Eastern Cape
Where else can you surf the world’s biggest waves, go on a ‘Big Seven’ safari, visit the birthplace of Nelson Mandela and bungee jump off the highest bridge in the southern hemisphere?
No matter where you are in the Eastern Cape there is something for everyone and that is why the Eastern Cape refers to itself as ‘naturally yours’.
Highest Bungee Jump
The adrenaline junkie will be in their element in the Eastern Cape. It’s all here; big game fishing, hiking, quad-biking, canyoning, tree-topping and more.
The world’s highest commercial bungee jump can be found at Bloukrans River Bridge on the Storms River. The daring, adrelaline-rushing dive from this bridge ensures a dazzling 160m of free falling pleasure !!!!
The Big Seven
The Eastern Cape can claim the ‘Big Seven’ wildlife status.
The ‘Big Seven’ consists of the tradition ‘Big Five’ (Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Buffalo and Elephant) as well as the Great White Shark and the Southern Right Whale. Only one park features all seven and its Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
The Rugged Wild Coast
If you live for rugged landscapes and pristine environments, head for the largely untamed Wild Coast. Experience a homegrown welcome at Coffee Bay and take a beach hike or pony trek with the local community guides. The landscape is craggy with high sand dunes, enormous rocky outcrops and unspoiled beaches that seem to go on forever.
The Wild Coast was previously called the Transkei, an independent homeland under the apartheid government. Due to the lack of infrastructure afforded to the area in the past, it has largely remained untouched by commercial ventures. This has produced a number of ‘off the beaten track’ experiences, with hikes, trails and horseriding ranking as some of the most popular Wild Coast activities.
Tsitsikamma National Park
One scenic hotspot is the Tsitsikamma National Park, aptly translating to ‘the place of much water’. This temperature tropical landscape is one of dense forest cut by deep ravines and bordered by breathtaking ocean views. The Tsitsikamma National Park is ideal for hikes, in particular the challenging Otter Trail. If you enjoy seeing the world from an entirely different viewpoint, then book your space on a treetop canopy tour set above the forests of Tsitsikamma.
Port Elizabeth – The “Friendly” City
City life is to be found in Port Elizabeth or ‘PE’. A new chapter of South Africa history began with the landing in 1820 of a group of people known as the British Settlers. PE was one of their main entry points and the city abounds in memorials to their arrival. The Donkin Museum is a good spot for delving into this history. By day, check out the city centre with its historic buildings, the beaches and the dolphins at Bay World. By night, do the tango with lady luck at the Boardwalk Casino. Don’t forget to visit the Nelson Mandela Museum or, if you are brave enough, join the city’s famous ghost tours. There are also a number of excursions to local townships where you can experience a bona fide Africa shebeen (tavern).
Birthplace of Nelson Mandela
One personality towers over the whole province like a colossus – the iconic leader, Nelson Mandela.
Mandela was born in Mvezo and there is an open-air museum containing the remains of the homestead where he was raised.
In Qunu, you will find a Community Museum and a Youth & Heritage Centre in the village where Mandela spent his early childhood. You will find the Nelson Mandela museum in Umtata.
Addo Elephant National Park
Deep within the shadows of the dense valley bushveld of the Sundays River region of the Eastern Cape lies the Addo Elephant National Park. Here, the evenings are punctuated by the strident howl of the black-backed jackal, and the francolin’s call heralds each new dawn. Safe from relentless persecution in the past, the grey leviathans of the bush now roam in peace. The original Elephant section of the park was proclaimed in 1931, when only eleven elephants remained in the area – today this finely tuned ecosystem is sanctuary to over 450 elephants, Cape buffalo, black rhino, a variety of antelope species, as well as the unique flightless dung beetle, found almost exclusively in Addo.
The Sunshine Coast
The Sunshine Coast is the coastal route between St Francis Bay and East London incorporating more than one million hectares of malaria free game reserve.
Stretching from Port Elizabeth in the west to East London in the east, it boasts hundreds of kilometers of shining beaches that bask in sunshine.
Port Elizabeth, offering diverse leisure options from water-sports to township tours, from vibrant nightlife to nature trails, is an excellent base from which to explore the coastline and the interior.
Valley of Desolation
The Valley of Desolation is a geological phenomenon; a sheer cliff face, declared a national monument that lies within the Camdeboo National Park. Located just 14km outside Graaf-Reinet (the oldest town in the Eastern Cape), the diversity of fauna and flora is amazing and it is home to 220 species of birds, 336 plants and 43 types of animals. Visitors to the Valley of Desolation can traverse the walking trails which range from an hour to overnight hikes.
