The Wild Coast of South Africa lies along its east coast. It is largely in accessible and untamed, hence the wildness. This also means that it has retained most of its natural beauty and has been unspoilt by developers, which makes it a holidaymaker’s paradise. Part of its unspoilt, natural charm is that a lot of the roads are still gravel and full of potholes. It really is best to use a 4 x 4 to get by, although a regular car will suffice. If you don’t own a 4 x 4 though an option is to rent one for the duration of your holiday. That way you don’t have to risk your car getting stuck on muddy or rocky roads. It’s probably advisable to go for the insurance option on the rented 4 x 4, that way you won’t have to pay for any damage suffered on the roads.

Xhosa is the local language in that part of the country. You will find that not many of the locals, apart from those in the hospitality trade, speak English. It would be useful to learn a few basic words to get by and to increase peoples’ general attitude towards you. A few examples are: Hello – molo; how are you? – unjani; good bye – sala kakuhle; please – enkosi; thank you – enkosi kakhulu; yes – ewe; no – hayi.

The Wild Coast has an excellent climate for holidaymakers. It is neither too hot nor too cold all year round. It varies slightly from temperate sub-tropical in the south to moderate sub-tropical further north. In the winter, which is temperate, dolphins and whales abound in the sea and the weather is ideal for a winter holiday, as it rarely gets colder than 14 degrees Celsius. In fact, the best time of year to visit Port St Johns is in April and May, as the seasons change to winter. Temperatures in the summer months stay cool and comfortable. The Wild Coast gets its rainfall in summer. You needn’t worries about the mosquitoes though; despite its tropical climate it’s a malaria free zone.

Some of the towns that you will encounter as you travel along the Wild Coast are: Viedgesville/Jojweni – a town that has 2 names depending on the language you speak. You might find either or both on a map. It’s a well travelled road and is tarred all the way. Umtata – has many roads leading from it, the most travelled one being the tarred one to Port St Johns, with beautiful countryside to look at as one drives. There is also a less travelled road to the Umtata River Mouth, which is not as good as the Port St Johns road.

Umtata is home to the Nelson Mandela Museum, which is divided into 3 sections. The central section traces his life with photos, write-ups and displays and the other 2 rooms display all of the gifts that have been given to Nelson Mandela from all over the world. There is also an open-air swimming pool and some craft projects. Thirty kilometres north of Umtata is a little town called Qunu, which has the enviable claim of being Nelson Mandela’s birthplace. You can see his “palace” from the N2. One of the improvements that he has made there is that he has had a tunnel built under the road so that the school children can cross the road safely. The Mandela Museum runs free tours of the area and if you book in advance you will be treated to a traditional Xhosa dinner.

If you feel a little bohemian, or artistic or you would simply like to soak up that kind of atmosphere then Port St Johns is for you. It has the best selection of accommodation and restaurants on the Wild Coast. It has also become a haven for backpackers. It has 3 beaches, known very originally as First Beach, Second Beach and Third Beach. They are each several kilometres apart and unique in spirit and atmosphere.

Quite a popular tourist attraction is the natural geographical phenomenon – Hole in the Wall. The natural movement of the sea has pounded a large tunnel through a freestanding cliff. The area was a good one for shipwrecks and to this day you have a very good chance of finding traces of the wrecks that occurred. Beads, coins and pottery shards are often found in rock pools. The locals have many colourful stories of their ancestors who came from the ships that ran aground there.

The small community of Coffee Bay, which is not much more than a trading store, a plain camping site and an old hotel, but is also one of the most beautiful spots on all of the Wild Coast. The spectacular beach lies between rolling green hills and the sparkling sea, and the view is simply breath taking. The bay got its name when a ship full of coffee beans ran aground, some of the beans took root and started to grow but the soil was too salty and the shrubs all died. Today no trace of the coffee beans remains.

If you like your coastline rugged and wild, and your beaches pristine and unspoilt, then the Wild Coast is the place for you. If you like to work hard to reach your destination and drive for long hours in difficult conditions and have infinite patience with gravel and muddy roads, then the Wild Coast is for you. If you like mountains and rolling hills and rural scenes and dodging farm animals then the Wild Coast is for you. The Wild Coast is for anyone who likes to have fun and who likes to relax and if that is not you, then what planet are you from and where have you hidden the mothership?

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[http://www.wildcoast.org.za/wc/18.xml]

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