Zipline in the Sabie River Valley: a fast and furious adventure in Mpumalanga province

Ziplining in Mpumalanga is fun, fast and furious, for anyone with the nerve to try it – although safety remains paramount, so even if you’re the nervous type, you might find the thrill is worth the leap of faith. You don’t need any special athletic skills or to be Iron Man-fit, you just need a little courage. 
 
Experienced guides will give you step-by-step instructions before you climb the 55 metres to the platform (take time to admire the gorgeous view). You are then strapped into a harness and hooked up to a zipline 450m long.  

Now, hold your breath – don’t close your eyes – leap over the edge, and away you go, hurtling down the cable at 90km/h.  
 
At the end of that exhilarating zipline – also called a zip slide – you’ll feel on top of the world.  
 
Induna Adventures, an experienced zip slide operator, is in the Sabie River Valley, on the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga province. It’s a wonderful spot to stop for an exhilarating adrenaline rush in between visiting the spectacular natural attractions nearby – from God’s Window to the Kruger National Park. 
 
If the zipline has fired up your adrenal glands and you’re in need of even more high-octane thrills, then Induna Adventures can take you geckoing (white-water tubing), rafting, mountain biking, abseiling, kayaking or bass fishing. Go in a group, go alone, or opt for an adventure combo for two that includes horse riding, quad biking and rafting.  
 
Zip slides are also called flying foxes (and in South Africa, often ‘foefie slides’), and Mpumalanga is not the only province that offers this adventure rush. If you can’t wait to take on the highest bungee in the world at Bloukrans River Bridge in Western Cape, you can now whizz to the bungee site via their flying fox.  
 
And when you visit the multiple attractions of the Sun City Resort in North West province, you can tackle the biggest zipline of all – running for 2 000m and starting from a height of 280m. 

However, if you’re looking for the much more relaxed alternative, you can head for KwaZulu-Natal and the Karkloof Canopy Tour near Howick in the Midlands. Once you’ve been kitted up and had your harness and pulleys explained and demonstrated, you’ll embark on a tour of platforms built up in the trees of the Karkloof Gorge, in an area that is protected as the Karkloof Forest Reserve. 

Getting from platform to platform high up in the trees is what gives you the extra thrill; the gentle zip slides between the platforms let you glide rather than rocket, so you can take in every wonderful sight in the forest as you sweep through it. Throughout the tour, there is a lead guide and a safety guide with the party to ensure everyone completes each stage without mishap.