Nature And Outdoors in South Africa

South Africa's wild side sits within a day's drive of the big cities. Two hours from Cape Town lies the private Aquila reserve, where drives go out after the Big Five — lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo — early in the morning for five hours, in the afternoon for four and a half, or at sunset for three, from 63 dollars. From Johannesburg the target is Pilanesberg, a park set in the crater of an extinct volcano: a full day runs about twelve hours.

The second storyline is the ocean. Gansbaai sends boats out on a marine safari after a Big Five of its own — whales, seals, penguins, dolphins and sharks — two hours for 81 dollars. From there and from Cape Town, trips also run to cage dives with great whites: eight hours, 270 dollars. In whale season separate tours head for Hermanus, where southern right whales are visible from the shore.

The third layer is calmer: the wine valleys of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek with farm tastings, and trike tours around the cape, from a sunset hour on Signal Hill to a full loop of the Cape Peninsula. GetExperience lists 39 outdoor programmes in South Africa, from 63 to 541 dollars and two to twelve hours long. Pages state the transfer, the meals and how the day is built; booking is online with quick confirmation.