Adventure-loving Chennaiites steal the show in SA

The people of the city are the most adventurous lot among Indian travellers to South Africa, indulging in bungee jumping, shark cage diving, abseiling, paragliding and other extreme sports during their Protean odyssey, Nkani added, saying most travellers choose the unexplored regions.

“From almost 85,000 Indian travellers, 6,500 are from Chennai. We’re looking to double the numbers by the end of the year by promoting adventure,” she disclosed.

While Cape Town was made famous by many celebrity tourists, other South African destinations like Johannesburg, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and Free State besides Durban are steadily gaining popularity. One South African Rand equals 5.31 rupees verses one American dollar that equals 71.56 Indian rupees so travellers from Chennai realise they can spend an entire month in a city like Durban versus just three days/four nights in Las Vegas. “Even honeymooners from Chennai shack up in Durban soon after their wedding,” said Phetheni Mbonambi, general manager, Syavaya Tours, a leading tourist agency in Durban.

Sreya D, 25, Neelankarai, who recently visited SA, said, “Swimming and water sports are my thing. Jeffreys Bay and Durban are surfing spots. I spent a week at Coffee Bay just to swim back and forth all day in The Hole in the Wall.”