2 Night , 3 Day Eastern Cape Adventure
Day One: Port Elizabeth to Great Fish river Reserve.
Depart early morning from Port Elizabeth to arrive at the Woody Cape section of the Addo Elephant national park. Coffee rusks and a snack before departing on a walk into the Woody Cape dune fields. Search and view ancient Khoikhoi middens, return to the vehicle and continue to the Great Fish River reserve. Overnight at Colonial type game lodge. Evening braai (Barbecue) on an open fir.
The Great Fish River Nature Reserve comprises the Andries Vosloo Kudu Reserve, the Double Drift Nature Reserve and the Sam Knott Nature Reserve. These reserves are linked by a circular route and total combined size of about 45,000 hectares.
The area in which the reserves are located was in the past an area of conflict and war, with the Great Fish River often forming the boundary between the Settler and Xhosa territories. As a result, the area has a rich historical background and a number of forts, signaling towers, fortified farmsteads, barracks and graves that are located within the reserve.
Its open succulent valley bushveld and rugged terrain provides diverse habitats and panoramic views, boasts an abundance of game including Black Rhino, Cape Buffalo, Hippo and Kudu.
Of interest:
* One of the largest dune fields in the World.
* Remains of the ancient lifestyle of the Khoikhoi hunter / herders.
* Coastal dune canopy forests.
* Tree Dassies, Bird life, Antelope and other wildlife.
* Quite open spaces of the Great Fish River reserve.
* Game to be seen Elephant, Black and White Rhino, Cape Buffalo, Leopard, Eland, Giraffe, Hippo, Zebra, Kudu, Bushbuck, Duiker, Baboon and Vervet Monkey, amongst the many species of animals, birds, reptiles and other life forms in the reserve.
* Night sky and sounds of the night.
Day Two: Great Fish River reserve to Wild Coast Game reserve.
Early wake up with Coffee and rusks before departing on an early game drive. Return for a traditional breakfast at the lodge. Afterwards we depart for the Wild Coast. The Wild Coast, as its name suggests is rugged and treacherous, with numerous shipwrecks along its deserted beaches. It is the heart of unspoilt rural South Africa, almost untouched by time and particularly untouched by the infrastructure that the rest of South Africa is accustomed to.
This is because it was a black homeland within apartheid South Africa that was not deemed worthy of development. Today it remains a poor area dotted with villages of traditional mud and thatch huts. Cattle are grazed on the grasslands and the land is toiled by hand and oxen to provide a subsistence living.
The essence of the Wild Coast is that nothing happens in a hurry, which is definitely the case in the small coastal towns of Port St Johns and Coffee Bay. Several lodges have sprung up along this coast to afford visitors a glimpse of the lovely scenery along the rocky coastline interspersed with long empty beaches. There are still patches of thick forest and some remote coastal reserves with unique flora.
A notable resident of this region is the illustrious Nelson Mandela, who comes from the inland village of Qunu near Umtata.
Of interest:
* Morning game viewing.
* Travel through historically significant areas of the Eastern Cape.
* Wilderness hiking in a Wild Coast game reserve, Buffalo, Rhino and possible crocodile sightings.
* Unspoilt coastline.
* Birth place of Nelson Mandela.
* Traditional rural life style of the local Xhosa people.
* Canoe trips on the unspoilt river and estuary.
Day Three. Wild coast reserve to Port Elizabeth.
Early wake up for coffee and rusks and depart for a walk through canopy forest to a waterfall.
Return to hotel for breakfast before checking out and return to Port Elizabeth.
Of interest:
* Unspoilt Canopy Forest walks and Water falls
* Bird watching.
* Scenic return drive.
Tour includes:
- All accommodation
- Transfers to and from the reserves
- Entrance fees
- Conservation fees
- Two full meals per day
- Snacks
- Light refreshments, water and fresh fruit on the trip
- Guide, tour vehicle and fuel.
Tour excludes:
- Lunches on the days on the road
- Alcoholic beverages, but these can be ordered and bought in advance.
