How to Adventure

Riaan and Margreet the midwife head to Plettenberg bay airport to do some skydiving. The garden route is known for its stunning views and this is probably the best there is. Rivers, forests and the Atlantic Ocean are all that can be seen for miles as they fall through the sky at 200km p/h.

The Drakensberg is a place of fascination for people around the world. Translated to Dragon Mountains, formed in ancient times by volcanic activity, and with the ever-present clouds surrounding these giants, they still appear as dormant dragons, still smoking.

Riaan meets up with Woman's Health editor, Wanita, to snorkel with Cape Town's famous fur seals. Heading off to an island off the coast of Hout Bay they enter the icy Atlantic waters to swim with the 'dogs of the sea' and the Great White shark's primary diet.

Riaan meets up with Cape Town chef Reuben to do some deep-sea fishing. Heading out to Cape Point, a great spot for yellow fin tuna and Dorado, they cast off for the catch of the day. Fighting seals, big waves and the fish themselves, Riaan and Reuben experience fishing as they never have before.

Architect and property developer Greg meets up with Riaan to do something most 20-year-olds would consider extreme, canyoning through the Storms River! Once in the canyon the only way through is to jump off cliffs, scale rock faces and swim in 4 degree Celsius water to the other side.

After getting a puncture on the unforgiving Klahari terrain, Riaan meats up with 4x4 expert Andre and they head out into the wild Kalahari outback to take on the sand dunes and salt pans in Andre's customized 4x4.

Heading to Cape Town's famous Table Mountain, Riaan and Moyra find out that the fastest way to sightsee this iconic city is by off road scooter. Flying down rocky hills and 200-year-old cobbled streets, they realize that there is more to the mother city than they thought they knew.

Impressed by Archie, who took him and Wanita seal snorkeling, Riaan takes this fish out of the water and teaches him to fly. Heading to Cape Town's Signal Hill, Riaan takes Archie for his first ever paraglide. Buffeted by the winds coming off the mountain, they fly over city and sea.

Riaan is joined by beauty therapist Rykie for a two day kayak trip on the Orange River. This iconic river feeds the Kalahari and is an oasis in the South African desert. Kayaking past vineyards and navigating through the many rapids and waterways, they find a secluded river beach.

Having met Etienne through Magreet at the surf shop in Jay-bay, Riaan convinces him to swap his surfboard for a bungee cord and go free falling from the highest bridge in the world! They travel along South Africa's famous Garden Route, deep into the heart of the Tsitsikamma.

After some training on the walls at Johannesburg's City Rock, Riaan heads out to Hartebeespoort and the cliffs of Chospile to put his newly learned skills to the test. Joined by guest and guide Darren, they camp out in the bush and prepare for an intense day of climbing.

Hunting isn't for everyone, but in the Kalahari region it is a staple for how most people get their meat. Lamb or beef is always on the menu but there is nothing quite like game. Riaan and 21 year old beauty pageant winner, Yancke undergo some gun safety training and target practice with their host, Albe, before heading out on the hunt for a Springbok.

Riaan and his guest Dan Nicol head to northern Johannesburg to see who is the champion of the off-road tracks only to have the day take an unexpected turn. Trading racetracks for rocks, Riaan and beauty queen, Michelle, head out to Hennops 4X4 trails to prove that when it comes to off road, women are the better drivers.

Looking back at all his experiences with incredible guests and exciting adventures, Riaan reminisces on the places he's seen and the things he's done. Having travelled the length and breadth of South Africa, seen oceans and deserts, the flat plains and jagged mountains.

Riaan convinces his South African friend, Danie, to meet him in Israel for a fantastic surprise adventure. They meet up at Israel's Ben Gurion airport and then head to the tiny village of Tekoa, 5 miles south of Bethlehem. Tekoa is famous for its valleys, hills and ancient caves that were dug in the karst chalk stone.

The Dead Sea is a place of fascination for people around the world. A salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and Palestine to the west. Its surface and shores are 430.5 metres below sea level, Earth's lowest elevation on land. With a salinity of 34.2%, it is 9.6 times as salty as the ocean and one of the world's saltiest bodies of water.

Jerusalem's Old City is a spiritual hotbed, sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians. Pilgrims flood into the walled city to worship at locations linked to the very foundation of their faith. Church bells, Islamic calls to prayer and the shofar (Jewish ram's horn) electrify the air with a riot of melodies. Riaan will explore this city solo.

Riaan meets up with Israeli archeologist, Hagit, to do some desert exploration in the iconic area of Sodom. Hagit is used to having her feet firmly planted on the ground but it excited to see her desert at speed, in the drivers seat of an ATV. The desert scenery is absolutely breathtaking and surreal. Riaan then heads to the glittering city of Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

Riaan heads out into the wilderness to experience the breathtaking dunes of Al Khaznah between the UAE capital and the Oasis City of Al Ain or explore the desert expanse outside of Al Faya.

Heading to the region of Al Ain Riaan visits Abu Dhabi's first man-made white water rafting, kayaking and surf facility built in the foothills of the majestic Jebel Hafeet mountains and is awe-struck that there could be a water park in the middle of the desert. Riaan meets up with Australian tourist, Luigi to conquer the world's longest, 1.7 km, white water rafting channel network.

When people think Seychelles, they imagine long stretches of white powder beaches and crystal blue ocean but the Seychelles also has incredible inland adventures too. The towering granite mountains of Mahe are fascinating to Riaan. He meets up with Seychelles local and attache to the French ambassador, Rodney, to go and explore the hills.

Riaan is joined by long time south African friend, Seamus, to prove that desert island survival is not only possible but can also be fun. The Seychelles archipelago consists of 115 islands but the majority of the islands are uninhabited, with many dedicated as nature reserves. Where better than one of these to have a desert island adventure.

When your father owns boats and you've lived on an island your whole life it is very unusual to have never been snorkelling before but Riaan meets just such a person on Praslin. Star is a 23 year old model who grew up surrounded by ocean and boats but has never taken a look at what's beneath the waveless surface, until now.

Looking back on all his incredible international experiences with diverse guests and exciting adventures, Riaan reminisces on the places he's seen and the things he's done. Having travelled across the middle east and tropical islands; seen oceans and deserts, flat expanses and towering mountains.