice now. It’s one of my favorite countries and an adventure lover’s playground. Here are some great ideas for things to do there.

The Republic of South Africa is a huge & diverse country teeming with wildlife & culture. It has a little bit of everything — dry deserts, high mountains, subtropical woodlands, modern cities, friendly people and TONS of cool animals.

After spending close to 2 months exploring the country, I’ve put together a list of my favorite experiences to help you plan your own visit one day.

Things To Do In South Africa

Meeting Lions on Safari

Zebra Fight!

South African Safari

I’ll never forget when a huge lion passed just a few feet from our open Land Rover, suddenly stopping to look up. Everyone froze. Make a wrong move now, and we’d be his afternoon snack.

We were on safari at Phinda, a 56,000 acre protected wilderness area in the KwaZulu-Natal provence of South Africa. The lion was only one of the many incredible animal experiences we encountered, there were also families of elephants, cheetahs on the hunt, playful zebras, and so much more.

Big Rush Rope Swing

Bungee Jumping Bloukrans

Bungee Jumps & Rope Swings

Three, two, one, jump. I stepped off the catwalk and into the void, falling 288 feet with my stomach in my throat. The world’s tallest rope swing at a soccer stadium in Durban is definitely a big rush!

So is stoping along the Garden Route to leap from the 709 foot high Bloukrans Bridge and bouncing around dangling from your ankles by a glorified rubber band. If you’re looking to cure your fear of heights by going to extreme measures, South Africa is the place.

Cage Diving with Great Whites

Scuba Diving with Sharks

Swimming With Sharks

Arguably the most feared animal under the sea, sharks have a notorious reputation. Great whites grow up to 7 meters long and can weigh over 3,000 kg. But you can get an up-close and personal experience with them under water cage diving off the coast of Cape Town.

For the more adventurous, how about diving with sharks minus the cage? It’s totally possible (and pretty safe) to dive with tiger & bull sharks in South Africa this way. Such a cool experience!

Hanging Out in Soweto

Making New Friends

Meeting The People

One of the cool things about South Africa is its diversity. The massive city of Johannesburg is a great place to experience this and meet the different types of people that call this country home. I loved visiting the township of Soweto and learning about the vibrant & important history here.

Meeting local residents and admiring an area’s unique art and culture. Or gathering for a traditional Brai dinner in the rural coastal town of St. Lucia with new friends. Learning about a way of life that’s different from my own.

Hiking Above the Table Cloth

Cape Town Far Below

Climbing Table Mountain

Table Mountain is Cape Town’s most prominent landmark. A huge flat block of sandstone that rises 3500 feet into the air. Table mountain is a national park and a wonderful place to go hiking with over 350 paths to the summit.

Most people take the cable car up but hiking is far more rewarding. The weather changes constantly though, so hiking is difficult sometimes. You could luck out with clear skies and great views or maybe climb into the infamous “table cloth”, a blanket of clouds that often covers the mountain.

Best Feeling in the World

Surfing at Jeffreys Bay

Surfing The Coast

South Africa has some of the best surf conditions in the world. A popular adventure is renting a car and driving up the coast from Cape Town to Durban stopping at different surf spots along the way.

I spent a month honing my surfing skills in places like Muizenberg & Jeffreys Bay. The water can be cold, but the waves & lack of crowds are worth it. Yes, I realize I just told you how awesome the sharks are, but don’t worry, they prefer eating seals.

Kayaking with Crocodiles

Hippos are FAST!

Kayaking With Hippos & Crocs

The St. Lucia estuary is filled with some of Africa’s most dangerous animals. Paddling kayaks past them on a wetlands safari was super fun. The iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its diverse wildlife and swamp forests.

The area is home to giant crocodiles, hippos, and even bull sharks. Did you know that hippos are the most dangerous animal in Africa? You’d never suspect it at first glance. They seem fat & slow, but are surprisingly fast & aggressive.

Rafting the Orange River

Floating Through the Desert

Rafting In The Desert

Home to the indigenous Nama people, the rocky dry landscape surrounding the Orange River is a mix of red, brown, and orange hues — except for the banks, where patches of green vegetation are able to thrive.

The Northern Cape is a huge area with a lot to see and do — and it’s one of the least visited parts of South Africa. Rafting down this winding river in the middle of a desert and finishing the night with a Brai BBQ has been one of my highlights.

Traditional Sangoma Healer

Khula Township

Talking To Spirits

While visiting Khula township in South Africa, I was invited to chat with my dead ancestors with a local Sangoma medicine woman. She communicates with people’s ancestral spirits to share advice and cure ailments.

Sitting down in her sacred healing hut, she gave me details about my future based on what they told her. It’s an ancient profession that’s been practiced for hundreds of years here. The verdict? I’m a very lucky guy. Oh, and my ancestors want me to throw a BBQ for them!

Hot Air Balloon Safari

Fire in the Hole!

Hot Air Balloon Rides

The beautiful Magalies River Valley fully revealed itself as we rose into the sky with the sunrise in a hot air balloon. It’s only an hour North West of Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city.

