Fall in LOVE with the Eastern Cape this Summer
Your Eastern Cape Summer Bucket List
Karoo Brew
In Durban Street, Cradock, you’ll find KarooBrew in what looks like a typical old Victorian house.
But inside, the decor is modern and spacious, a blend of brushed steel, free fast wi-fi and old wooden floors.
The atmosphere is permeated by the alluring smell of freshly roasted coffee, the sweet earthiness of hessian sacks, and the distinctly Italian fragrance of pizza in the oven
The coffee is Solar Roasted, using state of the art, environmentally-friendly technology with infrared radiation in revolving perforated drums. It results in beautiful aroma and flavour, while using only one unit of electricity per roast.
Find KarooBrew at 20 Durban Street in Cradock, on Facebook (@KarooBrew20) or Instagram (karoo_brew). Or call them on 064 087 9853
On Foot Cheetah Tracking Mountain Zebra National Park
Drive out with your guide to search for the elusive Mountain Zebra National Park cheetahs. When signal from a collared cheetah is found, you will have the opportunity to get closer on foot. Ranging between 1-3 hours. Minimum of two and maximum of eight people. From 12 years – 65 years. If you are older than 65 years and wish to undertake the activity, you will be required to submit a doctor’s certificate stating you are medically fit to undertake a hike in rugged terrain. Neutral clothing (not white or black) and walking shoes required. Bring own water and a small snack.
www.sanparks.co.za/parks/mountain_zebra/tourism/activities.php
+27 48 881 2427
Chokka Trail
Three picturesque fishing villages, a rugged coastline, sand dunes as far as the eye can see, a tidal river, protected fynbos, wetlands and a visit to South Africa’s only privately owned working harbour. These are some of the ingredients that make up the Chokka Trail, a 62km slackpack hiking holiday between Oyster Bay, St Francis Bay and Cape St Francis.
0738250835
Island Nature Reserve
The Island Nature Reserve boasts dense indigenous Alexandria coastal forest, through which there are a number of pathways and trails along which to walk. These are safe and easy to manage, even for little ones. The Bushbuck Hiking Trail is a 16 kilometre walk that is a circular trail with a lookout and views of the Indian Ocean and surrounding mountains. This is the longest of the trails, with others covering shorter distances, starting from about 1.5 kilometres.
https://visiteasterncape.co.za/parks/island/
041 378 1634 ·
Frosty Peaks Camino
A unique high altitude walking tour that will take you from cave to beautiful cave. Each days walking is around 15 to 20km for 5 days along gravel roads and local trek paths, meandering between farms, mountains and river streams.
Each destination offers great scenery and the opportunity to continue exploring. Cool off mid-walk by swimming in the streams and picnicking under the shade of poplar trees.
Setting up camp underneath magnificent sandstone caves will keep you sheltered, dry and comfortable, while you enjoy your evening meal under the stars.
Walkers have the opportunity to spot local wildlife, such as; Mountain Rhebuck, Lammergeiers, eagles, Dassies, hares and more.
Come and enjoy our home with us, and leave with wonderful memories to take back to yours.
https://frostypeaks.co.za/camino/
frostypeaks.wartrail@gmail.com
Whatsapp: 083 578 7033
Skydiving JBay
Skydiving is an amazing sport that opens a new dimension to you that you may never thought of before. You will make great friends from all walks of life, and once qualified be able to skydive with your license anywhere in the world! If you are unsure whether skydiving is for you, consider a tandem as an introductory insight into the world of skydiving.
https://skydivejeffreysbay.co.za/
+27726622150
info@skydivejeffreysbay.co.za
Wild Coast Horse Riding
Horse riding along the beaches of the Wild Coast offers some of the most perfect and spectacular horse riding countryside found anywhere in the world. At the Great Kei River, a pontoon will transport you and your horse into rural Africa where sleepy tribal villages await you. As you rid through undulating hills, comfortable hotels are nestled in coves along the coast, providing perfect stop off points for horse and rider. Explore the rolling hills and savanna grasslands, home to a kaleidoscope of gaily painted rondavels, that form the heart of the Transkei landscape. You will experience for yourself a rainbow of people and a community working together through tourism. Our horses are very fit and for advanced riders the pace pace is fast and exciting. Rolling hills, deep gorges, and cliff tops that plunge into the ocean ensure that this is not just a beach ride; it is an adventure. The beach gallops are exhilarating, the environment pristine, and the views stunning. The local Xhosa people are warm and friendly as we meander through their villages, in this rural African wilderness.
