Wake up on the Wild Coast

The Wild Coast might be rugged and remote, but it has no shortage of comfortable places to stay. These 10 spots have soft mattresses, level camping stands and splendid views of the coastline.

- FRANÇOIS HAASBROEK

Ah, the Wild Coast, where green hills tumble into the ocean, where the rivers have hidden waterfalls, where the beaches are deserted…

The landscape, punctuated by cattle and rondavels, hasn’t changed much over the last few decades. It’s the heartland of the amaXhosa people and save for a few busy spots like Coffee Bay and Port St Johns, you feel more like a guest than a tourist.

There are new tar roads and bridges in the pipeline, but for now, this corner of the Eastern Cape between the Kei and Mtamvuna rivers is still wild and pristine.

Several other rivers also empty into the sea along this stretch, making it almost impossible to travel along the coastline. Places might only be a few kilometres apart as the oystercatcher flies, but it can take hours to travel between them because you have to head inland to find a bridge.

But who’s complaining? The abundant natural beauty means that every place to stay – be it a backpacker lodge, caravan park, self-catering house or family hotel – has a sea view and a beach that’s even prettier than the last one.

FOR THE FAMILY

1 Trennerys

When I pull up at the reception office, a guest in a Toyota Fortuner stares at my Mahindra Scorpio. “Looks like you also came prepared for dirt roads. When I came here on my motorbike five years ago, all the roads were dirt,” he says a little glumly.

These days, the road from the pont over the Kei River is tarred, which makes it even easier to stay at Trennerys.