Once you realize you’re in the air, profound silence is the first thing you notice. Between occasional blasts of fire from the burner, there is no sound. No propeller, no engine, just the birds. Yet soon we are hovering half a mile above the ground, traveling slowly with the wind.

[su_box title=”Travel Planning Resources For South Africa” style=”noise” box_color=”#333333″ title_color=”#FFFFFF” radius=”3″ class=”resource-box”]
Location: South Africa

Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip. Pick up a travel backpack, camera gear, and other useful travel accessories.

Book Your Flight

Find cheap flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to find deals on airlines. Also make sure to read how I find the cheapest flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Cars is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.

Book Accommodation

Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read more about how I book cheap hotels online.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a big fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance.
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Any questions about things to do in South Africa? Do you have other suggestions? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to share!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Shark Diving in South Africa

Margate, South Africa

The ocean around me is filled with hungry sharks. In just a few minutes, the sea has become thick with them, approaching from all directions. My heart races.

I was under 30 feet of water, without a cage, off the coast of South Africa. It was impossible to keep track of all the sharks around me. I counted at least 9 in my immediate vicinity, with more dark shapes lurking in the murky depths below.

A nightmare scenario for those who are afraid of the ocean.

When most people think of sharks, they instinctively remember the horror movie Jaws. Razor sharp teeth. Beady black eyes. The ocean’s deadliest predator lurking beneath the waves, ready to strike without warning.

Motoring Out to the Dive Site

Embracing Your Fears

You’d think that hanging out underwater in shark territory would be the most dangerous place to be in the ocean. However our fears are not always rational — more often they’re primal. Based on emotion rather than facts.

For most people, fear is something they avoid at all costs. For others, it’s what drives them. I consider myself the latter. It’s a personality trait known as sensation seeking — someone who thrives on adventure, risks, and sensory overload.

While swimming with sharks is not as dangerous as it seems, that doesn’t mean it won’t give you a good jolt of adrenaline anyway.

Strapping on the Dive Gear

South Africa Shark Dive

This is actually not my first time scuba diving with sharks. I’d met them up close and personal once before in Fiji, also without a cage.

Sharks are beautiful, powerful, agile creatures. Capable of both extreme violence and incredible elegance. Attacks on humans are exceedingly rare, despite all the negative media attention they receive.

Don’t believe me? Talk with anyone who spends significant amounts of time with them. Like marine biologists or scuba dive masters. Sharks deserve respect, not irrational fear.

Yes, some species attack humans from time to time.

It happens when they mistake us for animals they normally eat, like seals. But deep underwater, in their world, these intelligent animals are smart enough to know we aren’t on the menu.

Shark Selfie!

Diving Protea Banks

In fact, sharks are often more frightened of us. As our group of divers first descended under the waves at Protea Banks, we actually scared off a large tiger shark. Tiger sharks are responsible for the 2nd highest number of attacks on humans. Yet this one wanted nothing to do with us.

Too bad, as this is the type I was most looking forward to meeting!

Protea Banks is home to all kinds of different species of shark like Black Tips, Bull Sharks, Tigers, Great Whites, Ragged Tooth, Hammerheads, and many more. They come to feed on large schools of tuna that thrive here.

It’s one of the few places in the world you can dive with 12 foot Tigers.

On this dive we encountered mostly Black Tip sharks, 4 to 5 feet long. A school of them circled the bait ball, a plastic device filled with fish heads that sharks can’t actually eat. After initially keeping their distance, they relaxed and had no problem swimming up to say hi.

The bull sharks were more skittish. I could see a few down below. Bull sharks are responsible for the 3rd highest number of attacks on humans. I found it kind of funny that one of the most dangerous species of sharks was also the most scared of us.

Sharks are Incredible Animals

Diving with Sharks at Protea Banks

Shark Conservation

We spent an hour diving with the sharks at Protea Banks before surfacing to return to the boat. I’ll never get sick of these experiences. Visiting the underwater world is about as foreign as it gets, aside from outer-space.

The more time you spend in the company of sharks, the more your fear of them is transformed into respect and admiration. Sharks are beautiful, marvelous creatures.

Unfortunately they are getting killed off at an alarming rate.

Millions of sharks are fished out of our oceans annually. No wonder they’re afraid of us!

So when you hear about “attacks” like the recent one at a Jeffreys Bay surf competition, understand that we are the ones attacking their territory. We don’t own these oceans, yet we seem to love killing everything in them.

Sharks don’t even like humans — occasionally they just mistake us for something else. Maybe we deserve it. ★

SEE ALSO: Searching For Dolphins & Whales Off Reunion Island

Watch Video: Protea Banks Shark Dive

[su_box title=”Travel Planning Resources For South Africa” style=”noise” box_color=”#333333″ title_color=”#FFFFFF” radius=”3″ class=”resource-box”]
Location: Margate, South Africa

Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip. Pick up a travel backpack, camera gear, and other useful travel accessories.

Book Your Flight

Find cheap flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to find deals on airlines. Also make sure to read how I find the cheapest flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Cars is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.

