Overnight with elephants
The Elephant Sanctuary at Hartbeespoort Dam, an hour from Johannesburg in the Magaliesberg mountains, is the only one in South Africa that operates as a "halfway house", taking in young elephants who need a temporary home, with the aim of releasing them back into the wild when they are older. Two-hour programmes are available, but to spend more time with these unique animals book the overnight Elephant Experience programme, which includes a four-course dinner, a night in the lodge and three hours with the elephants the next morning.
• Two-hour trips cost from £36 for adults, £18 for children (under 14). The overnight Elephant Experience costs £120 for adults, £60 for children (+27 12 258 0423, elephantsanctuary.co.za).
Ride the rapids
If you're after an experience to turn your knuckles white, tackling the rapids on the Vaal river should offer all the thrills you can handle. They are manageable though, rather than terrifying, and the stretch at Gatsien can be run as many times as you like – cascade down it, get out, walk back up and do it all over again. The town of Parys – about an hour south of Johannesburg – is the country's rafting capital, and half- and full-day tours are on offer. Boats range from single-seater kayaks to eight-man inflatables, depending on the level of the river and your experience.
• A half-day trip costs £26 (+27 82 475 8767, otters.co.za).
Mountain action
The town of Rustenburg borders the Magaliesberg nature reserve, a sprawling expanse of high veld grasslands and bush veld savannah, separated by the towering Magaliesberg mountains. The scenery in the reserve is spectacular: sheer quartzite cliffs, tumbling waterfalls and lushly wooded slopes and valleys perfect for a spot of birding. For something a little more challenging, book a day that starts with a hike and moves on to rockclimbing up a 40m cliff and abseiling back down again. The group trip is guided throughout, and ends up with a traditional braai, South Africa's answer to a barbecue.
• The all-day trip costs from £36 through Root Adventures (+27 83 571 6777, rootadventures.co.za).
Ride the Western Cape
The Western Cape winelands are perfect for exploring on horseback: the sprawling Berg river valley, the imposing Hawequa mountains, the fynbos (fine bush)landscape – unique to South Africa – and, of course, the vineyards. Take a guided day trip and you will stop off at a couple of old Huguenot farms to sample the wines, as well as visiting Klein Rhebokskloof, a boutique wine and olive estate (with more tastings). The trips are run from the stables at the Diemersfontein Wine and Country Estate, so you can take the edge off any saddle-soreness with a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc when you get back. Overnight tours are also available.
• A one-day tour costs from £65, lunch and tastings extra (+27 82 335 8132, fynbostrails.com).
Get on board
If you've tried snowboarding, sandboarding – whizzing down dunes on a wheel-less skateboard – might be the ultimate new experience, but beginners can have a go too. At the Atlantis nature reserve, just 45 minutes from Cape Town, lie towering dunes, some as high as a six-storey building, with amazing views of Table Mountain. A day's boarding includes a full lesson, with instruction on how to control the board,with experienced boarders on hand throughout the day to help develop your skills.
• A day trip costs £55 including transfers from Cape Town through Downhill Adventures (+27 21 422 0388, downhilladventures.com).
Gorge yourself
Kloofing is the South African take on canyoning, and there's no better place to try it than in Suicide Gorge, a 17km river gorge that is too shallow for kayaking. Following its course requires boulder-hopping, wading, rock-climbing and leaping off 20m cliffs. The gorge is in the Hottentots Holland nature reserve just outside Cape Town, and takes a full day.
• The trip costs £48 including lunch and transfers to and from the city (+27 21 422 3652, revel.co.za).
Fish for your supper
The waters around Cape Town offer great fishing: deep-sea for marlin and yellowfin tuna, inshore for the plentiful Cape snoek. For something more family-orientated, spend a morning cray-fishing in beautiful Hout Bay, south of the city; learn how to bait and set the nets before hauling up your catch. After lunch on board the boat, all participants can take up to four crayfish back to their hotel to be served for supper.
• A full day inshore fishing costs from £385 for a group of up to 10 people (+27 (021 431 8400, capeseasafaris.com).
