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Eastern Cape Attractions - Conference
Facilities South Africa
Eastern Cape Attractions | Conference Facilities in Eastern Cape
The malaria free Eastern Cape is the traditional home
of the Xhosa people of South Africa and offers the visitor a world of
diversities. The Eastern Cape 's interior, consisting of arid Karoo with
its diverse wildlife is in stark contrast with the sunshine and pristine
beaches of the coastal Coast areas. Eastern Cape has many national parks, numerous game and
nature reserves and vast wilderness areas where wild animals and beautiful
flowers flourish in protected paradises. The province boasts with being
the ideal tourist destination with it's sunshine all year round, it's
hundreds of kilometres of unspoiled beaches and beautiful mountain ranges
filled with fauna and flaura.
The Eastern Cape is South Africa’s hidden gem, much
of it is little known and under explored. The Eastern Cape has an extraordinary
variety of cultural history and scenic beauty, ranging from the vast,
dry Great Karoo to the fertile agricultural lands of the Little Karoo
and the ‘Settler Country’ around Grahamstown, and above all,
the magnificent cliffs and coves of the Wild Coast. The Eastern Cape is
also home to two of South Africa’s major seaports, East London and Port Elizabeth, and several excellent small game reserves, including Addo
Elephant Park. The area around East London is the homeland of the Xhosa
people, many of whom, including Nelson Mandela, have played a crucial
role in recent South African history.
Addo Elephant Park |
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Situated 73km from Port Elizabeth in South Africa's Eastern Cape, the
conservation success story of this park is world famous. Since its proclamation
in 1931, the last eleven elephants in that region have
bred to number 170. Its 11718 ha also offers sanctuary to the last Cape
buffalo and 21 black rhino of the very scarce Kenyan sub-species. Also
notable is the unique flightless dung-beetle which is found almost exclusively
in Addo. Day sightings of animals are frequent and an illuminated waterhole
provides excellent night-time viewing.
A large waterhole near the chalets and cottages enables
guests to watch game from the comfort of their verandas. Illuminated at
night, it provides exceptional opportunities for game viewing. Accommodation is also available in self- contained rondavels as well as caravan and
campsites. Facilities include a swimming pool, an a la carte restaurant
and attractive picnic sites.
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Hole in the wall |
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Near Coffee Bay is a prominent rock formation with a big hole in the middle,
which has become a symbol for the Xhosa of a great historical tragedy,
the "Great Cattle Killing". It is a unique structure with a
huge detached cliff that has a giant opening carved through its centre
by the waves. The local Xhosa call this place "izi Khaleni",
which means "place of thunder". At certain seasons and water
conditions (high tide) the waves clap is such a fashion that the concussion
can be heard throughout the valley. |
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Tsitsikamma National Park |
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The Tsitsikamma National Park is an 80 kilometer long coastal strip between
Nature's Valley and the mouth of the Storms River. In the park the visitor
finds an almost untouched natural landscape. Two long hiking routes with
some huts for overnight stays are well established. The popular Otter
Trail of 48 km and the Tsitsikamma Trail of 72 km, both offer the well-trained
hiker an experience of a unique plant and animal world. Some indigenous. Yellowwood
trees still exist here, over 800 years old. Besides the diverse bird life,
one can also observe smaller mammal species, the cute dassies for example,
which often graze near the beach. |
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The Owl House |
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The owl house, in Nieu-Bethesda just outside Graaf-Reinet in the Eastern
Cape, was where Helen Martins, or "Miss Helen" as she was known
to the locals, spent the latter part of her life in the house where she
was born. Regarded as an eccentric and deeply interested in Eastern philosophy,
she lived a hermit-like existence, devoting her life to her beloved Owl
statues, and "the search for light and brightness".
From the moment you step into the house a 360-degree canvas
of colour envelops you, where the walls, ceilings and even the doors are
decorated with finely-ground glass of various hues. In the "Camel
Yard" at the back of the house, trapped by a stone wall and high
chicken-wire, are hundreds of figures, camels and sphinxes, made of cement
and glass, all paying homage to the East.
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Hogsback |
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Hogsback is famous for its spectacular waterfalls such as Madonna and
Child, Swallowtail and Kettle spout. The village and holiday resort are
magnificently sited on the slopes of the Amatole Mountains, overlooking
the rivers and fertile plains of the Tyume Valley in a region dominated
by three ridges said to resemble the bristles on a hog's back.
There are also large tracts of indigenous forest, where
the rich variety of birdlife includes parrot and Loerie. Rivers tumble
prettily to the plain, creating a number of small but spectacular waterfalls
such as Madonna and Child, Swallowtail and Kettle spout - where the water
flows through a natural spout in the rocks and, in windy conditions, arches
up in a feathery plume some 9 m high.
Walks and trails range from 3 km to 20 km and some of
the routes - which include places of historic and natural interest - are
marked with painted hogs. The hiking trail covers a 2 day walk. The locally
produced guidebook is an essential investment for visitors, especially
those interested in exploring this lovely area on foot. Hogsback is 30
km from Alice, which in turn is 22 km from Fort Beaufort.
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National Arts Festival Grahamstown |
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The National Arts Festival, held in Grahamstown is Africa's largest and most colourful cultural event, offering a choice of the very best of both indigenous and imported talent. Every year for 11 days the town's population almost doubles, as over 50,000 people flock to the region for a feast of arts, crafts and sheer entertainment. |
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Jeffreys Bay |
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Jeffreys Bay is an area with some of the country's wildest coastline, which is backed by some of Africa's most spectacular sub-tropical rainforest. Famous for its "supertubes", probably South Africa's longest and most consistently good wave, it's charged with a surf vibe as relaxed as it is friendly. |
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Wild Coast |
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The rugged and unspoilt Wild Coast is a place of spectacular scenery, and a graveyard for many vessels. |
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Tiffindell Ski Resort |
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The province is the location of South Africa's only ski resort, Tiffindell, which is situated near the hamlet of Rhodes in the Southern Drakensberg on the slopes of the highest mountain peak in the Eastern Cape |
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