Book Accommodation

Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read more about how I book cheap hotels online.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a big fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance.
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Would you ever try swimming with sharks? Are you a scuba diver? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to share!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Waves for Change Project

Cape Town, South Africa

Volunteering in Cape Town with Waves for Change was a highlight of my trip to South Africa. They use surfing to provide health and education support for township kids.

Life in South African townships can be rough. Many communities are plagued with high crime, drug use, and murder rates. Kids drop out of school to join gangs at a young age. Finding a successful way to reach these kids is difficult. That’s where surfing comes in.

Waves For Change turns unused township beaches into a kind of free surf camp, giving high-risk kids a chance to challenge themselves by learning a new sport that happens to be very addicting.

This means they come back for more on a regular basis, allowing local community members to give them additional social, health, and educational support. It works incredibly well.

If you want to go surfing, you have to do your homework first!

Khanyi Shows the Boys How it’s Done

Volunteering in Cape Town

Volunteering In Cape Town

Spending an afternoon surfing with kids from Khayelitsha Township was super fun. They have their very own surf break called Monwabisi. We arrived and pulled on our wetsuits in front of 50 excited kids asking non-stop questions while trying to rub (or slap) my shaved head.

Walking down to the beach, I started surfing with some of the older kids first. Their surfboards are donated from all over, but many are in pretty bad condition. Some were completely broken. Yet somehow the kids managed to ride them anyway!

One aspect that struck me was how sharing they all were with the waves. Sure you might be riding a wave with 10 kids at the same time, but no one complained. The rest of us could learn something from them…

It was organized chaos, but everyone was having a blast.

Teaching Abenathi the Basics

Surfing Gives You an Appetite

Teaching Kids To Surf

Next I paddled over to the shallows to help the younger ones stand up on a board and ride smaller waves. They were all anxious to try, but not enough surfboards to go around.

The program currently works with 270 different kids, and over 400 total since it began in 2011.

Yet those waiting their turn were helping me by pointing out good waves, strapping the surf leash on others, or cheering for whoever was up. Surfing is building friendships in a community where kids are often recruited young to fight each other in criminal gangs.

Everyone benefits when these future leaders are given the opportunity to improve their lives and those around them.

Lunchtime at Waves For Change

Future Kelly Slater?

The Power Of Surfing

Waves For Change provides more than just a positive recreational atmosphere. Kids show up every day because they’re addicted to surfing, however they also participate in leadership training, HIV awareness, homework tutoring, or life-skills programs before they can use surfing equipment provided by the organization.

Everyone is served a healthy lunch once they return from the water, and for some it’s the only food they’ll eat that day.

Many of the 13 local surf coaches are former township gang members or drug abusers themselves who have been rehabilitated with help from surfing. They mentor the younger ones and can relate to their problems.

Local coaches are in the best position to motivate & inspire these kids to lead positive lifestyles that will give them better chances to succeed in future endeavors. ★

[su_box title=”Travel Planning Resources For Cape Town” style=”noise” box_color=”#333333″ title_color=”#FFFFFF” radius=”3″ class=”resource-box”]
Location: Cape Town, South Africa [Map]

Project: Waves For Change (Facebook & Instagram)

Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip. Pick up a travel backpack, camera gear, and other useful travel accessories.

Book Your Flight

Find cheap flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to find deals on airlines. Also make sure to read how I find the cheapest flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Cars is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.

Book Accommodation

Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read more about how I book cheap hotels online.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a big fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance.
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Do you have any favorite charity projects?

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Great White Shark Cage Diving

Gansbaai, South Africa

Suddenly a great white shark barreled towards me with black zombie eyes and razor sharp teeth only inches away from my face. Would this be my last adventure?

Luckily the cage stopped it. I was shark cage diving in South Africa and adrenaline was coursing through my body. Great white sharks are the ocean’s most lethal predators — meeting them up close is pretty intense.

The fact that these sharks are responsible for the greatest number of fatal attacks on humans added to my excitement. I grew up watching Shark Week on Discovery, now I was living it!

Shark Alley is a unique area off the coast of Gansbaai where sharks come to hunt seals. It has one of the highest concentrations of great white sharks in the world.

Shark Tour with Marine Dynamics

Inside the Shark Cage

Great White Sharks

Arguably the most feared animal under the sea, great white sharks have a notorious reputation. Growing up to 7 meters long and weighing over 3,000 kg, these pre-historic monsters can easily rip prey apart using powerful jaws armed with hundreds of serrated teeth.

Great white sharks are ambush predators, silently sneaking up on their victims from below at speeds up to 35 mph. They can even breach out of the water, soaring into the sky.

These sharks feast on tuna, rays, dolphins, seals, whales, sea turtles, and even birds. Along with an excellent sense of smell, they have a special 6th sense that can detect an animal’s electromagnetic field.

However the great white’s history of human attacks is what gives many people nightmares — or galeophobia, fear of sharks.

Great White Shark

Cage Diving South Africa

After breakfast and a safety briefing with our tour operator Marine Dynamics, we boarded Slash Fin, a custom-designed boat used for underwater shark watching excursions. It took about 30 minutes to motor into prime shark territory.

