Experience The Eastern Cape

Travellers who need further proof that Eastern Cape is indeed the Adventure Province need only travel a short distance outside of Port Elizabeth to an actual wild kingdom. Addo Elephant Park boasts the Big 5 (African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard and rhinoceros), spans 5 of South Africa’s 7 biomes and is the country’s third largest national park. The park boasts various accommodation options but a day trip is the ideal way to experience its many wild inhabitants if time is an issue. There are also many private game reserves surrounding the Addo area. These include Pumba, Kariega and Amakhala Game Reserve. Wherever you choose to venture, safari thrills and luxury accommodation await you!

As a natural extension of the Garden Route, the western coastal stretch of the Eastern Cape boasts both scenic beauty and plenty of opportunities for adventure. Surfers can enjoy Jeffrey’s Bay world famous point break or just catch a tan on its blue flag beach. The Tsitsikamma forest isn’t just a picturesque backdrop for your drive along the Garden Route. It holds many natural wonders and opportunities to up your adrenaline levels. The Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours is the first of its kind in South Africa and suspends its participants 30 metres in the air as they zip-line safely from platform to platform. Besides marvelling at the forest’s ‘Big Tree’, an Outeniqua Yellowwood towering 45 metres skyward, Tsitsikamma also boasts many scenic hiking trails. For the ultimate head-rush, travellers need only drive a short distance further up the Garden Route to the home of the world’s highest bungee jump – the Bloukrans Bridge. Politicians, celebrities and adrenaline junkies the world over have all taken the plunge, now it’s your turn to tick it off your bucket list!

While the Eastern Cape does have its go-to attractions, there are a number of coastal and inland wonders just waiting to be discovered by travellers. The game reserves in the immediate vicinity of Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown are some of the best in the country but there are several lesser known nature reserves throughout the Wild Coast area. Stretching from East London to the southern border of the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal, the Wild Coast is ideal for travellers who want a holiday that is rustic, peaceful and unmistakably beautiful. Don’t let the name fool you, the Wild Coast is just as beautiful and accommodating as its cousin to the west, the Garden Route. However, it brings with it kilometres of untouched beach, a plethora of nature trails and several resort towns so quaint that if you were to blink you would miss them.

Being a coastal province, the Eastern Cape begs to be visited during South Africa’s warmer months. But this doesn’t mean that travellers will be bored during winter. For patrons of the arts and lovers of all things cultural, the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown during June and July is a must. The event brings together the very best of national and international theatre, music and dance. A trip to the nearby town of Hogsback is also an idea. Its beautiful hiking trails, quirky character and various accommodation options all combine to make Hogsback live up to its reputation of being ‘pure magic’.