TOUR ACTIVITIES

All the activities below may be included in the individually designed itineraries or may be included during your trip. If the activity is decided upon while on your tour/safari, the cost thereof will be your responsibility. If the activity is decided on beforehand and is included in the package, the cost will be included in the total cost of the tour/safari.

ROBBEN ISLAND TOUR 

From the 17th to the 20th centuries, Robben Island served as a place of  banishment, isolation and imprisonment. Rebel princes from present day Indonesia, convicts from the Cape, and defiant chiefs from the Eastern Cape were removed  from society and brought to the Island in chains.

The notorious prison on the Island was also used to exile political prisoners of the apartheid era between the 1960s and 1991. Today it is a World Heritage Site and museum, a poignant reminder to the newly democratic South Africa of the price some paid for freedom. Visitors are transported to the island via ferry.  All ferries depart from Nelson Mandela Gateway, at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. Once on the Island,visitors are transported by bus. It is important for all visitors to experience allphases of the Island; the island tour discusses these themes as well as the detention and isolation of insane females, people with leprosy and prisoners, including African chiefs in the 1800’s. The Prison tour depicts the lives of political prisoners detained from the 1960’s to 1991. Former Robben Island prisoners conduct the tour.

TABLE MOUNTAIN TOUR

The best views of Cape Town are seen from the top of Table Mountain. The Cableway takes you to the summit in under 10 minutes and the cable car’s rotating floor ensures that all passengers get a 360 degree aerial view of the city. The Cableway was first built almost 79 years ago. On 4 October 1929 the Cableway opened its doors to its first visitors.The opening ceremony, led by the then mayor of Cape Town, drew 200 guests.

SEAL ISLAND TOUR        

Seal Island is a small land mass located 5.7 km off the northern beaches of False Bay, near Cape Town, in South Africa. The island is so named because of the great number of Cape Fur Seals that occupy it. There are a few sea birds as well. It is an outcrop of the Cape granite and rises no more than about six metres above the high tide mark. The island is long and narrow, 800 metre long and only 50 metre wide. There is no vegetation or soil of any significance. A radar mast was built on the island during World War II by a crew, who lived on the island in prefabricated huts for the duration of the construction, but this was blown over in a winter storm in 1970 and all that remains of it is rusty, twisted metal. There are the ruins of a few huts and other structures from the sealing and guano-collection era (first half of   the 20th century).
Some rock inscriptions made by sealers in the 1930s are   still evident. The dense population of fur seals at certain times of the year attracts the seal's main predator, the Great White Shark. Seal Island provides unique opportunities for those who wish to observe attacks by White Sharks on Cape Fur Seal and to observe social interactions amongst both species. The island is well known for the interesting way the sharks grab their prey: They come up from underneath and literally launch themselves out of the water with the seal in their mouth. It has been shown that if the seals that enter the "Ring of Death" (where the sharks circle the island) on the surface instead of at the murky bottom, they willbe picked off by the faster and more aggressive Great White.

SHARK-DIVING EXPERIENCE     

Sharks are quite possibly the world's most feared animals. From the smallest sand shark to the enormous whale shark, they are sleek, muscled, and some are almost as agile as a dolphin. There is no doubt that they are the most evolved predators in the ocean. Row upon row of teeth and capable of sensing the blood of an injured animal from over a kilometer away, its not surprising that they are the most feared creature beneath the waves. And of them all, the Great White is the most awesome.

What we are offering you is the opportunity to dive and meet a Great White Shark, face to face - and on your own terms. Its an education and you will soon learn that this magnificent creature is in fact, highly misunderstood. It is a creature which should be more respected than feared. And if you spend some quality time with us, and with them, you will quickly learn why.

WHALE-WATCHING TRIPS

Whale watching is one of the major attractions of the Western and Eastern Cape.  The peak time, when daily sightings are virtually guaranteed, is during September and October. Humpbacks and Bryde's whales are mostly spotted offshore from boats, but by far the most commonly sighted species, either from land or from boat, is the Southern Right whale. These majestic giants migrate to the South African waters from the Antarctic Ocean to calf from June, and begin the long journey back again at the end of November or beginning of December.  Hermanus, Gansbaai, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Plettenberg Bay and Port Elizabeth offer some of the best whale watching spots and trips. Coming close up with a Southern Right whale in its natural habitat is an exhilarating experience, and you certainly get a thrill from boat-based whale watching.  The boats will not go out in stormy or extremely windy weather, so you must always be prepared for a trip to be cancelledin adverse conditions.  It is advisable to phone up the day before to check with your

operator whether the weather conditions are looking favorable. It is extremely important that you check with your operator the time you should meet, and make sure you are there in time - the boats have to go out at certain tide levels, and quite simply if you miss the tide, then you don't go out! Watching Whales from the Land, if your sea-legs really aren't that strong, then watching whales from the shoreline or from the cliff tops is still a fantastic experience. The whales often come extremely close to the shoreline - within one kilometre - so binoculars are not always necessary, though they are a useful thing to have with you so you can get a closer look. The other advantage is that you will be able to take better pictures, as you will be more steady!