The shark cage was lowered into the water and strapped to the side of the boat as we pulled on thick wetsuits and weight belts. I was in the first group, and climbed down into the cage. That water is cold!

The cage is only partially submerged, with hand and foot rails inside. No snorkels are used, only masks. You keep your head above water until the shark spotters yell “DOWN”, at which point you take a deep breath and push your feet under the bottom rail, holding yourself underwater to watch the action.

What kind of action? The kind that makes your heart race…

Our Shark Boat with Marine Dynamics

Underwater Adventure

We watched 16 different great white sharks, some as large as 5 meters (15 feet) long, swim past us over and over again. The crew uses a few different methods to attract sharks.

First they “chum” the water, dumping a soup of fish blood & guts into the ocean that sharks can smell from a mile away. A line attached with fish heads is thrown in, plus a 2nd line with a plywood seal decoy.

The bait lines are only used to draw sharks closer to the cage, giving you an amazing up-close view. In fact, sometimes the sharks will slam right into the cage! But not because they want to eat you…

When attacking prey (or a plywood seal), great white sharks will roll their eyes into the back of their heads for protection. This is why they sometimes swim into or bite the cage. They just can’t see!

Watch a shark ram into my camera in the video below.

Cape Fur Seals in Shark Alley

Shark Attack Statistics

A friend of mine recently made an excellent comparison about shark attacks. Think of sharks as the bears of the ocean. Do bears kill people? Yes. Does that mean you’ll be attacked by a bear if you go hiking? No.

Let’s look at some hard statistics, shall we?

These things are more likely to happen than a shark attack:

• You will die from a dog attack.
• You will die from a lightning strike.
• You will get killed by bees or wasps.
• You will be executed for a crime.
• You will be bitten by a human.
• You will die falling down in your home.
• You will get shot on a hunting trip.

Here’s the deal. People are ridiculously afraid of sharks.

When there’s a sudden increase in attacks, politicians are forced to act. It’s very similar to airline safety. There is no proof banning nail clippers actually makes us safer from terrorists.

It happens because it makes us FEEL safer.

Culling (aka killing) great white sharks is not the answer. They’re already on their way to becoming an endangered species because some Asian countries enjoy eating rare & exotic animals, like shark fin soup.

Over 40 million sharks are killed by fishermen each year.

Our Shark Boat with Marine Dynamics

Shark Feeding Controversy

Chum is not food for the sharks, it’s just a scent. The ocean is full of fish guts already. The crew doesn’t actually let sharks eat those fish heads on the line either (although sometimes it happens). They pull it away from them.

Even in situations where sharks are fed directly, like during my cage-less Bull Shark diving adventure in Fiji, there’s no evidence proving that it leads to attacks on people. That particular company has been feeding bull & tiger sharks for 10 years with no increase in attacks around the island.

Most shark cage diving tours benefit these magnificent creatures by contributing money to research and conservation programs, that frankly wouldn’t get funded otherwise.

No one is going to donate money to save JAWS from extinction unless it’s disguised as a crazy adventure travel experience!

Our cage diving trip included a marine biologist who was recording data on the sharks we encountered for research purposes. They’ve found that the number (and size) of great whites returning to Shark Alley has been declining rapidly over the years, a disturbing trend.

Shark Cage Diving with Great Whites

See For Yourself

The best way to overcome your unrealistic fear of sharks? Get in the water with them! Once you see these amazing animals up close while learning about their habits from actual scientists who study them every day, you’ll see there’s nothing to fear.

Like Tracey Morgan says, “live every week like it’s Shark Week”.

But don’t let media coverage and hollywood hype distort the truth.

Shark cage diving with great whites in South Africa is both exciting and educational. We need to protect these incredible ocean creatures before they’re gone forever. ★

Watch Video: Great White Shark Cage Dive

[su_box title=”Travel Planning Resources For South Africa” style=”noise” box_color=”#333333″ title_color=”#FFFFFF” radius=”3″ class=”resource-box”]
Location: Gansbaai, South Africa [Map]
Accommodation: The Backpack
Company: Marine Dynamics
Cost: R1500 (about $140 USD)

Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip. Pick up a travel backpack, camera gear, and other useful travel accessories.

Book Your Flight

Find cheap flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to find deals on airlines. Also make sure to read how I find the cheapest flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Cars is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.

Book Accommodation

Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read more about how I book cheap hotels online.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a big fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance.
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Are you afraid of sharks? Would you try cage diving? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to share!

Disclaimer: My trip was made possible in partnership with iAmbassador and South Africa Tourism.

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Muizenberg Beach in Cape Town

Cape Town, South Africa

What’s it like surfing Cape Town’s Muizenberg Beach in the winter? Not as cold as I thought it would be! My surfing road trip update from South Africa.

After two weeks of intense surfing in Cape Town, I’m already seeing a huge improvement in my technique. The surfing at Muizenberg has been a lot of fun, with plenty of waves for everyone to practice on. In fact they never seem to stop!

This is the reason why Muizenberg Beach is considered by many to be one of the best places in the world for learning how to surf.

