PARA…PARA…..PARAGLIDE…WOAH WOAH-OH

Posted on Thu June 18, 2015.

Here's a thought, which band/group name best suits Afrovibe and its surroundings? 'Green Day' because of our surrounding nature? 'Deep Purple' because of our other-worldly sunsets? Or even 'Sublime' because of the lekka Pizza's available at the bar? Let’s go with 'Earth, Wind and Fire', because here in the Slow Town of Sedgefield we look after our environment and our Mother Earth. Locals eat, sleep and ride the wind spells on the Ocean and in the evening we all gather together around the campfire and share tales and conclusions of the going on of the previous 24 hours.

Life here is truly about Earth, Wind and Fire.

Most South African youth travel destinations on the Baz Bus route always have the 'MUST-DO' activity, the one that you should focus your attention on and to remind yourself why you went there for in the first place, Sedgefield is of course no different to going to Hermanus for Whale Watching, Mossel Bay for Shark Cage Diving or Oudtshoorn for Ostrich riding. Sedgefield rides famously on the spell of Paragliding, and on weather dependant days, in most parts of town you will be able to look up to the sky and see tens and tens of flying people popping out of the skies with brightly coloured apparatus and an Alligator sized smiles slapped across their faces.

For those who aren't familiar with the activity or its origins, the word 'Paragliding' was first used in a flight manual only as far back as 1985 and written by Patrick Gilligan (Canada) and Bertrand Dubuis (Switzerland), so the next
'A Canadian and a Swiss walk into a pub' joke will be invalid because a great adrenaline sport that was born out of it.

Want to know more?

Afrovibe collaborate with the FlyTime Paragliding who offer tandem flights and paragliding courses. What’s cool about FlyTime? They’re local just like us and their lives too are about Earth, Wind and Fire! Combined with the reality of 'Weather Dependency' and them making sure that you get the best Paraglide possible without having to re-schedule, the flights take place from many different locations around the Garden Route. Launches can take place from Knysna, Brenton On Sea, Buffelsbaai, but the most amazing flying opportunities for a first timer or a regular can be found at the 'Cloud 9' spot high up in Sedgefield or at the 'Map of Africa' site in Wilderness.

As well as 'Cloud 9' being the Afrovibe choice location for our 'Sundowners' and 'Sunset Cruises', this amazing spot boasts beautiful views of the sea, fossilised sand dunes, river mouth/lagoon and the beautiful Swartvlei and Groenvlei (Vlei being 'Afrikaans' for small or minor sized lake). If you are the standard sort of Baz Bus Backpacker which we are so used to greeting at our establishment, a few of you might have passed the 'Map of Africa' spot without realising it. It is located just before you get into Wilderness where you drive along a very low highway pass with a beautiful river flowing on your right which might remind you of Thailand, after turning a corner you will see many low flying Paragliders that may only be around 20 metres higher than your vehicle, this is the Wilderness idea of fun, be a part of it.

The Tandem Flights prove to be the most popular at R550.00 per person and it will give you an unforgettable 15 minutes of flying from any of the above locations mentioned . Since the guys you GO flying with are PROS, they will also be filming with GO-PROS, try and say that after 10 Black Labels, so you will be able to collect photo documentation of your amazing flight.

Should you have the luxury of having a bit more rand in your pocket we would also recommend the 'PARA-MOTOR' Flights which is Paragliding with a Motor and a Guide at the cost of R990.00. The benefits here are;
Going heck of a lot faster, giving you the chance to get closer to the Ocean, an aerial view of Sedgefield’s beaches, Swartvlei lagoon, Gerickes Point and an unobstructed view of the fossilized dunes on Myoli Beach.

So to all of the Backpackers/Travellers/Adrenaline Junkies and Culture Enthusiasts……HAPPY FLYING!

-The Afro team