Explore the culture, wildlife, sights and surf of South Africa on a roadtrip from Cape Town to Durban and beyond! We'll start out exploring the vibrant city of Cape Town and it's amazing beaches, waves and wind; before heading up the East Coast of South Africa surfing world famous spots like Jeffreys Bay and many hidden gems which offer amazing waves & wind!
Zambezi Riversurfing Extension: There is also an opportunity to accompany Ben Wilson to surf the Zambezi River's famous barreling wave on rapid #11 - you won't believe this until you see it (check out the videos in our community).
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Here's a quick snapshot of the trip - for more detailed information, use the tabs above.
Tour Dates Trip 1: 2 Jan - 15 Jan, 2011*
Trip 2: 23 Jan - 5 Feb 2011*
Zambezi Riversurfing Extension: 17 - 21 Jan 2011
* 1 Week options availableDestination South Africa, including Cape Town, Jeffreys Bay, Durban, Addo Elephant National park and many secret surf spots Duration 13 Nights, 14 Days
Zambezi Riversurfing Extension: 4 Nights, 5 DaysSpecial Interest Kitesurfing, surfing, African wildlife & culture, riversurfing & rafting Guide Tony Loxton Adventure Rating Kenetic Activities 
What do these pictures mean?
Group Size Minimum 5, Maximum 12 Accommodation Bungalows - 2 nights
Holiday House - 4 nights
Rondavel Huts - 1 night
Apartment & Lodge - 8 nightsLand Cost From US$2,995 for the full 14 days plus approx US$350 food kitty - see the "nitty-gritty" tab for full list of inclusions
From US$1,695 for 7 days plus approx US$175 food kitty - see the "nitty-gritty" tab for full list of inclusions - highlights
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Surfing & Kitesurfing South Africa
South Africa is world famous for it's surfing and kitesurfing conditions. This trip is all about making the most of the best surfing and kitesurfing South Africa has to offer. We'll travel by van and trailer with all our toys from Cape Town all the way up the Garden Route to Durban, surfing and kitesurfing at every opportunity.
Kitesurfing with Ben Wilson
Yet to be confirmed, however we expect Ben will be joining us on this trip. Ben Wilson is filming his next movie and this is your chance to be part of it! World famous for his wave riding abilities with a kite, Ben is leading the progression of kitesurfing in the waves. This is your chance to kite with and learn from Ben as well as see his next film unfold first hand!
Cape Town
Cape Town is a vibrant and exciting city. During our stay we'll kitesurf Big Bay, explore the city, climb Table Mountain and much more.Addo Elephant National Park
Addo Elephant Park is the third largest National Park in South Africa and is truly unique. As the name suggests it has plenty of elephants, but it also has an abundance of other wildlife.Riversurfing Rapid #11's Barreling Wave (Extension)
The Zambezi River is to riversurfing what Hawaii is to surfing and kitesurfing. Twice a year, when the water level is right, Rapid #11 (also known as Overland Truck Eater) forms a perfect barreling wave! Yes, that's right... you can get completed barreled on a river! You can ride a stand up surfboard or a boogie board, the choice is yours! Check out the videos in our community to see this for yourself.
Victoria Falls (Extension)
The Victoria Falls is the widest curtain of falling water in the world, making it one of the Natural Wonders of the World! It truly is an amazing sight, and one that isn't fully appreciated until you get up close and personal. It is 1,600 metres wide, and falls approximately 110 metres into the Batoka Gorge where our white water rafting trip will begin.
Swimming in the Devil's Armchair (Extension)
You're not going to believe this until you do it! We are going to swim in a small pool on the very edge of the Victoria Falls known as the Devil's Armchair. Quite simply, this is the most beautiful place you'll ever take a dip!
Check out the great photos and videos from other travellers in our community!
- itinerary
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Day 1: Arrival in Cape Town
Arriving in Cape Town you’ll immediately be struck by the natural beauty of the land, the friendliness of the locals and the diversity of cultures. We’ll fetch you at the airport and head out to our accommodation conveniently located at the beach! If you’re up for it, you can get our on the water right away and experience your first kite in South Africa. D
Day 2: Kite & explore Cape Town
Depending on the wind and waves, we’ll kitesurf and explore Cape Town. Possible activities include a trip up Table Mountain, a visit to the Cape Peninsula and a meal at the Waterfront. Not to mention a burger at my good mate Sacha’s Royale Burger bar! If the conditions are right, we’ll kitesurf at Big Bay or any number of other spots in the city. B/L
Day 3: Struis Bay
Departing Cape Town in the morning and heading East we’ll stop in at Hermanus, a beautiful coastal town famous for the annual migration of Southern Right whales which can be seen from the shore. We’ll stop in Hermanus for lunch, before continuing to Struis Bay, a small town renowned having great surf. Hopefully we’ll get a great downwinder this afternoon hitting the best waves of Struis Bay!