Warming Up with Instructors TK and Nikita

Surfing At Muizenberg

My surf adventure began in Cape Town, where I spent 12 days surfing on and off with instructors. We learned how to paddle into waves, proper positioning to catch them, how to pop up onto the board, correct stance, the basics of turning, and how to stay safe.

The abundant practice time really helped me improve. We’d usually have a lesson in the morning followed by free surfing in the afternoon almost every day.

The ocean was a chilly 62 degrees (17C), so wetsuits are required. But surfing Cape Town in the winter is not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be.

A decent 4/3 wetsuit will keep you warm enough during a 2 hour session.

Paddling Into the Waves

Surfing Muizenberg Beach

Great White Sharks

The water around Cape Town, specifically False Bay, is notorious for its abundance of Great White Sharks. However it’s important to note that just because they’re around doesn’t mean surfing in the ocean here is deadly.

Do attacks happen? Yes. But compared to the number of people in the water every year, shark attacks are an extremely rare occurrence. I wasn’t worried about them. The fact is, your bathtub is more likely to kill you.

Muizenberg beach has a shark warning system in place, with spotters located at high lookout points. If a shark is seen nearby, the water is cleared until it swims away from the area.

Cage diving with great white sharks is a very popular activity around Cape Town. Some friends went cage diving in False Bay while we were there.

It’s a spectacular experience to see these powerful animals up close!

Great White Shark Underwater

Funny Penguins & Table Mountain

Surfing wasn’t the only activity I enjoyed in Cape Town though. We also spent an afternoon hanging out with the African penguin colony at Boulder’s Beach. The area is part of Table Mountain National Park, and you can walk along raised wooden platforms right next to families of cute penguins.

The African Penguin is endangered, and Boulder’s Beach gives you a very unique opportunity to view these birds in a natural environment. If you’re lucky, you can even get pretty close to them! Just don’t touch, they like to bite.

We also hiked up Cape Town’s most famous landmark, the majestic Table Mountain. This short but steep hike takes 2-3 hours, and the views at the top are fabulous. Provided it isn’t too cloudy…

However a blanket of fast-moving clouds below you can be interesting too.

African Penguin at Boulder’s Beach

Early Morning Hike Up Table Mountain

Volunteering With Waves For Change

One of the highlights of my surfing adventure so far has been volunteering with the Waves For Change project. This outstanding charity is helping to build stronger & safer communities by teaching kids to surf.

They use surfing to recruit the most-vulnerable youth from poverty & violence stricken townships into a program that offers social, educational, and health support these kids desperately need.

We spent a day surfing with kids from Khayelitsha Township. Teaching young ones the basics, and trying to keep up with the more experienced surfers among them.

If you’re going to be around Cape Town and want to help out, definitely contact them. It’s a wonderful organization doing great things.

Teaching Local Kids How to Surf

Cape Town Surfing

Planning a surfing trip to Cape Town? The area has an abundance of accessible surf spots for surfers of all levels. Here are a few popular local breaks for beginner & intermediate surfers.

Muizenberg

Muizenberg is one of the best breaks for beginner surfers in the world. It’s located on the Indian Ocean side of Cape Town, so the water is a bit warmer than other spots in the area. However it’s still cold. A 4/3 wetsuit is recommended. It often has long, gentle, and frequent waves. A beach break with a sandy bottom. This makes it an ideal place to learn the basics of surfing. Waves can break all over the place though, both left and right.

Long Beach

While we never made it over to Long Beach, it’s known to be a nice intermediate wave with slightly more power than those at Muizenberg. You can find it near Kommetjie, a suburb of Cape Town. The wave is a bit more sheltered, also with a sandy bottom, and very popular with surfers. It can break both right and left, more frequently left though.

Watch Video: Surfing Cape Town, South Africa

[su_box title=”Travel Planning Resources For Cape Town” style=”noise” box_color=”#333333″ title_color=”#FFFFFF” radius=”3″ class=”resource-box”]
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Accommodation: Bailey’s Surf Shack

Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip. Pick up a travel backpack, camera gear, and other useful travel accessories.

Book Your Flight

Find cheap flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to find deals on airlines. Also make sure to read how I find the cheapest flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Cars is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.

Book Accommodation

Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read more about how I book cheap hotels online.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a big fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance.
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Have you ever tried surfing before? Did you enjoy it? Tell me in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Young Rapper Shows Off His Skills

Johannesburg, South Africa

Once home to Nelson Mandela, Soweto Township is a fascinating urban settlement on the outskirts of Johannesburg with much history and culture.

Last month I spent an afternoon visiting Orlando township in the Soweto district of Jozi. To help celebrate Nelson Mandela Day, here are some photos of the people and art you can find in his old neighborhood.

Orlando was once a hotspot for anti-apartheid demonstrations in the 1970’s and 80’s. The Soweto Uprising and subsequent police shootouts against protesters spread the movement across the country, helping to pave the way for a new unified South Africa.

Nelson Mandela lived in Soweto for many years before his 27 year imprisonment on Robben Island, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu also lived in the neighborhood. That’s two Nobel Prize laureates who called this area home!