0825670972
Tsitsikamma Big Tree
A trip to Tsitsikamma on the Southern Cape coast of South Africa will show you a side of Africa and South Africa that you never imagined existed. The name of this coastal region of South Africa is “The Garden Route” – so named for the indigenous Fynbos that is the world’s smallest and most diverse of all the floral kingdoms and the dense natural forest of the Tsitsikamma.
Standing guard over the treetop canopy in the heart of the forest is The Big Tree – an eight hundred- year-old Yellowwood. This majestic tree towers over the rest of the canopy; standing 36+m tall and with a trunk circumference of 9m – this is a giant among giants.
The National Road to Tsitsikamma runs through the dramatic Garden Route (between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth) – edged by the indigenous forest and Tsitsikamma Mountains on one side and coastal cliffs with seaside inlets on the other. The Big Tree is close to the charming little village of Storms River where one can stay nestled in the forest, book a zip-lining excursion, blackwater tubing or Segway adventure tour and also close to the magnificent Storms River Mouth – a jewel of the Tsitsikamma National Park that offers excellent hiking opportunities, snorkelling, swimming, scuba diving and kayking into the ancient Storms River Gorge.
https://www.tsitsikamma.info/news/the_big_tree_%E2%94%82tsitsikamma
Blue Flag Beaches
A beach that has been awarded a Blue Flag means that it meets the highest standards of environmental management. These standards are for water quality, safety, and public environmental education. The following are beaches to visit in the Eastern Cape:
Hamburg Beach – Hamburg
Dolphin Beach – Jeffreys Bay
Kings Beach – Gqeberha
Humewood Beach – Gqeberha
Hobie Beach – Gqeberha
Kariega Beach – Kenton on Sea
Kellys Beach – Port Alfred
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/lifestyle/blue-flag-beaches-south-africa-list-2021/
Kayak & Lilo
Stormsriver Kayak & Lilo adventure
The 2-3 hour Storms River kayak & lilo adventure is our most popular adventure activity in Tsitsikamma National Park. If you are keen to explore deeper into the Storms River Gorge in Tsitsikamma, and experience the long, deep, quiet pools, then the kayak and lilo trip is for you.
+27 731300689 / +27 769592817
marthinus@untouchedadventures.com
Kwanda Voluntourism
Kwanda is a unique and innovative registered social enterprise business, focused on voluntourism as a means of raising funds and providing other forms of assistance to expand the delivery of community development projects in rural Eastern Cape. Interested in knowing about life in rural South Africa? Feeling creative? Love to help? Willing to transfer your skills, support and empower others? Wondering what to do during your free time/ summer/winter holiday? Join us… Kwanda Voluntourism is a 100% black female-owned Social Enterprise business.
Owner manager, Zoliswa Mtinini Tuswa is a Social Entreprenuer and have over twelve years of tourism experience both as a Business Owner, Travel consultant, Events Organisor, Life Coach and a Tourist Guide – and through her hard work in 2017 she won in Provincial and National Lilizela Tourism Awards for her Service Excellence.
https://kwandavoluntourism.co.za/
073 4051 810 | info@kwandavoluntourism.co.za
East London Walking Tour
This is a new tour for visitors to East London. This is the easiest way to learn about the history of the city, to meet the locals and know about some of the important buildings in the city. Pick up for the tour is at East London Aquarium or East London Museum. You will meet with your Guides who will take you through our route. Duration 3 hours. You will walk through the City and visit historical sites of East London. The tour ends with catching a local Taxi where you will experience to be inside the local taxi with the locals.
https://www.imontitours.co.za/activities/east-london-walking-tour-3/
+27 83 487 8975 Call & WhatsApp.
Leopard Trail
The Leopard Trail is a 4-day and 3-night hike set in the magnificent Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site Wilderness Reserve. This is a slackpacking hike – each day we transport your bags and food from one overnight hut to the next, leaving you to walk with only a day pack.
The Leopard Trail is a moderately difficult hike with the longest day being 22km. The route is designed for people of good hiking fitness.
A maximum of 12 hikers is permitted on the trail at a time. The minimum number is 4.
074 939 4395 reservations@gobaviaans.co.za
Sandboarding
Experience Sandboarding or Sandsledding the famous Alexandria Dune Field – the largest and least degraded coastal dune sea in Africa. The fresh ocean air will embrace you as your board skips across the sand on your way down to the Sundays River –it’s one wild ride! Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned sandboarder, our guides will have you boarding like a pro in no time! Excursions are available in two- or three- hour tours, which will give you enough time to get into your groove, master some new skills and cool off in the river. To suit a variety of boarders, we have standing boards (like snowboards) or a belly board upon which you can sit or lie down. The variety of our offerings makes sandboarding in Addo perfect for the travelling family and all who are wild at heart. We bring the equipment and you bring your sense of adventure
Segway Tours
Tsitsikamma Segway Tours are situated in Stormsriver Village and at Tsitsikamma Backpackers. They offer 1 & 2 hour fully guided segway tours. A Segway is a 2-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered, green personal transporter. Totally fun, addictive and the perfect family adventure!