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SNORKELING     

South Africa's southernmost tip is also where two oceans meet - the mighty Indian and Atlantic - a union between hot and cold currents - leading to a rich diversity of marine life. Along 3000 kilometers of alternating sandy and rocky coastline, some of the best beaches in the world can be found. Despite the fact that South Africa is well south of the coral belt, the warm Mozambique current along the east coast has led to Africa's most southerly coral reefs. The effect is great scuba and snorkeling in a somewhat cooler clime than the unbearable heat found along the equatorialregions of Africa. The rainy season here is in the summer, and it ismostly thunderstorms in the afternoon.  Further down the east coast, towards Cape Town in the south, the climate changes from tropical to Mediterranean, with wet winters and hot, dry summers. Here the water is cooler, and the underwater scenery changes from tropical coral to beautiful forests of kelp. The biggest plus of a holiday in South Africa is that sheer number of things to do - not only inside, but also out of the water. The family members who are not "into" snorkeling can drive off to a local game reserve and catch the big five, or investigate the rich floral and breathtaking geographic landscape around.

FLY-FISHING   

South Africa is an unsung number in the world of trout fishing and, secretly, many of people hope that it stays that way.  To the trout fisherman the mountains are a godsend. Close to the coastal plains the mountains rise steeply to over 10 000 feet, causing a massive upwelling of moist air and heavy rain on the eastern slopes in summer. Thus, they are the birthplace of countless trout streams flowing east into three prime trout areas of the country the midlands of KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape.  At the furthest tip of Africa in the Western Cape, trout are found in the high mountains a short distance inland of Cape Town where the climate is Mediterranean with clear sun filled days in the summer.

Apart from these main locations, there is good trout fishing in the independent Kingdom of Lesotho, a landlocked mountainous country crisscrossed by bright, clear streams, most of them over 8 000 feet above sea level. One can get there with four-wheel drive vehicles, but air travel by plane or helicopter makes the trip a little more comfortable.  South African trout waters are small by international standards, more streams than rivers, yet the average size of the trout caught is large. Most of the rivers produce fish of up to four or five pounds, and in the Barkly East area river fish up to nine pounds are not rare.  South African trout fishermen have taken to Stillwater fly-fishing. All the still waters are man-made impoundments, called lakes or dams, averaging 10 to 20 acres. Most are remarkably fertile, and the growth rate of the fish in them is phenomenal. Trout up to 10 pounds have become commonplace, and the best go over 14pounds. Most of fishing is done from float-tubes, using floating lines, imitative nymph patterns and dry flies.  The visitor to South Africa, or the local angler wanting to fly fish for trout, is advised to contact Lyon Tours & Safaris for a full breakdown of the options available.

ROCK & SURF-FISHING

Many of us head out to the shore with rod and reel more for relaxation than nutrition, although the catch is always a prideful addition to the dinner table or braai. Shore angling is the most popular form of fishing - perhaps because it is the most accessible. All you need is a rod and reel, and a list of marine regulations which you can get from any boating or fishing shop. Many locals and visitors are interested in pitting themselves against something a bit more weighty, and big game fishing is a popular pastime. Catch and release is strongly recommended.

DEEP-SEA FISHING   

The waters south-west of the Cape of Good Hope offer some of the finest Big Game Fishing in the world. The warm Agulhas current of the Indian Ocean meets the cold Benguela current of the South Atlantic ocean at Cape Point, providing prolific catches of Yellowfin and Longfin Tuna as well as Yellowtail, Dorado and Atlantic Big Eye Tuna. Our waters are also blessed with an abundance of Broadbill Swordfish "the gladiator of the deep". Broadbill Swordfish are more easily caught at night.

The reefs of Rocky Bank, some six miles south of Cape Point, as well as Whittle Rock situated almost in the centre of False Bay, together with the shoreline off Strandfontein, offer good catches of Cape Salmon, Yellowtail, Elf(shad/bluefish), Snapper, Bream, Makerel, White and Red Stumpnose as well as Red Roman. Snoek, which in appearance is very similar to the Barracuda, are also in abundance, as are Squid. Some three miles off Strandfontein, lies Seal Island, which has the largest concentration of Cape Fur Seals south of Namibia. Great White Shark are often sighted and can be a nuisance by snatching the fish hooked byanglers operating in that area. During the months of September to November, Southern Right Whales are ever present in False Bay, as well as Dolphin throughout the year. Most times, charter boats operating out of Simon's Town, catch crayfish en route, affording anglers, in season, a complimentary scrumptious crayfish banquet at sea. Straight out of the water, into the pot.