We were quite fortunate with the traffic to Plettenberg Bay and the drive was pretty uneventful apart from a horrendous accident just outside Cape Town which laid us up for 20 mins or so. We arrived in Plett at around midday. We stayed at the Piesangs Valley Lodge, which was an incredible B&B that Ruth had booked for us.
The owner of the B&B recommended we eat at a restaurant called 'The Lookout', which was fabulous. The food was great and the view of the estuary was fantastic.
We retired quite early that night as we had planned a hike of the Robberg Nature Reserve. The next morning we had an incredible breakfast and really carbed up as the hike was going to be around 4 hours. We were really blessed with good weather and there was a nice cool breeze blowing off of the Indian Ocean. We soon came across a seal colony which was far below us, but we could smell them a mile away. A 'Rob' in Dutch means 'Seal' and the Robberg means Seal Rock or Mountain, but it was more of a Peninsula.
Above is a Gekko displaying his wonderful camouflage.
Ruth decided to climb this cliff and play 'Peek a Boo'.... Cheeky little monkey she is.....
The hike was amazing as the peninsula was quite diverse with all sorts of bays and beaches, birds, seals and flora.
After 2 days in Plettenberg Bay, we headed to Bulungula in the Transkei. The Transkei used to be an independent homeland before the fall of Apartheid. We headed East on the N2 Motorway and drove past Port Elizabeth, Grahamstown and overnighted in the Hogsback, an beautiful little hamlet deep in the mountains and forests of the Transkei. The next morning we headed towards Bulungula via King William's Town and Komga. We got back onto the N2 which is not the best road to drive on. Potholes abound and the dreaded Taxi's are deathtraps. Not far from Komga, we crossed the Kei River (hence the name Transkei) and started hunting for our turnoff.....
Eventually we got to the turnoff to Bulungula. http://www.bulungula.com/ We then had a 2 hour journey along dirt road which was not really designed for Toyota Corollas, but hey, this was an adventure. Bulungula is situated in the heart of the Transkei, amidst the rolling hills and rivers leading to the Indian Ocean. Man, this place was isolated. The local people living here are stuck in the Dark Ages. No electricity, running water. Living on subsistence farming. They are probably far happier from it anyway.....
We stayed in a Rondavel here for 2 nights. It was all quite basic, but man, oh man, was this place beautiful. The food was prepared for us and it was plentiful and nutritious. There were around 10 guests staying here from all over. We all ate together and it was very sociable.
Ruth and I did quite a bit of hiking whilst we were there. There were quite a few hikes to go on, along the beaches and up into the surrounding hills. Everywhere was like a picture postcard view.
At night, we sat around the 'Lapa' which had a big roaring fire, which was great as the nights were a little cool. Above is young Ruthie relaxing with the dogs and horses with the beach in the background.
I don't think many people know of this place, but it is so special and magical that I hope it remains one of South Africa's best kept secrets....
Eventually we got to the turnoff to Bulungula. http://www.bulungula.com/ We then had a 2 hour journey along dirt road which was not really designed for Toyota Corollas, but hey, this was an adventure. Bulungula is situated in the heart of the Transkei, amidst the rolling hills and rivers leading to the Indian Ocean. Man, this place was isolated. The local people living here are stuck in the Dark Ages. No electricity, running water. Living on subsistence farming. They are probably far happier from it anyway.....
We stayed in a Rondavel here for 2 nights. It was all quite basic, but man, oh man, was this place beautiful. The food was prepared for us and it was plentiful and nutritious. There were around 10 guests staying here from all over. We all ate together and it was very sociable.
Ruth and I did quite a bit of hiking whilst we were there. There were quite a few hikes to go on, along the beaches and up into the surrounding hills. Everywhere was like a picture postcard view.
At night, we sat around the 'Lapa' which had a big roaring fire, which was great as the nights were a little cool. Above is young Ruthie relaxing with the dogs and horses with the beach in the background.
I don't think many people know of this place, but it is so special and magical that I hope it remains one of South Africa's best kept secrets....
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