Africa Deluxe Tours Xhosa initiate

Pondoland

Pondoland is located in the coastal part of the Eastern Cape province. It is situated in the former Pondo Kingdom and the traditional region of the Pondo people, one of the Xhosa speaking groups. Pondoland stretches between the Mthatha - and the Mtamvuna Rivers in the north along a coastal strip that is a maximum 50 km deep.

The Bushmen and Khoi Khoi people inhabited the region since ancient times in scattered nomadic groups. In the 16th century Pondo people settled in the area, the mountain grasslands were a good resource for their cattle.

The Silakal Coastal Reserve lies in a forested valley south of Port St Johns and stretches from Second Beach to Sugar loaf Rock. Trails lead through the evergreen forest and provide the opportunity to view a great variety of birds as well as a number of Zebra and antelopes.

The Nkambati Nature reserve is a 8,000 ha coastal reserve and consists mostly of open grassland dissected by perennial streams and flanked by the magnificent forested ravines of the Msikaba and Mtentu rivers. Grasslands cover a large portion of the reserve and support a fascinating and diverse flora. A large variety of herbivores are to be found here.

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Tours that include Pondoland

Blyde River Canyon

Duration: 16 days, 15 nights
Tour Type: Scheduled tours
Luxury Level: *** / ****
Price: R32,500 per person sharing (±US$ 2,343 )
R10,900 single supplement (±US$ 785 )

Valid dates: Nov 2017 - Oct 2018


The German-guided version of our tour that covers the highlights of South Africa (link to English tour provided as well). It provides a mix of cities, countryside, historical sites, scenic drives, nature, wildlife, culture and people. The southbound tour starts in Johannesburg and ends in Cape Town.

Highlights: Panorama Route , Blyde River Canyon , Kruger National Park , Swaziland , Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve , St. Lucia , iSimangaliso Wetland Park , Transkei , Garden Route , Storm’s River Mouth , Knysna , Cango Caves , Route 62 , Cape Winelands , Stellenbosch , Paarl , Cape Town .

Pondoland attractions

It's not unusual to encounter a herd of cattle on the beach when hiking on the Wild Coast.

Transkei

While the former Apartheid homeland called 'Transkei does not exist anymore the region is still known by that name. The small village of Qumbu has the claim to fame of being the birthplace of Nelson Mandela. The Wild Coast is the region's biggest attraction, although accommodation facilities for tourism are very limited.

The Valley of Desolation in South Africa's Cambdeboo National Park outside Graaff-Reinet.

Eastern Cape

The Eastern Cape has an extremely beautiful ±820 km coastline with long stretches of deserted sandy beaches interspersed with rocky and sandy cliffs. Huge shifting dune fields are found in some areas and vegetated dune fields in others. It is a diverse Province with natural scenery ranging from barren semi-desert Karoo landscapes to rain forest covered mountain ranges.

A typical stretch of coastline on South Africa's Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape's Transkei region.

Wild Coast

The Wild Coast covers the north-eastern coastline of the Eastern Cape province and is part of the former homeland of Transkei. It is indeed quite "wild" with little infrastructure and almost no commercial development. This is the region's greatest attraction as well as its greatest drawback. Facilities for tourism is limited.