Unusual Things To Do In South Africa

7 Unusual Things to Do In South Africa

Do you know there are many unusual things you can do in South Africa, beyond the essential attractions that you would like to visit?

Unusual Things to Do In South Africa

South Africa is not only one of the most diverse and vibrant countries on the African continent but it has become one of the most vibrant continents that offer travel ‘experiences’ worth sharing.

Take a quick look at these unusual things to do South Africa:

1. Cage-Free Dive with Sharks

This is something adventurous and thrilling. You can cage dive with white sharks in the Overberg (Gansbaai), which is not far from Cape Town. If you are a freediver, you can do something unusual in South Africa and can also free dive with these ominous beasts of the deep. South Africa offers a couple of cage-free shark dives on offer – Shark Alley in the Castle Rock Marine Protected Area in Cape Town, and shark adventure encounters in Scottburgh, south of Durban.

2. Watch Leatherback Turtles

Here, on the east coast of South Africa, you’ll find that leatherback and loggerhead turtles come back every year to lay their eggs on the beach in the iSimanagaliso Wetland Park. These nesting sites in Africa are critically endangered animals which are fiercely protected by local wildlife authorities. You can get the opportunity to see them laying their eggs during November/December.

3. Swim with Seals

You can snorkel with Cape fur seals just off the coast of the Republic of Hout Bay, which does not mean you need to be a competent swimmer. You will not even need snorkel gear or experience. You just have to know the background information about the seals, a dive guide, and all the equipment. So are you ready to swim with the seals?

4. Sleep in an Aquarium

There are two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town that hosts sleep-overs about four times a year. These include around March, June, October, and December. You may call them for more details, as you must be a member to book.

5. Dance the Nama Reil

You can join this festival of traditional dance which is also described as the Northern Cape’s answer to the Scottish jig, which is organized once a year at the Williston Winter Festival. Here you can have the highlight of the upper Karoo and more than enough reason to visit the place.

6. Stay in a Traditional Mat Hut

If you are looking to live in a traditional style, better to go for a matjieshuis, Haru oms, or the Nama hut. It is a traditional, domed-shaped reed hut which is the symbol of nomadic Nama lifestyle. These huts can be found all over the Richtersveld mountain desert area, especially around the towns of Steinkopf, Springbok and the Richtersveld villages like Khuboes.

7. Kayak up the West Coast

Do you enjoy a gentle sea kayak? Better to head up the West Coast to the popular weekend fishing village of Paternoster. It is a little too far off, or if you want somewhere closer to Cape Town, kayak Langebaan lagoon, or try Hout Bay or Simonstown.