Wild Coast a treasure chest crammed with hidden gems

It’s pristine, beautiful and – for the most part – unexplored. And perhaps, selfishly, unexplored is exactly how I’d like the Wild Coast to stay.

Situated mainly in the former homeland of Transkei, the Wild Coast stretches from East London in the south to the KwaZulu-Natal border in the north along South Africa’s East Coast.

It is a mix of rolling green hills, winding rivers, rocky cliffs, sandy bays and warm ocean.

Perhaps one of its most well-known attractions is Hole in the Wall – a wall of sandstone and shale, in the sea, with an arch right through its middle.

It was on a hill, overlooking The Hole, that we truly kicked off (after lunch at a nearby resort) a whirlwind tour exploring some of the Wild Coast’s “hidden gems”.

Hidden, The Hole is not. Gem? For sure!

Which is why any trip along the Wild Coast must include a stop at The Hole, definitely worthy of bucket list status.

Legends abound about how The Hole came into being, including a story about a beautiful Xhosa girl and an illicit love affair.

The most plausible explanation is that the natural arch was simply carved by waves where the Mpako River meets the Indian Ocean.

Of course I’d seen many pictures of The Hole but nothing ever prepares you for seeing it the first time. Or any time after the first time, a well-travelled travel blogger on the tour with me who had been there just a few weeks before, said.

It is huge. It is green. It is majestic.

It is the Eastern Cape’s answer to Table Mountain in my books, albeit on a smaller scale.

I would have liked to explore The Hole a bit more but there is more to the Wild Coast than The Hole and we were on a schedule, so a few minutes and a dozen or so pictures, including selfies, later, we were on our way again.

Going even further into the most rural parts of the province, we reached Hluleka Nature Reserve about 30km south of Port St Johns.

Covering an area of 772ha, Hluleka offers the best of two worlds – lush indigenous forests with an unspoilt beach just a stone’s throw away.

The reserve is isolated, at the end of a long, bumpy and winding road, with limited cellphone reception (I didn’t have any but some of the others on a different network had) making it the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.

An affordable self-catering establishment, there are seven cabins on the property, each fully equipped with two bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms.

We arrived at Hluleka in the late afternoon and were welcomed by a small herd of *zebra.

Once described to me as “nature’s champion farters” by a game drive guide, zebras are notoriously skittish.

So it was a surprise to come across a herd that allowed us to come within metres of them, quite unaffected by human presence.

I had seen probably hundreds of zebras before in my life. But seeing three zebras with an ocean in the background was a first.

Before we had time to settle in, we were whisked off to the nearby village where we given a taste of traditional Xhosa life.

The reserve partners with the surrounding community, offering guests the opportunity to learn more about the Xhosa people of the area by taking them on “homestead” visits.

We were showed how Xhosa women prepare meals on open fires, given some steam bread and umngqusho to taste and were entertained by a group of local children.

That night, we dined on a braai prepared by reserve staff and I fell asleep to nature’s orchestra – frogs, crickets and the ocean.

Early the next morning, we made our way to the Nelson Mandela Museum in the old Transkei parliament building in Mthatha.

The museum pays tribute to former President Nelson Mandela, documenting not only his early life but also his role in the fight against apartheid and, ultimately, the democratisation of South Africa.

Here, exhibitions include audiovisual elements, such as footage of Madiba and others, colourful “rooms” dedicated to various chapters of his life and one entire section where gifts sent to the beloved statesmen over the years – from all over the world – are kept.

The rest of the day was spent travelling west to Morgan Bay, a small, quiet, seaside village which comes alive during peak periods.

We listened in fascination as we were told the story of a 16th century Portuguese ship that ran aground near Double Mouth Nature Reserve.

Today carnelian beads, money cowries and shards of broken Ming porcelain from that wreck still lie scattered among the shells of Bead Beach, also known as Treasure Beach.

The nearby Morgan Bay Cliffs – also a popular hangout for locals on summer nights – provided the perfect setting for a sunset photoshoot.

Oh, there were snacks too, but the breathtaking view had us so much in awe, not even the tasty treats and drinks could drag us away.

The next day, we learnt more about Xhosa culture at Ngxingxolo Cultural Village near East London.

Here, Zinzi Tofu – eldest daughter of the legendary Mama Tofu who ran similar tours until her death – welcomed us in song, beating on a drum.

Tofu explained how, traditionally, one could tell a young girl from a married woman just by the clothes they wore.

For example, in Xhosa culture, married women wear aprons and bibs, with the bib being symbolic of a wedding ring.

Our time at the village ended with a lunch of traditional Xhosa food.

From there, it was straight to our final destination, Areena Riverside Resort – “a wholesome place, a place where family values count”.

Perhaps the brevity of the trip was intentional – spending so little time at each of the establishments has made me want to go back for more.

*No zebras were harmed in the taking of #zelfies aka “zebra selfies”.