Mandela’s old house on Vilakazi Street is now a popular museum.

Soweto itself is huge, with a population of over 1.3 million. It initially sprang up during the Witwatersrand Gold Rush to house black mine workers who were forbidden from living in the city center due to South Africa’s strict segregation policies at the time.

Nelson Mandela Mural

Busy Intersection in Soweto

“Pretty” Waits for Her Bus

Colorful Orlando Cooling Towers

Street-side Barber Shop

Convenience Store in Soweto

Kids Playing Outside

Elephant Street Art

“Simba The Lion” and His Awesome Hair

Have you ever been surprised with local hospitality when traveling? Do you have questions? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to share!

[su_box title=”Travel Planning Resources For South Africa” style=”noise” box_color=”#333333″ title_color=”#FFFFFF” radius=”3″ class=”resource-box”]

Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip. Pick up a travel backpack, camera gear, and other useful travel accessories.

Book Your Flight

Find cheap flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to find deals on airlines. Also make sure to read how I find the cheapest flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Cars is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.

Book Accommodation

Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read more about how I book cheap hotels online.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a big fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance.
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Disclaimer: My trip was made possible in partnership with iAmbassador and South Africa Tourism.

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Surfing in South Africa

Cape Town, South Africa

I love to surf, but I’m not very good at it. So I’m spending the next 6 weeks surfing South Africa’s best waves with professional instructors.

Yes, you read that correctly. An epic surfing road trip from Cape Town to Durban, with instruction from some former pro surfers. Sounds like a dream adventure travel vacation, right?

That’s what I thought.

I’ll be heading out on a multi-week South African Road Trip to experience legendary surfing conditions and locations that South Africa is well known for.

Surfing South Africa

Where will I be surfing? The adventure starts in Cape Town and I’ll slowly work my way up the East coast to Durban over 4 weeks, stopping at all the best surf spots along the journey.

Cape Town (Muizenberg Beach)

Plettenburg Bay

Jeffrey’s Bay

Coffee Bay

Durban (Anstey’s Beach)

Surfing Friends

Volunteer Projects

My journey won’t just be about getting better at surfing though. We’ll also dedicate time to local community projects throughout the trip. Like organizing football matches on the beach for township kids, teaching surfing lessons, and more.

It’s another aspect of this adventure that I’m really looking forward to.

Muizenberg Beach, Our First Stop

Surf Vacation Packing List

Did I mention that July is winter in South Africa? The Drakensburg mountains were covered with snow on my flight in! My travel gear for this adventure will be slightly different than my usual kit.

4/3 Wetsuit

The water in South Africa isn’t tropical, and I need a proper wetsuit (4mm chest, 3mm arms/legs). Luckily I found a local company that has a factory in Cape Town. I snagged a brand new, custom fit, 4/3 wetsuit direct from the Coral Wetsuits factory store for only $126!

50+ Sunscreen

My Irish skin doesn’t tan well, so plenty of strong waterproof sunscreen is a must. Maybe some Zinc for the nose too. I’ll be putting in a lot of wave time under the hot sun each week.

First Aid Kit

Surfing can be a rough sport. Getting slammed into the rocks by a wave will leave a mark or two. That’s why it’s important to have a first aid kit for the inevitable cuts & scrapes.

Warm Clothes

Despite it being winter here, air temperatures are between 50° – 70°F (11° – 21°C). So it’s really not that bad. However early mornings and late nights on the beach will require warm & comfortable clothing. After a 3 hour session surfing in cold water, warm clothes are exactly what you need.

GoPro Camera & Accessories

I’ve written a whole post about my favorite GoPro accessories for travel, but wanted to test out some new stuff on this surf trip. So I picked up a few dedicated surf mounts, replaced my underwater housing with the blackout version, and bought GoPro’s new adjustable gooseneck/hand-grip.

Hoping to capture some great surfing footage & photos to share with you.

Surfboard!

I’m normally accustomed to surfing 9 foot longboards, but I’d like to move down to a shorter board. It will certainly be a challenge. Before I get my hands on one though, I’ll use longer boards while slowly working my way down to shorter ones as I become more proficient.

Special Surprises

Of course there is much more to South Africa than surfing. If you love adventure travel, this amazing country has a lot to offer. That’s why we’ll be embarking on other activities as well.

Follow Along!

You can follow my surfing adventures in real time on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

What About Sharks?!

I’ll punch them in the nose.

SEE ALSO: Fun Things To Do In South Africa

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Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip.

Book Your Flight

Ready to fly? Here’s how I find the cheapest airline flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Cars is a great site for comparing car prices to find a deal.

Cheap Accommodation

Learn how I save money booking hotels & vacation apartments.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read why you should always carry travel insurance.
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This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Rafting the Orange River

Vioolsdrif, South Africa

Local legend says the Orange River is home to a mysterious monster that’s been eating people and livestock for 2000 years. Would rafting it be safe?