Day 4: Witsand, Breede River
A short drive further up the coast and we’ll arrive at one of South Africa’s best kiting locations, Witsand. Located on the mouth of the Breede River, Witsand offers both wave and flat water conditions! We will stay right in front of the action and enjoy all this area has to offer.
Day 5: Stillbaai
After a morning surf, we’ll drive up the coast, arriving in Stillbaai in time for lunch and an afternoon kitesurf. A small coastal village, Stillbaai is a great place to base ourselves as we explore the surrounding surf breaks and beaches. Stillbaai has an epic right hand point break right out the front of town that is ranked as one of the best kiting spots in South Africa!
Day 6: Buffelsbaai
Heading further East we’ll stop along the way at Myoli Beach, an spot with several great breaks that work well for kitesurfing. A short drive further and we’ll arrive at Buffelsbaai where we’ll spend the night. Buffelsbaai also has an abundance of great waves from beach breaks to right hand point breaks!
Day 7 & 8: Jeffreys Bay & Cape St Francis
J-Bay doesn’t need much of an introduction… International surfers flock to catch legendary waves in this paradise of perfect point breaks and classic reefs. Depending on conditions, we’ll surf Jeffreys Bay as well as the famous Cape St Francis a few miles south as well as explore the kitesurfing options. D
Day 9 & 10: Cannon Rocks & Addo National Park
Leaving J-Bay we continue up the coast to Sardinia Bay, a highly regarded wave spot for both surfing a kiting. Then we pass through Port Elizabeth and continue up to Cannon Rocks, possibly the best kiting spot on the East Coast. Cannon Rocks is blessed with big swells and uncrowded beaches!
The following day we will venture into Addo Elephant Park just outside Cannon Rocks. South Africa’s third larges National Park, Addo is home to the “Big Seven” – elephant, black rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, great white shark and sperm whales! A morning in the national park, followed by an afternoon kite session and then maybe sundowners back in Addo are the ticket for today!
Day 11: Coffee Bay
Today we literally go back in time about 100 years as we venture into a region known as the “Wild Coast” in the Transkei. It is an incredibly beautiful part of the South African coastline punctuated with small villages of rondavels with thatch rooves. We are staying in the remote town of Coffee Bay in traditional rondavel huts in an idyllic setting on the coast. There is great surf and plenty of other activities in the area.
Day 12 & 13: Durban
Leaving the Transkei, we continue up the coast to the hustle and bustle of Durban, South Africa’s second most populous city. Durban is an exciting beach city famous for it’s warm weather and amazing surf and kiting conditions. We’ll be welcomed by a few locals and spend the next couple days exploring the best spots this city has to offer! D
Day 14: Departures or transfers to Zambia
Most people will venture home today, unless you’re adventurous enough to join us on the trip extension to Zambia to go surf rapid #11 on the Zambezi River!
Extension
Upon arrival in Zambia, we'll head to the world famous Victoria Falls for sundowners!
Day 15: Zambezi River Rafting & Riversurfing
Today we'll do a full day white water rafting and riversurfing on the Zambezi River, getting to know the river and learning the skills required to surf rapid #11. Along the way we'll have a go at surfing many standing waves too!
Day 16 & 17: Riversurfing Rapid #11 - Overland Truck Eater
With our newfound skills, we'll spend the day surfing the barreling wave on the Zambezi. With a bit of luck, the water level will be perfect and we'll be getting barrels galore!
Day 18: Departures
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. There may be a bit of time in the morning for some souvenir shopping before catching your flight home.
- activities
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The Ultimate Kite Surfari adventure trip is packed with great activities including kitesurfing, surfing, rafting, riversurfing, game viewing and much more.
Kitesurfing & Surfing
This trip is all about the kitesurfing and surfing. The entire itinerary is designed to hit the best wave spots in South Africa for both kitesurfing and surfing. We will kite and surf several of South Africa's best breaks ranging from beach breaks to reef and point breaks. The conditions are world class and you can push yourself as hard as you like!
