There can be little to beat the thrill of skydiving from an aircraft above the awe-inspiring landscape of the World’s seventh South African Heritage Site. And that is why thousands of tourists flock to Parys in the northern Free State to undergo this experience first-hand.
These adventure seekers are treated to the double-thrill of the jump, combined with a bird’s eye view of the Vredefort Dome Heritage Site.
Descending to earth from 11 000 feet AGL (above ground level), their breath taking experience is made all the more memorable because of the natural topography of the area.
What better way to view the spectacular scenery of this Heritage Site and what better place to establish a Drop Zone than slap bang in the middle of the Vaal River’s scenic waterway system?
Parys is now the recognised adventure capital of South Africa. This small northern Free State town falls within the Vaal triangle and is ideally situated to attract thousands of tourists from near-lying Johannesburg. Thrill-seekers from the Gauteng city are a mere hour away from this adventure paradise.
The Vredefort Dome offers a veritable feast of adventure sports for thrill seekers. This mecca of extreme sports has a menu of activities that include quad biking, river rafting, abseiling, hot air ballooning, mountain biking, paintballing, zip lining and last, but not least, skydiving.
So, is falling out of an aircraft is what tickles your fancy, look no further than Skydive Parys.
It is undoubtedly the country’s premier scenic inland skydiving hot spot and provides adventurers with different skydive options.
Newbies can learn the art of skydiving from highly trained and experienced instructors.
First-time skydivers can opt for the tandem skydiving option in which they are teamed together with an experienced instructor. Training to jump action takes less than an hour!
Then there is Skydive Parys’ fun jump option for experienced skydivers. The company’s beautiful Vaal River Drop Zone and other facilities act as a magnet that attracts experienced skydivers from the Johannesburg and Pretoria areas. These adventure seekers flock to Skydive Parys knowing that they can expect to jump from a minimum of 11 000 feet AGL.
The company has strict rules for experienced skydivers. These include the rule that all sports skydivers must be licensed members of the Parachute Association of South Africa.
Apart from falling out of the sky, visitors to Parys can also enjoy unique experiences on terra firma. There are literally dozens of guesthouses, campsites and hotel accommodation to cope with the many visitors to the area.
Notwithstanding its action-packed sports facilities, the town is also home to less sobering activities such as visits to its craft beer breweries, or a distillery that is better known for its 52 varieties of “mampoer” than it is for its brandy!
But, at the end of the day, Parys is a thrill-seekers paradise and Skydive Parys is a value-added package to the town’s extreme sporting menu.
