South Africa's Wild Coast

Horseback, Trekking, Canoeing and Culture

In the north east of South Africa the so called "Wild Coast" is wild and remote and we enjoy the area with a horse ride and trek along a coastal trail. There is also a section of canoeing on one of the many rivers. 

The Pondoland Wild Coast runs between the Umtamvuna River (Port Edward), in the north, and Port St. Johns, in the south - a distance of approximately 110 km. The coast is endowed with exceptional natural beauty, clean seas and people steeped in tradition. It falls within the Pondoland area of endemism - one of seven areas in the world with unusually high levels of biodiversity.

The Wild Coast is characterised by a large number of rivers and estuaries with spectacular gorges and deep, forested ravines. Rugged cliffs, sheltered beaches and lagoons provide a great variety of landscapes along the sea front. Waterfall Bluff, where two waterfalls cascade directly into the sea, and the massive free-standing Cathedral Rock are some of the outstanding features of the coastline.

The area has a long history of association with mankind. Archaeological evidence suggests that hunter-gatherers were present throughout the region between 150 000 and 500 000 years ago. Caves in the deep sandstone gorges and sea cliffs offered shelter to early human dwellers. Numerous iron age and stone age sites, including shell middens from early strandloper origin, can be seen along the coast. Witness to past human activity also, the coast is littered with shipwrecks, including that of the Sao Bento (1554) at the mouth of the Msikaba River, the second oldest recorded wreck in South Africa. The wreck of the Grosvenor (1782), with its alleged cargo of gold, lies in the Lambasi Bay.

The Transkei is the ancestral land of Xhosa people in the south and Pondo people in the north. Families live in isolated mud and thatch homesteads, tend to their small corn fields and vegetable gardens, and graze their cattle. The land is communally owned. There are no fences other than the kraals where cattle is kept at night in the homesteads. Transport is on foot, or on horseback almost exclusively. Old women still plait their hair with colourful beads under their turbans and people have remained very attached to their beliefs and traditions.
We have a range of options for horse riding, trekking and canoeing in the area. This area is well placed to provide additional interest to a holiday including a safari in Kruger National Park.

for more information email: info@nkf-mt.org.uk

Additional Accommodation
If you need accommodation in the cities you travel through book online or advise your Muir's Tours consultant (always use this option for extra accommodation in remote locations).

Planning to hire a car ?
If you are planning to hire a car in South Africa beware of high excess payments.  If you find the excess can be waived but the cost is high - there is an alternative that costs as little as £49 for a full year. Details.