Tales of the dreaded Orange River Monster weren’t going to stop me from rafting down this unique oasis of life in the heart of a desolate desert environment. Richtersveld National Park is located in the Northern Cape, South Africa’s largest and least populated province.

While parts of the river can get rough, our route would pass through relatively tame water along the journey. However for some in the group, this was a scary prospect, as it was their very first river rafting experience.

But our guides Jan & Sass from Umkulu Adventures had everything under control.

Incredible Desert Landscapes

Paddling Down the River

Orange River Rafting South Africa

I teamed up with Kash from Budget Traveller who was slightly nervous about the rafting (because he can’t swim). Lucky for him I used to be a lifeguard!

We loaded up our little inflatable 2 person boat and pushed off into the river with kayak paddles, hoping to avoid a watery death at the hands of the notorious Monster.

Home to the indigenous Nama people, this rocky dry landscape surrounding the river is a mix of red, brown, and orange hues — except for the banks, where patches of green vegetation are able to thrive.

Floating past massive sandstone cliffs and small river islands, we occasionally stopped to rest or take photos. The environment here is really special. I’d never seen a river in the middle of a desert before, let alone raft down it!

Kash Powering Through the Rapids

Orange Dragonflies on the Orange River!

Hunting For Diamonds & Rubies

The Orange River has a long history of producing gemstones like rubies, tiger’s eye, and even diamonds, so we sifted through the riverbed hoping to discover some treasure.

In fact South Africa’s first diamond, the 21 carat Eureka Diamond, was discovered by a young boy on the river’s bank in 1867, eventually helping to bring about South Africa’s famous diamond rush at Kimberly.

Unfortunately no diamonds or rubies were found on our trip, but Kash did manage to dig up some Tiger’s Eye, a semi-precious stone.

South African Bloggers Meruschka & Heather

Kash Conquers His Fears

Illegal Border Crossing

Because the Orange River marks the border between 2 countries, South Africa was on our left and Namibia on our right as we paddled along. I started getting ideas…

How many people can say they’ve swam from one country to another?

Melvin, Heather, Meruschka, Caspar and I hatched a plan to swim from South Africa to Namibia. A slightly questionable border crossing without passport stamps! As long as the Orange River Monster didn’t get us, everything should be fine. Right?

Life Persists in the Desert « BUY PRINT »

Swimming Across the Border to Namibia

Exploring The Northern Cape

Our swim was a success! However the journey to Namibia was short lived, and we quickly swam back to our tents on the South African side at The Growcery Camp where they were cooking up a delicious traditional South African Braai BBQ on an open fire.

My Orange River rafting experience was a memorable one, and we only scratched the surface of South Africa’s Northern Cape territory. It’s a huge area with a lot to see and do — and one of the least visited parts of the country.

Just beware the Orange River Monster, it’s always hungry and enjoys the taste of tourists. Or so I hear. ★

[su_box title=”Travel Planning Resources For Namibia” style=”noise” box_color=”#333333″ title_color=”#FFFFFF” radius=”3″ class=”resource-box”]
Location: Vioolsdrif, South Africa
Accommodation: The Growcery
Company: Umkulu Adventures
Cost: R395 ($36 USD) half-day rafting

Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip. Pick up a travel backpack, camera gear, and other useful travel accessories.

Book Your Flight

Find cheap flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to find deals on airlines. Also make sure to read how I find the cheapest flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Cars is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.

Book Accommodation

Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read more about how I book cheap hotels online.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a big fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance.
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Ever heard of rafting through a desert? Any questions? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to share!

Disclaimer: My trip was made possible in partnership with iAmbassador and South Africa Tourism.

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Moses Mabhida Stadium

Durban, South Africa

Three, two, one, jump. I stepped off the catwalk and into the void, falling 288 feet with my stomach in my throat. The world’s tallest rope swing is a big rush.

I seem to have an addiction to extreme heights lately. Hiking Spain’s Caminito del Rey, floating through the sky in a hot air balloon, and now leaping off the top of a soccer stadium.

That’s the problem with adrenaline junkies, we’re always searching for a more powerful high. Ziplines just don’t cut it anymore. I look forward to tasting fear and the challenge of overcoming it.

Durban’s Big Rush rope swing provided just what I was searching for.

The Big Rush Jump Crew

I’m Jumping From Where?!

Moses Mabhida Stadium

Moses Mabhida Stadium was built for the FIFA World Cup soccer games in 2010, and it’s really a work of art. Beautiful white arches rise 100 meters into the air over the city of Durban.

It can seat 54,000 people for soccer and cricket matches or concerts.

You can ride the Sky Car to the top for amazing 360-degree views of Durban. Or you can hike up 550 stairs and get the same. Only with one hell-of-a-ride back down — on the end of a rope. I chose the 2nd option.

After signing my life away and getting into a harness, we walk to the base of the stairs for a long climb attached to a safety line. Talk about anticipation! You have plenty of time to contemplate what you’re about to do on the long hike to the top of the stadium.

This is Slightly Crazy

Time to Jump!

Big Rush Durban

The jump crew secures me into another safety line at the top for the climb down a 10 foot ladder onto a catwalk. It’s very windy up here, which isn’t helping my nerves.

