Get active in the South African mountains

For active holidays where you can also get the safari and wilderness experience, South Africa is one of the best destinations to head for.

Cape Town is one of the country's top tourist destinations and offers hiking holiday enthusiasts a chance to conquer Table Mountain or visit one of the many national parks within reach of the city.

However, there is much more to the Cape region than Table Mountain and national parks.

One of South Africa's active holiday hotspots is the Cederberg area, around 200 kilometres west of Cape Town.

Holidaymakers can experience wildlife, amazing natural surroundings and examples of ancient culture in the area.

Rugged, mountainous and vast, Cederberg contains hundreds of rock and cave paintings thought to date from 300 to 6,000 years ago.

Along with the artworks, the wilderness area also gives holidaymakers a chance to see unusual rock formations such as the Wolfberg Arch and Maltese Cross, and take a dip in clear mountain rock pools.

For those visiting in August and early September, the Biedouw valley is the place to go to see the dramatic and colourful sight of the wild spring flowers in bloom.

The area also stretches out to west coast, where holidaymakers can find sandy beaches at Lambert's Bay and Elandsbay, and see thousands of seabirds at Bird Island.

One of the newest places to stay in the area will be Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Retreat's new Koro Lodge, set to open in July 2007.

The lodge, which sleeps up to four adults and four children, will offer all family-friendly luxury, with a resident chef, hostess and guide to assist in exploring the surrounding area.

Activities available are set to include guided rock art walks and nature drives, hiking, mountain biking and canoeing.

For its launch the lodge will be running a July and August price offer of R10,000 (around £700) per night, inclusive of all meals, local beverages with meals, and activities.

For more information on Cederberg region see the official Cape Town website www.tourismcapetown.co.za