The tours start off with a training session and then you head off to glide through our little adventure filled village and select a forest road that leads deep into the pristine Tsitsikamma Indigenous forest. There are a selection of forest trails available and one of them even takes you right up to the famous 1000-year-old Outeniqua Yellowwood tree. Pre-bookings essential and open daily.
Adventures in Hogsback
Mountain Biking
Rent a bike and enjoy a scenic ride past numerous waterfalls to hidden viewpoints off the beaten track. Take in the breathtaking views over the surrounding areas while you take a dip in a refreshing rock pool and enjoy a quiet picnic at Robinson Dam.
Alternatively, use the bikes to potter around town and visit the local art and crafts venues.
Abseiling
Abseil down a 35m waterfall into the indigenous forests below – an exhilarating alternative to reaching the bottom of the famous Madonna & Child Waterfall.
Archery
Try your hand at the age old tradition of Archery. Safe, easy fun for the whole family
Karoo Wild Fly Fishing
The Karoo, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa is classed as arid, semi-desert, which means that people don’t associate it with fly fishing. But even though the Karoo is always imagined as semi-desert, it is far more diverse than that.
Wild Fly Fishing in the Karoo has secured exclusive access to several dams (still waters) and stretches of river in the Somerset East district for fly fishing. When you fly fish these exclusive waters, you will experience the majesty of the Karoo, with no interruptions – well, except maybe a trophy sized trout at the end of your fly line! The best catch is a 6.48 kg (just over 14 lb) rainbow trout hen that was caught in the river in 2013, a record size for river trout in South Africa.
https://www.wildflyfishinginthekaroo.co.za/
082 442 2884 Alan
082 375 4720 Annabelle
Richmond Hill Brewing Company
Richmond Hill Brewing Company are beer loving originals with a taste for good beer! A brewery here to leave its mark amongst the beer greats. Come and try our latest creations
Pondo Tours
Hike along the beautiful Wild Coast of South Africa and stay in different villages with the Pondo people. Local families will provide you with accommodation, bedding and three meals a day. There are many options to choose from.
0837282007
info@pondotours.co.za
Southern Cross Cruises
Southern Cross Boating and Adrenalin are the only East London ‘boat based permit holders’ for Whale & Dolphin watching. They also offer a variety of Ocean Cruises, River Cruises and Adrenalin water adventures in
East London, to suit all tastes and age groups. As the only ocean going SAMSA approved tour operator in the
East London Harbour, Southern Cross Boating is East London’s premier coastal waters tour operator, with over
10 000 hours of experience under our belt.
https://www.southerncrosscruises.co.za/
info@southerncrosseastlondon.co.za
0829386275
Honey Experience
Join our professional beekeeper in the field and get to experience how to extract honey from the hives. After lunch you will get the opportunity to bottle honey that you extracted from the hives.
Honey experience full day consists of a morning out in the field, in a complete kit, lunch @ 13:00 and back to the bottling plant @ 14:00.
Safety gear with boots a mask and head cover.
You will be in the field with a guide working on the bee boxes, taking out the honey and learning more about bees.
https://www.pabalaprivatenaturereserve.co.za/portfolio-item/honey-experience/
T: 042 296 2950
SUP & Canoe St Francis Canals
Explore the Canals of Cape St Franics on a Stand Up Paddle Board or in a canoe. Boards and Canoes for hire. End the experiences with a great canal side dining experience.
http://www.quaysyde.co.za/2280-2/
042 2940386
Valley of Desolation
With an estimated 100 000 people who visit this site each year, the Valley of Desolation is a premier tourist attraction in the region.
The road to the top of the valley was tarred in 1978 and today provides tourists with easy access to the viewpoints with their panoramic views of the landscape. The viewpoints at the Valley itself provide a breath-taking view of piled dolerite columns against the backdrop of the plains of the Great Karoo and a timeless sense of wonder at a landscape said to be the product of the erosive and volcanic forces of nature over a period of 200 million years.
https://www.sanparks.org/parks/camdeboo/tourism/activities.php
(049) 892 3453
Rhodes Mountain Biking
If you love beautiful scenery and awesome day trips coupled with some 4×4 challenges, then the passes of the Eastern Cape Highlands are just for you. Explore multiple mountain biking trails in and around the village of Rhodes in the spectacular Eastern Cape Highlands.
