Rare is the visitor who expects everything to be quiet and placid on South Africa holidays - it is, after all, a place where people go for excitement. It is one of the few places in the world where a ride on a 4 x 4 can put you in the path of hippos, rhinos, lions and an elephant or two! For those who can't stand still, here are a few of the more heart-pounding activities guaranteed to give the ultimate thrills on South Africa holidays:

Mountain Climbing

There's definitely no shortage of mountains to climb on South Africa holidays - the bigger problem might be deciding where to start! This topographically gifted country boasts several mountainous regions offering a wide choice of conquests for climbers of different levels, all offering picturesque locations filled with breathtaking views. These include Lion's Head in Cape Town, the Drakensberg Mountains of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, with its famous Restaurant At The End of The World, and Hogsback on the Eastern Cape.

Rock Climbing And Abseiling

For those who want to take their climbing to a whole new level, there's nothing quite like scaling sheer cliffs and rock faces for an exhilarating time on South Africa holidays! Table Mountain is the favoured location for both casual rock climbing and extreme abseiling. It boasts the highest commercial abseil, measuring 112 metres off an otherwise impassable cliff. Mpumalanga is another favourite of rock climbers the world over, offering great rock climbing opportunities in the area, with numerous faces that have yet to be scaled.

If your South Africa holidays take you to the Eastern Cape, there's Van Stadens Gorge, the Grips, Windmill Hole and Lady's Slipper to satisfy your rock climbing and abseiling needs. The Blouberg in Limpopo, the Drakensberg Mountains in KwaZulu-Natal and the Magaliesberg in the Northwest Province also offer a wide range of options suitable for climbers of various levels of expertise.

Kloofing (Canyoning)

Said to have been introduced in the Western Cape, and rapidly growing in popularity among visitors on South Africa holidays, kloofing (also called canyoning) involves following a mountain stream or river gorge down its course, by floating along, swimming and most often, abseiling and jumping over waterfalls into the icy waters below. ski jackets