Activities in South Africa

Visit Fauresmith

Fauresmith Town Hall Credits: www.fauresmith.co.za

Fauresmith in the Southern Free State could so easily have been the Capital of The Free State as the House of Assembly voted by two votes to establish Bloemfontein as the Capital.

Fauresmith is the second oldest Free State Town and is approx 130 km South West of Bloemfontein.

Next door to Fauresmith is Jagersfontein, which in its day was a bustling diamond mining centre in the 1800’s.

Things to do in Fauresmith

Canopy Touring in South Africa

The concept of canopy touring developed in South America from a need by scientists to study natural forests from a different perspective. It has quickly been modified into a fantastic sport that most people can participate in. At the same time it's environmentally friendly and educational.

Canopy Touring is also an ideal team building activity ideal for smaller groups of like minded people.

Grahamstown - Zipline At Frasers Camp

Zipline Credits: Frasers Camp Adventures

According to Frasers Camp Adventures zip lining is the zippiest outdoor adventure since the great trek.

A zipline is a steel cable strung across a ravine together with a safety cable as back-up.

You get into a harness, leap over the edge and scream (literally) as you race across the ravine (krantz) to the other side. You land on a platform, are disconnected from the one zipline and attached to the next, and off you go again – six times.

Storms River - Canopy Touring in Tsitsikamma Forest

The Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour is a unique eco-wilderness adventure that takes place in the magnificent Tsitsikamma indigenous rainforest. The first of its kind in Africa, the canopy tour involves traversing from one platform to another along a steel cable suspended up to 30 meters above the forest floor...

Most platforms on the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour are located in giant Outeniqua Yellowwood trees. The scenery and bird life is spectacular and professional guides provide interesting facts about the forest ecology during the 2½ to 3 hours.

Rustenburg - Canopy Touring in Magaliesberg

The Magaliesberg Canopy Tour is a unique eco-adventure that takes clients on a tour down the spectacular Ysterhout Kloof, set in the ancient Magaliesberg Mountains. Eleven platforms have been built against the cliffs and rock faces of the kloof (ravine) and are joined by long steel cables that adventurers slide along to reach the next platform.

Much like a "foefie" slide, the Magaliesberg Canopy Tour essentially involves zigzagging down the kloof while stopping at each platform to admire the expansive views and surrounding ecology.

Howick - Canopy Touring in the Karkloof

Canopy Touring Credits: www.canopytour.co.za

The Karkloof Canopy Tour is a unique eco-experience that takes people on a 3 hour adventure through the magnificent Karkloof indigenous forest.

The concept of guiding people through the upper canopy of a rainforest originated in Costa Rica, where adventurous biologists devised new methods for accessing the forest canopy in order to conduct research on the undiscovered canopy ecosystem.

Winterton - Canopy Touring in the Drakensberg

The Drakensberg Canopy Tour is now officially open! Situated in an indigenous forest of the Central Drakensberg, in the shadow of the towering Cathkin Peak, the Drakensberg Canopy Tour awaits you. Boasting Africa’s first elevated rock face walkway with a good mix of both cliff face and treetop platforms, and cable slides over the forest up to 60 metres high, the Drakensberg Canopy Tour must automatically go to the top of your “must do” list.

Experience nature like never before as you slide through the forest canopy and enjoy a unique birds-eye view on the world around you. Set within the magnificent Blue Grotto forest, the Drakensberg Canopy Tour is guaranteed to take your breath away. The forest is home to over 150 species of birds including the rare Bush Blackcap.

Led by trained guides as you glide between platforms perched in trees

Tzaneen - Canopy Touring in Magoebaskloof

The Magoebaskloof Canopy Tour will take you on a journey into a previously inaccessible realm of nature, as you traverse the upper level of indigenous forest and ancient mountain cliffs, overlooking the spectacular Groot Letaba River gorge.

The Magoebaskloof Canopy Tour includes awe-inspiring slides and platform viewpoints over three giant waterfalls, each tumbling up to 20 metres into the sparkling river below.

Stanford- Madres Kitchen - Pied Kingfisher on the side.

Madres Kitchen Credits: www.holiday-homes-sa.com

Madre's Kitchen in Stanford makes the most unbelievable baked cheese cake. We were back there over the weekend, after a few hours on a hiking trail, to sample yet another piece.

It was as good as always, but here's the thing. There is a resident Pied Kingfisher that hangs around by the little dam right outside Madre's. 

Stanford - Hiking at Salmonsdam Nature Reserve

Salmonsdam Nature Reserve Credits: www.capenature.co.za

Salmonsdam Nature Reserve, run by Cape Nature is a small reserve not far from Stanford in the Western Cape. There are three hiking trails available.

The longest is a Mountain Trail from the foot of the Perdeberg mountain and at the top there’s a view over Walker Bay, Caledon and Bredasdorp. The second trail is the 4km Ravine Trail through Keeromskloof and through small patches of indigenous forest. The final trail is the Waterfall Trail of about 3km through thick fynbos down to the falls and back.