Riversurfing & Rafting
Riversurfing is one of the most adrenalin pumping sports in the world. With a lifejacket, fins, helmet and boogie board, you set off down a river surfing waves and running rapids. Beginners are first taught the basic skills required in flat or slow moving water. Then, once comfortable with the basics, you head downstream taking on gradually larger and larger rapids. All the time you're lead by expert guides who know the river intimately and can ensure you don't get into harms way.
Along the way downstream, you'll stop and surf standing waves. The waves vary in size, shape and location depending on the water level of the river at the time. There is always plenty of surfing to be had on the Zambezi River - infact we used to refer to it as the Hawaii of riversurfing! Your guides will show you how to surf the waves and then encourage you to have a go. You'll have plenty of time to get the hang of it before continuing downstream to find the next wave, or drop-in to the next rapid!
In the late 90's, Serious Fun used to run commercial riversurfing trips on the Zambezi. Check out this promotional video to get an idea of what it's all about.
Check out the great photos and videos from other travellers in our community!
- nitty-gritty
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Land Cost
2 Weeks: US$2,995 per person plus a food kitty (approx US$350)
1 Week Option: US$1,695 per person plus a food kitty (approx US$175)
Extension to Zambia: US$995 per person
Single Supplement - upon applicationRates quoted are per person, based on sharing double or twin accommodations. If you prefer single accommodations, you must pay the Single Supplement Fee. If you’re travelling alone and wish to share accommodations, we’ll do our best to find you a roommate.
A 3.5% credit card processing fee will be charged to all payments. To avoid this fee, contact us to arrange payment by bank transfer. See our Terms and Conditions of Travel for more information on cancellations and refunds.
What’s Included
All activities, meals and accommodation mentioned in the itinerary as included. Further inclusions are:
- Expert leadership and guides
- Airport transfers
- Sightseeing as noted in the itinerary
- Ground transportation
- Additional guides where necessary
- National Park entrance fees and permits
What’s Not Included
International airfares; optional activities; optional tipping to leader/guides; gratuities; meals not noted as included on the itinerary; travel insurance (we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance - 35th Parallel can provide this if you like); excess baggage charges; airport taxes; costs of medical immunisations; and items of a personal nature (sodas, alcoholic beverages, laundry etc.).
Optional Extras
The following are all optional extras and will incur an additional cost:
- Optional activities where available (such as the gorge swing, bungee jumping etc.)
- If you wish to commemorate the experience, we can provide hats, t-shirts and soft jackets with custom printing or embroiding.
Sporting Conditions
Many of the sporting activities we do are weather dependent. Whilst we make every effort to ensure the conditions are right by selecting the most suitable time of year and location, the actual conditions on tour are of course completely out of our control. For this reason, there are no refunds due to lack of suitable weather conditions. For further details, please see our detailed Terms and Conditions of Travel.
Air Travel
Airfares to and from the departure point for this trip are not included in the land cost. We are happy to provide a quote for your domestic and/or international travel, or you can source your own airfares via the internet or your preferred travel agent. Please be sure to check your tickets with our staff before purchasing or obtaining your tickets. We need to verify your arrival and departure schedule and ensure we have enough participants to operate the trip.
Seasonal Considerations
The weather in South Africa and Zambia will be very warm both during the day and night (approx 24-38°C). The heat in Zambia will be dry heat, so even thought it is hot, it isn't humid and uncomfortable. So you should be prepared for warm weather and pack accordingly - the pre-departure information pack provided once you've booked will outline exactly what you'll need to pack for this trip.
Accommodations
To maximise the “local” aspect of our adventures, wherever possible we avoid staying in large hotels or “tourist traps”. We prefer to stay in accommodations that would normally be frequented by the locals, thereby giving us more opportunities to travel like locals, and meet locals. On this tour the accommodations range from basic traditional Rondavel Huts through to holiday houses and lodges.
First Aid
We provide a comprehensive expedition first aid kit but prefer everyone to be independent with basic first aid items. Your personal first aid kit should include: Pain killers, Plasters (Band-Aids), strapping tape, anti-biotic cream, general anti-biotics (ask your GP), Diamox, throat lozenges, re- hydration salts & other personal medication of your choice. Please be sure to read the comprehensive pre-departure pack for this trip to get an understanding of what to expect and what to bring.
- booking
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We are in the process of updating our booking system, so if you're interested in this trip, please contact us.
If you've got any questions, please don't hesitate to give us a call:
In Australia: +61-8-9463-6642
Toll Free from USA/Canada: 1888-460-1280