Once in a lifetime
SIMON COYLE visits magnificent South Africa
LOOKING out of the cage into the deep blue sea, a shark emerges from the murky depths. The creature’s grey skin shimmers in the water with its beady white eyes seemingly fixated on me.
It gets closer and within seconds I am face-to-face with the two-metre long predator. More swim towards me and before I know it a dozen others are now circling the cage.
While my heart is racing, the terror soon gives way to awe as the black tip sharks majestically glide around me. A terrifying, but exhilarating half-anhour, it is one of the many reasons why South Africa is just simply breathtaking.
Whether it’s cage diving with sharks, watching lions during a game drive or horseback riding in the incredible Drakensberg Mountains – it is a country filled with once-in-alifetime experiences. Getting to know Durban
I had flown into Durban, which sits in the southeastern coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal, just days earlier.
Durban itself is a bustling city filled with high-rise hotels, water parks, casino and shopping malls, impressive football and rugby stadiums, a colourful beach front and lively townships.
Cycling down the dazzling stretch of coastline known as the Golden Mile is an enjoyable way of getting to know the area and take in some of the sights and sounds – whether that’s watching brave surfers taking on giant waves or keeping an eye on the cheeky vervet monkeys in the trees.
With daytime temperatures hitting the 20s even in the winter, a great stop-off is at the seafront Circus Circus Cafe where you can enjoy some fresh seafood along with a crisp pint of Castle or a glass of cool dry South African white.
Durban has a fantastic culinary scene and there are no shortage of places to try for a bite to eat in the evening – whether it’s a tender fillet or T-bone steak at Cubana or more traditional African cuisine at Moyo.
And of course no visit would be complete without trying a braai (a traditional South African barbecue) at Under the Moon in the nearby Inanda township – a township where Mahatma Gandhi once lived.
The art-deco Suncoast Towers, which sits just metres from the sea, is the perfect place to base yourself while staying in the city.
The comfortable 36 room hotel lies in walking distance, or a short cab ride, from all the main bars, restaurants and city sights.
Going on safari
But no trip to South Africa would be complete without a safari.
Nothing quite beats the thrill of spotting an animal you’ve only ever seen in a zoo or on a David Attenborough programme roaming free in the plains before your eyes.
And seeing my first wild lion at Nambiti Game Reserve is a moment I will never forget.
After what had been a fairly quiet morning drive around the 22,000-acre park, the guide suddenly stopped the open-top vehicle.
In the grass just several metres away lay a lioness and her two adult sons, sleeping next to the body of a kudu they had just brought down.
One lets out an almighty yawn and slowly strides over to the carcass and feasts on his breakfast – seemingly oblivious to the 4x4 full of watching tourists.
While heartbreaking to see the dead animal, it was jaw dropping watching nature like this at its absolute rawest – and incredible witnessing the king of the jungle so close in its natural habitat.
The reserve itself is home to ‘the big five’ and you are likely to spot game such as zebra, eland and impala during one of the early morning or sunset drives.
I was also lucky enough to watch a giant elephant as it demolished a small tree for its supper – as well as end up in the middle of a heard of passing buffalo.
But most of the time spent on safari though is in the lodge – and the Esiweni Luxury Safari Lodge is a fine place to holiday in splendour.
With just five private suites this quiet lodge sits on top of a giant cliff face above the Sondagsrivier – providing magnificent panoramic views of the reserve. If you are lucky you can lounge away in the infinity pool watching rhinos in the valley below.
Getting there couldn’t be easier, with the reserve just 25km from the town of Ladysmith. Exploring the incredible Drakensberg Mountains
Away from the sea, sharks and safari parks lies the Drakensberg Mountains, the highest range in South Africa.
Snaking the border with Lesotho, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is perhaps one of the most picturesque places in the world.
Its spectacular landscape is filled with lush fields of yellow grass, huge brown mountains and incredible river valleys and gorges.
To get a closer look at all this natural beauty I took a thrilling hour-long helicopter ride with Westline Aviation from Dragon Peaks resort.
Climbing up the rugged peaks in the light fourseater aircraft and then swooping down into the steep valleys is like riding a rollercoaster in the most beautiful theme park in the world.
But if darting down mountains in a helicopter seems a little too extreme then a more leisurely way to explore Drakensberg is by horseback with Ushaka Horse Trails.
I’d never sat on a horse in my life – so had visions of the animal bucking and riding off into the sunset with me clinging on for dear life.
However, after a quick demo, I found it surprisingly easy to pick up - and after a few minutes in the saddle felt like a cowboy who was born to ride.
And it was only once I had ‘mastered’ the art of equestrianism that I was able to look up and start to take in just where I was.
It was indescribably beautiful and relaxing.
Above me was the clear blue sky and beaming sunshine, with the only sound the clip clop of my horse as she moved through the yellow grass fields.
It is a magical way to spend a morning.
There are also hundreds and hundreds of hiking trails in Drakensberg from treks which take a couple of hours to walks which last days.
One easy hike is around the bowl-like Giants Castle - an area named after the huge imposing mountain faces which look more like the walls of a fortress.
For thousands of years this area was home to groups of bushmen who lived in caves in the mountains.
Their impact can still be seen in the form of thousands of beautiful rock art paintings of animals and humans some of which are 4,000 years old.
A great place to base yourself for a few days of action-packed adventure in this part of South Africa is the Drakensberg Sun Resort.
Surrounded by the beautiful mountains the hotel, which has an almost Alpine lodge feel to it with its wooden furnishings, sits in the heart of Drakensberg, making it an ideal place from where you can explore the area.
South Africa is quite frankly a stunning country filled with incredible beauty and unique experiences.
It really is the ultimate bucket list destination.