East London

East London Waterfront © www.sa-venues.com

Gateway to the Wild Coast, East London is a small, friendly city on the Indian Ocean where activities like surfing, fishing and golf take precedence. The city centre branches out into business parks, malls and suburbs set in subtropical vegetation, which are dissected by a myriad of rivers such as the Buffalo and Nahoon, whose wide banks meander lazily into the ocean, offering locals excellent fishing, rowing and cruising opportunities.

Formerly a British fort, the city can easily be explored on foot. There are many attractions such as the East London Museum that houses the prehistoric coelacanth and the city hall that should not be missed. It is best for visitors to have a car so that they can access various attractions dotted on the outskirts such as Steve Biko's grave, the aquarium, the harbour which is the only river port in the southern hemisphere, and the superb seafood restaurants that line the beachfront.

It takes only 20 minutes from the bustle of this small city to one of the tranquil and isolated holiday villages on the coast where rolling hills of indigenous vegetation are met by long expanses of untouched beaches. Here visitors can go horse riding on the shore, visit the Gonubie Nature Reserve that has over 150 different bird species or stay at the Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve where the remarkable Big Five can be seen.