Picturesque villages offer array of bush, river and beach experiences

The villages of Colchester and Cannonville are usually just pitstops motorists use on their way to Port Elizabeth or Makhanda, but the rather majestic seaside villages offer both adventure and tranquillity, depending on your mood.

The picturesque locations are nestled on the banks of the Sundays River, only a few kilometres from the river mouth that flows into the Indian Ocean through the world-renowned coastal dunefields.

The untouched beaches offer spectacular views of Bird Island in the distance as well as uninterrupted panoramic views of the ocean.

Only 40km from Port Elizabeth, this small community boasts a wide selection of accommodation and is the closest point of entry to the greater Addo Elephant National Park’s southern gate.

The Sundays River is a must-see, and once there the first on one’s to-do list should be an excursion on a river ferry that transports guests to the river mouth, which includes a journey 6-12km up the river.

Watersports of all disciplines can also be enjoyed in the area.

Acting city boss Anele Qaba said a host of guest houses, bed and breakfasts and campsites near the river provide visitors with activities like swimming, canoeing, fishing and ferry rides.

“Colchester is an area in Nelson Mandela Bay that is not always in the limelight, but the area has such a wide variety of adventure activities and is the gateway to Nelson Mandela Bay,” Qaba said.

“It is a tourism mecca and a place where even the Port Elizabeth locals can take a break or just visit for the day for a bush, river and beach experience.

“Part of the river now falls within the Greater Addo Marine Protected Area thus creating additional opportunities for tourism and eco-outdoor activities to go with the existing ones.”

This makes the area the ideal destination to catch a glimpse of the Big 7.

Apart from relaxing river cruises on the Sundays River, one can also go extreme with sand-boarding from Sundays River Adventures as well as Addo Cruises and Sand Sledding.

Sundays River Adventures manager Karl Botha said they offered canoeing, sandboarding and safaris into Addo.

“We’ve got quite a few accommodation houses in Colchester for people to spend quite a few nights,” Botha said.

“Anyone can come and enjoy our adventures, from kids, to adults and grandparents – it’s fun for the whole family.”

He said the business started about eight years ago.

Les Kingma from Addo Cruises and Sand Sledding said they offered river and boat cruises as well as sandboarding with a difference.

“If you book a normal river cruise then we’ll spend more time on the river and if you book sand-sledding then we’ll spend less time in the water and take you to the dunes for sand-sledding.

“There is nobody in South Africa that does sand-sledding like we do. I built the boards myself, they are custom-made and make sure the whole family does not fall when sandsledding,” Kingma said.

“Our river cruises are on a double-decker boat that carries 30 people.”

If you are looking for a bit more excitement and thrill, hire a bike or canoe at Pearson Park resort.

Another option is the well-known Nukakamma Canoe Trail, which is the only Green Flag Status canoe trail in South Africa.

The journey begins at the Sundays River Adventures’ jetty on board a 4m double canoe. The trip continues for 13km along the Sundays River to the accommodation.

Another hidden gem is the Alexandria Dunefields that stretch for a distance of 50km from the Sundays River Mouth to the Bushman’s River and is one of the largest existing active coastal dunefields in the world.

Situated on the Sunshine Coast, the Alexandria Dunefields cover a total area of 142km².

Qaba said as it was the middle of tourism month, he wanted to encourage locals to explore the city and be tourists in their own city.

“Use our Travel App to explore and the Nelson Mandela Bay Pass as a tool to save money while sharing your pictures with your family so that they can come and experience it this summer holidays,” Qaba said.

All of these activities are available on the Nelson Mandela Bay Pass as either free or discounted offers as well as free day entry to the Addo Elephant National Park.

Thus the pass is an ideal tool to add value to your trip to Colchester and Addo.

• This article is in partnership with Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism. For more information, visit www.nmbt.co.za