Garden Route on two wheels
The Garden Route is a popular and scenic stretch of the south-eastern coast, and Knysna, a charming small town that is the gateway to lush mountains, rivers and the tranquil lagoon, lies at its heart. One of the best ways to explore is by mountain bike, and there are plenty of trails for independent half- or full-day rides. Or take an overnight trip up the Outeniqua mountain; it's a long 19km pull up to the 1,500m peak, but coasting back down is a reward in itself. The following day brings a 50km ride, combining 4x4 trails, jeep tracks and some exhilarating downhills - but the route can be changed according to your experience and fitness levels.
• An overnight trip costs £258 (minimum two people) including accommodation, meals and bike hire through Mountain Biking Africa (+27 82 783 8392, mountainbikingafrica.co.za).
Easy riders
What better way to explore the South African countryside than roaring across plains and through mountain gorges on a motorbike? This is serious off-roading – across rivers, up and down hills, over clifftops with stunning views before negotiating the gorge between Mazeppa Bay and Kob Inn, where riders stay at the Kob Inn Hotel, idyllically situated just 100m from the sea.
• The three-day trip costs £640pp, including bike hire, fuel, all meals and accommodation, transfers and a guide through Honda Extreme (+27 41 581 5335, hondaadventure.co.za).
Surfing safari
Jeffreys Bay near Port Elizabeth is world famous for its surf breaks, from the right-handers on the aptly named Supertubes beach, to the gentler waves on beaches that are perfect for absolute beginners. Stay at the traditional Ubuntu guesthouse, 100m from the beach, and you get two-hour surf lessons in the morning, afternoons to practise and evenings in the bar watching surf movies on the giant screen. Ubuntu also has a garden filled with hammocks, a decked terrace for dolphin spotting and a choice of double rooms or dorms.
• Three-night breaks at Ubuntu cost £144, including breakfast, dinner and surfing lessons (+27 42 296 0376, jaybay.co.za).
Whale watching
The South African coast is one of the best places in the world to spot whales, and Walker Bay on the Garden Route plays host to southern right whales from May to December, along with occasional visits from Bryde's and killer whales. Dolphins – bottlenose and Haviside's – are often seen too. Although sighting whales is perfectly possible from dry land, it's worth heading out onto the water to get a really close look at these astonishingly huge mammals.
• Only one boat is allowed to run trips on Walker Bay, and that belongs to Ivanhoe Sea Safaris, which charges from £60pp for a two-hour trip (+27 28 384 0556, whalewatchingsa.co.za).
Birds and bush
The forest and bush around Durban offers great bird-watching potential: black storks, striped pipits, wood warblers and southern tchagras are all easy to spot in a day's tour. A walk through the spectacular river gorges of the Kranzkloof Forest Reserve, can be combined on a day's tour with a visit to the Shongweni Nature Reserve, home to over 200 different species of bird.
• A day trip lasting 8-10 hours costs £225 for up to three people with Birdwatch Cape (+27 72 635 1501, birdwatch.co.za).
Kayak the coastline
Vetchies beach is one of Durban's most popular – easily accessible from the city and a great spot for pootling through the waves in a kayak. Go with an experienced guide and they'll point you in the direction of the Vetchies reef system (which teems with fish), the shark nets and the impressive wreck of the Ovington Court, which sank in 1940 and is home to all manner of underwater life.
• A two-hour guided kayak tour costs £12 (+27 84 823 9470, surfandadventures.co.za).
View from the top
Less than two hours' drive from Durban, the Drakensberg mountains are a World Heritage site that stretches for 200km. Famous for the thousands of rock paintings by the indigenous San people, the landscapes offer a wide variety of hiking trails, from a morning's walk to a whole week's trek. If you're short on time but big on views, join a circular hike to Thabana Ntlenyana, the highest point in South Africa, at 3,482m. The walk begins at the top of the Sani Pass in the south Drakensburg, before heading along the Tsani river and through the rugged Lesotho Highlands. You spend the night under canvas before returning along the Drakensberg escarpment.
• A two-day hike costs £170 including all meals, guiding and park fees through Go Trekking (+27 82 731 4696, gotrekking.co.za).