I’m then attached to a 3rd safety line and slowly walk across to the jump point. This is when reality hits you. I’m about to jump from the top of this stadium — 350 feet in the air!

Something that would normally kill a person.

Your brain says “Relax! Everything will be fine.” However your body is not so easily convinced. Many people get to this point, then change their minds.

One Small Step for Man…

Just Do It

I step to the edge and marvel at the stadium workers below who look like ants crawling through the grass. The crew finally hooks me into the main line, made of heavy duty webbing.

They count down for me. 3. 2. 1…

Go. I hop off the edge and plummet through the sky with gravity pulling me down faster and faster until I reach 75mph, screaming the whole time.

The rope catches at about 288 feet, and I swing in a long and satisfying arc across the whole stadium with adrenaline coursing through my veins. Yelling in triumph to thousands of empty seats. It’s quick, but intense.

Durban’s Big Rush swing is a wild experience that shouldn’t be missed. ★

Watch Video: World’s Tallest Rope Swing

[su_box title=”Travel Planning Resources For Durban, South Africa” style=”noise” box_color=”#333333″ title_color=”#FFFFFF” radius=”3″ class=”resource-box”]
Location: Durban, South Africa
Accommodation: Happy Hippo Backpackers
Company: Big Rush!
Cost: R695 (about $65 USD)

Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip. Pick up a travel backpack, camera gear, and other useful travel accessories.

Book Your Flight

Find cheap flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to find deals on airlines. Also make sure to read how I find the cheapest flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Cars is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.

Book Accommodation

Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read more about how I book cheap hotels online.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a big fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance.
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Would you try this crazy rope swing in Durban? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Magaliesberg, South Africa

We’re flying! Heat from a giant 8 foot flame warms the top of my head as our multi-colored balloon effortlessly lifts off the ground and into the early morning breeze.

The beautiful Magalies River Valley fully revealed itself as we rose into the sky with the sunrise. The area is only an hour North West of Johannesburg, the capital of South Africa.

It’s also home to the Cradle of Humankind. A very large number of ancient ape-man fossils have been found in limestone caves dating back 3.5 million years ago. We all have quite a bit of history in this area!

They are some of the oldest fossils of human ancestors ever discovered.

Hot Air Balloon Experience

I’d never flown in a hot air balloon before, and wasn’t quite sure what to expect. After waking up at 4am and driving to Bill Harrop’s “Original” Balloon Safari launch site, we were treated to coffee & cookies around an open fire in the darkness as our balloons were assembled in a field.

Large fans are used to pump cold air into the balloon. When it’s partially inflated, the burners are fired up and the air is super-heated until the balloon stands upright.

Then eighteen (yup!) people climb into a large wicker basket, our pilot in the middle. He continues to heat the air with flame until we float off the ground.

Once you realize you’re in the air, profound silence is the first thing you notice. Between occasional blasts of fire from the burner, there is no sound. No propeller, no engine, just the birds. Yet soon we are hovering half a mile above the ground, traveling slowly with the wind.

How Do They Work?

Hot air ballooning is the earliest form of flight — invented in France back in 1793. While flying in a balloon might feel like magic, the science behind it is pretty simple.

Hot air is lighter than cool air, so it rises. The pilot heats air inside the nylon balloon using tanks of liquid propane attached to a burner. Blasting fire into the balloon to make it rise.

Aside from the burner controls, there’s also a cord that opens a parachute valve at the top of the balloon that lets hot air escape. The pilot uses this to slow down an ascent, or decrease altitude.

Surprisingly, pilots can manipulate the balloon’s direction somewhat too. Forward speed and direction are only determined by the wind, but wind changes direction & speed at different altitudes. This gives the pilot a little control.

Soaring Above The Landscape

Cruising across a diverse landscape of forests, rivers, fields, and low mountain ridges at sunrise, we were able to spot some wildlife. Warthogs and Springbok (a type of antelope) ran through the trees below us.

Apparently, there are Giraffes too, but they didn’t come out to play.

We began our descent into a game reserve after an hour of flight. Everyone holds on as the basket bounces across the ground before finally settling. To celebrate a successful journey, a champagne toast to the sound of warthogs fighting in bushes nearby.

Flying a hot air balloon over the Magalies Valley in South Africa was a peaceful and scenic experience that I hope to repeat in future destinations. ★

Watch Video: Hot Air Balloon Safari

[su_box title=”Travel Planning Resources For Magaliesberg, South Africa” style=”noise” box_color=”#333333″ title_color=”#FFFFFF” radius=”3″ class=”resource-box”]
Accommodation: Valley Lodge
Company: Bill Harrop’s “Original” Balloon Safaris
Cost: R1365 (about $132 USD)

Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip. Pick up a travel backpack, camera gear, and other useful travel accessories.

Book Your Flight

Find cheap flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to find deals on airlines. Also make sure to read how I find the cheapest flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Cars is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.

Book Accommodation

Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read more about how I book cheap hotels online.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a big fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance.
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Ever ridden in a hot-air balloon before?

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.