The Town of Plettenberg Bay lies almost on the border of the Western and Eastern Cape. Built on the hillside, most of the Town is on a steep slope leading down to the sea, which means that regardless of where you find yourself accommodated, you will be treated to spectacular views of the bay and surrounding hills and mountains. For holiday-makers, accommodation in Plettenberg Bay is plentiful. From upmarket resorts and hotels to budget Bed & Breakfasts and self catering, accommodation is offered in varying price ranges from budget to over the top luxury. You are sure to find a great place to stay. Plettenberg Bay has a relatively long history for a South African town, having been regularly visited by Portuguese explorers during the 15th and 16th centuries. Signs of their visits abound, and history enthusiasts can view artifacts such as the remains of the Gonzales Shipwreck in the Town. Early European settlers to the area arrived in the late 1700’s, and have also left behind many fascinating historical relics, for example the Old Rectory, built by the Dutch East India Trading company in 1776, and Forest Hall, a privately owned stately home, built in 1864 by William Henry Newdigate . In modern times, Plettenberg Bay has gained somewhat of a reputation as a pleasure seeker hotspot, and has many leisure activities on offer. From polo at Kurland, to yachting at the Keurbooms River mouth and marina, to less high brow activities like swimming and water sports in the warm, gentle waters. In fact, when you enter the town proper, a monument to one of the symbols of this lush, almost tropical bay greets you: a bronze statue of the dolphins that play in the warm waters just off the coast. With miles of pristine beaches to choose from, it’s no wonder that lazing on the beach is so popular with visitors, but, for those that manage to pry themselves away, there are charter boat cruises, hiking, canoeing and abseiling to choose from, to name but a few.Another attraction well worth a visit is the Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary; the world’s only multi-species, free roaming primate sanctuary, located a few minutes outside of town. For the adventurous palate, trips to the Mampoer and Witblits distillery are available, where one can view the making of, and sample, these very strong locally produced alcoholic beverages. There are many fine restaurants, café’s and other eateries to choose from in the town, one of the most memorable must surely be the restaurant at the Beacon Isle Hotel. Built literally straddling a small strip of land between a lagoon and the sea, it almost seems when seated in the restaurant, that the hotel is floating on the water. For those seeking a once in a lifetime experience, a short trip on the N2 towards Port Elizabeth, and over the border into the Eastern Cape, will bring you to the Bloukrans Bridge. Itself an engineering marvel, this bridge holds another claim to fame. It is the site of the world’s highest commercial bungee jump. At 216 meters, or the equivalent of almost 70 storeys, it is definitely not for the faint and many may prefer to view the seemingly endless plunge from the purpose built observing platform on the edge of the gorge. While at the bridge, whether or not you decide to take the plunge, it is worth visiting the Khoisan Village, which offers insights into the lives of the native peoples of the area, as well as opportunities to buy local arts and crafts. WHAT AN AMAZING DESCRIPTION OF OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY... IRRESPECTIVE OF WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD NOW! 😍 Author Unknown: I sit here quietly thinking about what it means to me to be South African, a visitor to South Africa, or even African. So it seems easier to rather explain the effect that this unique land has on me... The perfume of rain on African soil. The scent of woodfires drifting across the Highveld on winter evenings. There's a very distinctive aroma just as one starts coming into George / Knysna / Plett (I've never figured out which herb it is), in much the same way the smell of Wild Sage defines the area around Santawani in Botswana. The odour of thatch in a game lodge. The bouquet of dust and the various plants when one gets into the bush, sometimes a whiff of something dead. The tang of the ocean at the seaside. The smell of ‘moer’ coffee over an early morning fire, or the delicious aroma of roasting meat over flames – whether you call it a braai or shisa nyama (but definitely NOT a barbeque, a barbie, or a ghastly NZ sausage sizzle!) There is also something about the light here. “Santorini Blue”... I don’t know if that’s an actual colour, but it seems to describe the hue of the highveld sky on a winter’s day to perfection. We live in “big sky” country – whether blue, or orange in sunset, or dark grey and rent by lightening, or velvet black and filled with stars that seem close enough to touch – the sky is ever present. As is the moon. I am always aware of the moon, from a sickle moon to the full fecund globe that is full moon. Silver light gilding thorn trees, juxtaposed against dark shadows on the savannah, is not a sight one easily forgets. The caw of the ubiquitous, raucous Hadedah in suburbia, the burbling call of a rainbird (Burchell’s Coucal) when a thunderstorm is on its way, the beautiful Diederick’s Cuckoo announcing the arrival of spring, the screech of a Barn Owl, or the evocative call of the Fish Eagle. Jackals calling as the sun goes down, a lion’s roar quite literally making the air reverberate, or the chilling whoops of the hyenas. The cacophony of barking geckos that start up as the sun goes down over Deception Pan, or a veritable orchestra of frogs around a pan in the summer months. Cicadas shrilling on days so hot that the air shimmers, or a nightjar calling in the dead of night in the bushveld. Days of withering heat often followed by the lightest cool breeze, just as the sun is setting. A gentle little wind, which plays with your hair like an absent-minded lover, reminding you that the cool of the night will soon be with you. Walking in the bush very early in the morning, the sun’s rays catch the dew on spiders’ webs, reminding you that life, both seen and unseen, is all around you. Trout fishing as the sun peeps over the horizon in Dullstroom, so cold that the water droplets freeze on your line… The colours of this land are not subtle either. The blood red of the coral tree, the green metallic glint of sunbirds, the striped black and white hide of the zebra, or sapphire blue of a kingfisher. The miles and miles of yellow and orange daisies in Namaqualand in September, or pink and white swathes of cosmos along the roads in April. The lilac and turquoise of the roller, the tawny hide of a lion or the emerald green of a little dung beetle that makes its appearance in the summer months. From the golden dunes of the Namib to an unimaginable number of greens in the Knysna Forest. All vivid and arresting. Talk to me of Morrungulo or Tsodilo Hills, the great Drakensberg, Platteland dorps and the great Karoo. The warmth of Sodwana Bay or the icy kelp forests of the Atlantic Ocean. Of wine farms and fynbos in the Cape, to meerkats and diamonds in the north. Show me our people, in so many hues, with brightly coloured traditional costumes – and even brighter smiles. All of this creates a frisson of excitement, passion each and every day, a vivid, immediate sense of being alive that I have found nowhere else…. These are my people. This is my land. Because I am, at the very core of my being, a child of Africa! ❤️

