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Welcome back to DK Villas’ three-part article series on the incredible diversity of exhilarating outdoor activities the Cape has to offer! Previously, in Part 2, we explored ziplining, stand-up-paddle (SUP) boarding, trail running, “Scootouring”, and kite surfing as ways to discover the joy of living again after so long in lockdown. In this instalment, we continue a final rampage through the thrilling ways you can explore the Cape: by horse-riding, snorkelling (with seals), ATV / quad biking, jet skiing, and 4 x 4 off-roading.
Horse-riding
The wind in your hair, the smell of fynbos and vineyards in your nose, and powerful muscles rippling between your thighs…is there any better way to experience the beauty of the Cape than from horseback? To sweeten the deal there’s a great array of outright options to choose from, from romantic sunset beach rides to wine-soaked meanders through the winelands’ vineyards.
To arrange your horseback riding adventure in Cape Town, contact any of the three reputable and experienced companies below….
Where: Multiple sites, including Noordhoek Beach, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Overberg, and more.
Website: www.horseridingcapetown.com
Email: info@horseridingcapetown.com
Telephone: +2776 251 8584 / +2783 313 4821
Where: Van Schoorsdrif Road, Durbanville
Website: www.mountainviewhorsetrails.co.za
Telephone: +2783 727 0256
Where: R304, Koelenhof, Stellenbosch
Website: www.horseridesatpetes.co.za
Email: deirdre@horseridesatpetes.co.za
Telephone: +2781 038 7170
Snorkelling (with seals!)
For the adrenalin junkies, sign up for a half-day, eco-friendly adventure, where you’ll actually jump into the ocean water (in a wetsuit) and snorkel with Cape fur seals! Experience their underwater world through your goggles, as they wheel and dive beneath the waves, coming close to inspect you out of curiosity. Don’t worry: the seals are harmless and pretty used to sharing the water with snorkelers. Besides, your friendly guides will keep you safe.
To arrange your snorkeling adventure in Cape Town, contact any of the three reputable and experienced companies below….
Where: 8 Albert Road, Hout Bay
Website: www.sealsnorkeling.com
Email: info@sealsnorkeling.com
Telephone: +2772 296 9132
Where: Shop 8, Quay 5, V&A Waterfront
Website: www.oceanexperiences.co.za
Email: info@oceanexperiences.co.za
Telephone: +2721 418 2870
Where: Harbour Road, Hout Bay
Website: www.capetownbucketlist.co.za
Email: info@capetownbucketlist.co.za
Telephone: +2782 497 8797
ATV / Quad-biking
Sand dunes, mountain trails, and even vineyards…these varied landscapes are even more fun to explore from behind the wheel of a quad bike or ATV (all-terrain vehicle). Most of the quad bikes supplied by Cape Town’s adventure companies such as Dirty Boots, Absolute Adventures, and Downhill Adventures (details below) are automatic, so all you need to do is open the throttle and let her fly: no experience needed!
To arrange your quad biking adventure in Cape Town, contact any of the three reputable and experienced companies below….
Where: Multiple locations, including Melkbos, Cape Town, and the Cape Winelands.
Website: www.dirtyboots.co.za
Email: esna@dirtyboots.co.za
Telephone: +27 21 713 1491
Where: Atlantis dunes, located 50 km outside of Cape Town on the N7.
Website: www.absoluteadventures.co.za
Email: ross@absoluteadventures.co.za
Telephone: +27 74 620 1525
Where: Based on Kloof Street, Gardens (tracks are in Melkbos and the Atlantis Dunes)
Website: www.downhilladventures.com
Email: info@downhilladventures.com
Telephone: +2782 459 2422
Jet skiing
Jet skiing (or “WetBiking” as it is now known) is quite possibly the most fun you can have travelling on the ocean’s surface. A WetBike is a planing water motorcycle that is often described as a cross between a motorcycle and a jet ski. There are a number of spots around the Cape and up the West Coast that offer WetBikes for rent or tours. The tours are weather dependent and do require all participants to be able to swim and to wear life jackets, but that’s hardly an imposition when you’re rocketing along the ocean surface with the fresh wind and sea spray in your face!
To arrange your jet skiing adventure in Cape Town, contact any of the three reputable and experienced companies below….
Where: Pentridge house, 11 Portswood Road, V & A Waterfront
Website: www.oceanstarcharters.co.za
Email: charters@oceanstarsailing.com
Telephone: +2783 556 6407
Where: Harbour Road, Hout Bay
Website: www.bugalooadventures.co.za
Email: info@bugaloo.co.za
Where: Multiple locations, including Melkbos, Cape Town, and the Cape Winelands.
Website: www.dirtyboots.co.za
Email: esna@dirtyboots.co.za
Telephone: +2721 713 1491
4 x 4 Off-roading
Beating a path into the heart of the Cape’s wilderness reveals fresh perspectives, new scenery, and exhilarating terrain you would never encounter on any well-traveled road. You don’t need to own, buy, or even know how to drive a 4x4 to partake in a little ‘bundu bashing’. But for those with the necessary tools of the trade and the skills to operate them, you’ll find no shortage of bush whacking, dune bouncing, and donga diving opportunities near Cape Town:
- The steep dune systems in Atlantis, 45 km from Cape Town (difficulty level 2-5)
- The Blombosch 4×4 Nature Trail in Yzerfontein (level 1-2)
- Buffelsfontein, which is spread out over Yzerfontein, Darling, and Langebaan (level 3-4)
- The Wiesenhof Trail in Stellenbosch
- Two Oceans View Route in Somerset West (level 3-4)
- Takbok 4x4 Trail in Paarl (level 2-3)
- Babylonstoren Trail in Malmesbury (level 4)
- Sir Lowry’s Pass Route (bookings through CapeNature.co.za)
- Sneeukoppie 4×4 in Rawsonville (level 2-3)
- Tierkloof 4×4, also Rawsonville (level 3-4)
For a more comprehensive list of 4x4 trails in and around Cape Town with booking information, go to Bokkom.co.za/4x4-routes-around-cape-town.
There are also an abundance of 4x4 adventure companies in and around Cape Town that offer guided and self-drive tours. Here are three of the reputable, experienced ones….
Where: Atlantis Sand Dunes
Website: www.allterrain4x4.co.za
Email: trevor@allterrain4x4.co.za
Telephone: +2721 553 3390 / +2782 775 4941
Where: Zevenwacht Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, Cape Town
Website: www.capewowfactor.co.za
Email: info@capewowfactor.co.za
Telephone: +2782 775 4941 / +2782 379 7007
Where: Melkbosstrand, Cape Town
Website: www.activityzone.co.za
Email: trevor@allterrain4x4.co.za
Telephone: +2782 775 4941
