Adrenaline In The Cape

16th October, 2014 | Article By Matt Rowbotham

South Africa in all it’s beauty.. where would you even start?

Taking my fourth trip to SA in April 2014, the land of the Zulus and Boers combined, never fails to impress me with all it has to offer.  Whether you are in the stunning heights of Table Mountain in the Cape, searching for one of the ‘Big Five’ in Kruger or enjoying some of the continent’s freshest seafood in Port Elizabeth, this is one country that will not let you down.

Being one for adventure, I wanted to give two of my ‘adrenaline highlights’ from my trips to the magnificent ‘Kaapstad’, or Cape Town.

Number One – Who’s Hungry?

The sacrifice of getting up at 3am to take a bus from Cape Town to Gansbaai is nothing that could be compared with the thrill of spending a day cage diving with Great White Sharks.  The ruler of the Ocean certainly lives up to her name and I got to meet her face to face on this trip organised by Great White Adventures.

For only R1350 (about £90 and much cheaper than doing it in the alternative of Port Lincoln, Australia that wanted to charge me $300!)  you get a full day out including lunch and bus ride to and from Cape Town.  Be aware of the R350 charge to take home a video of the experience (I did it) which for me personally was definitely worth the memory.

It’s something I’ll never forget and would thoroughly recommend any thrill seeker to brave the depths of the cold Indian Ocean to meet this beautiful creature face to face and be able to tell your friends how cool you are in the process!

Number Two – Is It A Bird?

My second activity that I would recommend is paragliding off Table Mountain.  A spectacular way to view all of Cape Town as you glide over Seapoint, you can even see Robben Island in the distance where Mandela stayed for 27 years.  You’ll be met by one of the friendly Afrikaans instructors, but don’t expect a long safety lecture, it’s not their forte.  Within the moment of arriving I was strapped in to my harness and in the air within no more than 5 – (YES 5!) minutes.

Photographs as always are upsold to you once you are on the ground but as with the cage diving, I think £12 to take the memory away on digital is more than worth it.  Shots are professionally taken by your instructor.  Cost for my 5min ride came to R130 (about £70), which for a 10min rush may seem expensive but it’s certainly something you won’t forget!

By Matt Rowbotham

Matt Rowbotham
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