The Tyume Valley is situated in the Eastern Cape Province, inland from East London about 120 km is the town of Alice, where Fort Hare University is located. Just a few kilometers before reaching Alice is the turnoff for the Hogsback road that goes up the heart of the Tyume Valley to the village of Hogsback atop the Amatola Mountains. From Hogsback, you can look south and see the Tyume Valley.

Their ancestors were settled in these Villages after the War of 1850, by the colonial authorities. The starvation and hardship caused by the cattle-killing tragedy of 1855 finally broke the power of the Xhosa chiefs and the Xhosa nation as a cohesive force. There was little resistance to setting up these villages under the regional authority of a magistrate, to whom the chiefs were responsible. Due to a lack of employment opportunities in the region, residents of these villages are poor in the material sense, but rich in their historical heritage and natural beauty in the rolling hills below, the Amatola Mountain range. The Tyume Valley of today reflects the stability of people living on land that has been in their individual families for nearly, 150 years. Neatly fenced plots in each village emphasise the orderliness of the valley. Cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, goats, donkeys and poultry graze among the houses and on common land. Small church preaching stations, mostly built of wattle and daub, stand among the neat houses in every village. The Tyume River was for 100 years the disputed boundary between the Cape Colony and Xhosa land. [The River is just over the hill from the church shown at left]. A great deal of military activity took place here over the years, and the region was dotted with Colonial forts, many of which have now given their names to towns and villages. Fort Hare and Fort Beaufort, located to the west of the river and valley, are local examples. The first Christian Missionaries, to work with the Xhosa, Van Der Kemp and Edmunds, met Chief Ngqika (Gaika) in his Great Place in 1797 and were allocated land in the Valley. Van Der Kemp describes the view: “Before this house we had a beautiful field of grass in the middle of an amphitheatre of high mountains.....The ascent to the mountains was covered by a thick wood…some of the trees were above 100 feet high. Above...towards the top of the mountain were meadows of a vast extent, and of a beautiful verdure, and the top itself was covered with inaccessible woods."

