Top 10

Responsible tourism adventures

1Soweto bicycle tours

The best way to explore a place is to do it on foot – or by bicycle. Soweto is so colourful, so full of life, that it’s worth doing a slow cruise around it on a bike. Banter with the roadside vendors as you explore this iconic township.

2Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour

Being in the canopy of a forest is a very different experience to seeing it on the ground. Especially if you speed between great yellowwoods and rainforest trees on a cable slide. Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours has impeccable greenie credentials.

3Dyer Island Cruises

Want to dive with sharks? Want to see whales up close? Want to tick off those rare pelagic birds and see dolphins surfing in the waves? Dyer Island Cruises in Gansbaai is 1 of the most respected responsible tourism operators in the field.

4St Lucia Tours and Charters

You could putter around the famous Lake St Lucia and see crocodiles and hippos, go deep sea fishing, or go seeking out humpback and other whales off northern KwaZulu-Natal’s incredible coastline

5Dreamcatchers Alternative Wine Tour

Ever wanted to take a behind-the-scenes wine tour? Here you get to meet the workers and see how they live. And you get to enjoy a riotously fun lunch with the Kamammas (mothers) in Stellenbosch’s township.

6Cape Malay cooking safari

South Africa was arguably the first home of fusion cuisine. People from the East Indies were brought here as slaves and have made an indelible (and delicious) mark on the country’s flavours. Come and learn how to cook (and eat) a great Cape Malay curry.

7Calabash Tours of Port Elizabeth

This Eastern Cape port has a fascinating history. Calabash Tours will open all of it up to you, from the colonial history to the townships which were seminal in the fight against apartheid. Why not mingle with locals over a pint and a meal at a local tavern too?

8Mehloding Adventure Trail, Eastern Cape

Just outside Matatiele in the Eastern Cape, the sandstone mountains with their proteas and little streams beg to be explored. Go slackpacking with the Mehloding Community Trust, and be hosted every night in a friendly, comfortable village.

9!Khwa ttu San culture and education centre

Ever wanted to spend some time with the First People of the world? The San people spiritually stand shoulder to shoulder with Australia’s Aboriginals, and Amerca’s Native Americans. At !Khwa Ttu, you can find out about their beliefs, worldviews, and experiences.

10Ocean Blue Adventures

Plettenberg Bay – better known as Plett – is a destination for horsey people and party people, among others. But few truly appreciate how lucky Plett is in having no heavy industry. As a result, the coastline is alive with dolphins, whales and seals.