Eastern Cape, South Africa
Big Five game-viewing, Frontier history and scenic countryside
- Overview
- Map
- Why visit?
- Inspiration
The Eastern Cape stretches from Cape St Francis in the west to the dramatic Wild Coast in the east. Undulating rolling pastures, bushveld and forested dunes backs its attractive white beaches. However, this gentle beauty belies both the Eastern Cape's bloody history and the drama of its interior, with the grand vistas and majesty of the Karoo and the superb malaria-free game reserves.
The Eastern Cape is one of the prime malaria-free wildlife areas in South Africa. The original Addo Elephant National Park with its large and relaxed elephant herds has been joined by several private malaria-free game reserves. The Eastern Cape game reserves are approx one hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth and about 3 hour’s drive from the Garden Route so that lots of our clients add on an Eastern Cape safari to a Garden Route holiday.
However the game reserves are not the only thing going for the Eastern Cape. British and Irish settlers came to the Eastern Cape in the early 19th century to try to shore up the frontier with the Xhosa people from the north. Graaff-Reinet, Grahamstown and Cradock have plenty of attractive colonial architecture and a rich cultural history of the many frontier battles.
Inland lies the immensely beautiful Karoo with its majestic panoramas and distinctive vegetation whilst further to the East, the Wild Coast offers some of the most unspoilt and exciting coastal scenery in South Africa.
Areas in Eastern Cape
Port Elizabeth & Coast
Port Elizabeth is the gateway to the Eastern Cape and offers lovely sandy beaches, cultural tours and a great links golf course.
Eastern Cape Private Game Reserves
Enjoy Big Five game-viewing on day & night drives in one of the private game reserves of the Eastern Cape.
Addo Elephant Park
Addo offers close-up elephant encounters and other big game. Enjoy game drives, horse riding or hiking in the striking Zuurberg area.
Graaff-Reinet & the Karoo
If you like getting off the beaten track, try the historic town of Graaff-Reinet and the Karoo, with its dramatic landscape and huge skies.
Grahamstown
Why not take a fascinating historical battlefields tour in Grahamstown, an attractive 1820's Settler town with colonial architecture and a dramatic cultural history?
Wild Coast
The Wild Coast offers a striking remote coastline. Walkers particularly enjoy this area with the six day coastal walking trail on offer.
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