Mpofu is a town in Chris Hani District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Mpofu, Xhosa for eland, is so named as the eland like to roam close! As of 1996, it was the seat of a magisterial district. Perched on the Amatola escarpment, the Mpofu Fort Fordyce Nature Reserve serves up staggering views of surrounding landscapes encapsulating the Katberg and Hogsback mountains. Conveying historic accounts from the past, the area is graffitied with ancient San rock paintings and evidence of central escarpment. The indigenous forest hosts amongst the most diverse and richest species in southern Africa and the reserve serves as an excellent birding destination. Bass fishing is a popular activity as is rock climbing – Fort Fordyce features ten bolted routes with names like the Fever ward, the Labour ward and the more mojo Sector. The closest towns are Balfour, Fort Beaufort and Alice, all of which are small and quiet residential towns with a deep sense of historical import. This was a significant area in terms of the British colonisation of the country, and continues to offer a fascinating perspective into this very important time in local history. The reserve was established in 1985, on land that belonged to family of the original settlers of 1820. The homes on the property were built in a classic Eastern Cape style, and have since been converted into guest lodges with a distinctive colonial character. The Mpofu Nature Reserve covers an area of 7 500 hectares and occupies the valleys and escarpments of the magnificent Katberg Mountain Range. It is nestled just 25 kilometres from Fort Beaufort, and about 20 kilometres from Balfour. It is run by Eastern Cape Parks. As with the whole of the Eastern Cape, this is a malaria-free zone, making it a safe choice for families with children as well as the elderly, who may not react well to anti-malarial prophylaxes. It is not only ideal in terms of safety and its central situation, but is also a fabulous representative of the animal- and plant life of the province, and of South Africa as a whole. There are a number of different habitat types within the nature reserve, each complete with its own unique combination of fauna and flora. The landscape is unique, thanks to the natural array of treasures within the borders of the reserve. Some of the areas of the Mpofu reserve consist of steep terrain, which yields an entirely different array of life to those areas that are more level. The reserve is home to Burchell’s zebra, eland, white rhino, giraffe, Cape buffalo and bushbuck. The mountains and valleys of the Mpofu Nature Reserve are littered with hiking, (as mentioned already) and walking trails. Whether you are fit and energetic or just want to go for a serene stroll, there are excellent options suited to you. Most of these are day trails, but this is also the home of the start of the Katberg Trail, which takes three days to complete and offers breath-taking views and vistas. Educational tours and guided game drives are recommended to visitors that want to get the most out of their time here. There are also 4 x 4 trails and self-guided game drive trails available. Those with a penchant for bird-watching are in for a treat at Mpofu, as it is home to a massive variety of pretty avian species. Nearby attractions include the enchanted mountain village of Hogsback and the Khoisan rock art in Waylands.

Lying in the centre of a flourishing apple-growing region, which also happens to produce grapes, onions, peaches and apricots, it’s not hard to imagine Villiersdorp’s prettiness and its attraction to visitors. Villiersdorp lies between the N1 and the N2 on the R43 in the Cape Overberg Region, in a valley accessed by one of four spectacular mountain passes. The quaint little town lies just 90 minutes’ from Cape Town, and only 30 minutes’ from Franschhoek, making it ideally placed and an appealing option for a weekend break. The town is part of the Worcester Wine Route and wine tastings are a regular draw card, particularly at the local farm stall, Kelkiewyn. Another major attraction is the Theewaterskloof Dam, the largest dam in the region and main source of water to Cape Town, which offers some excellent fishing and water sports. Between Villiersdorp and Grabouw, the town due south of the Theewaterskloof Dam famous for its apples, lies the Hottentots-Holland Nature Reserve, which has small populations of rhebok, klipspringer, duiker and grysbok, and plays an important role in the protection of mountain fynbos. It is the collection of old Victorian houses, cottages and smallholdings, enhanced by its thriving artists’ community, who have been drawn here largely by the peace and beauty of the surrounds, that give Villiersdorp its character. Autumn is a particularly beautiful time of year in Villiersdorp as the many tree-lined avenues are heavy with leaves of every colour, and in October, at the end of the winter fruit season, Villiersdorp celebrates its annual harvest festival.

Where the booming breakers of the Indian Ocean relentlessly pound rocky shores, where temperate high forest and fynbos roll down to the sea in an unspoilt verdant carpet, where ancient rivers carve their paths to the ocean down rocky ravines. This, "the place of much water", is the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park. The heartland of the park stretches some 5km to sea, protecting a wonderland of inter-tidal life, reef and deep-sea fish. Dolphins frolic in the breakers, surfing and playing for the sheer joy of life, and the gentle giant of the ocean, the Southern Right Whale visits here, coming inshore to breed. The Otter trail is officially the oldest and undoubtedly the most iconic hiking trail in South Africa. The trail, which runs along the spectacular coastline between the Storms River mouth and Nature’s Valley, was opened in 1968 and is considered one of the finest multi-day trails in the world. It is named after the shy, mostly nocturnal, Cape Clawless Otter which inhabits the estuaries and streams of the South African coast. Mostly standard trail walking interspersed with “walk-through” river crossings. However, the main technical difficulty of the trail is the Bloukrans River crossing which involves swimming across the river and climbing up steep terrain by use of a rope.