The Eastern Cape is South Africa’s second-largest province.
You can find the Eastern Cape from the deserted Great Karoo all the way to the humid forests of Wild Coast or Keiskamma. This area is also home to the fertile Langkloof. It’s well-known for its abundant apple harvests.
This province’s shoreline extends from KwaZulu–Natal’s Umtamvuna River to the Storms River mouth along the scenic Garden Route to the west. It also stretches inland to the border with Lesotho to the north. The Eastern Cape now includes the former independent “homelands” of Transkei and Ciskei. Despite the colonial history, the Eastern Cape still remains South Africa’s home for Xhosa speakers. The Eastern Cape is home to almost 7 million people and occupies approximately 169 600km2 land.
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth is an industrial center in the Eastern Cape region. It’s also known as “settler country”. Shiploads of British settler families arrived on the island in 1902 to help their family after experiencing economic hardship at home.
The settlers were meant to defend against local Xhosas, who had been pushed back over the Fish River frontier.
Port Elizabeth is known for being a British Fort Frederick. From humble origins to a major port and manufacturing hub, the city has grown tremendously.
Port Elizabeth is a very active town, with many tourists visiting from outlying towns.
Algoa Bay has 40 km of stunning beaches that are lapped by the Indian Ocean. The city is rightly known as “the friendliest city”. A long promenade runs along the beachfront, which is home to the Splash festival and the world boardsailing championships.
Port Elizabeth International Airport
It is located approximately 2 miles (3 km) south of PE.
GMT +2.
Contacts: Tel: +27 041 507 7319.
Transfer into the City: The only transportation to the centre of the city is by taxis.
Car hire: These companies include Avis Budget, Europcar and Imperial.
The facilities include many shops and restaurants as well as cafes, bars, and public places. There is also a conference room. Cash withdrawals can be made at an ATM.
Parking: There are both short-term and long-term options.
East London
East London, the gateway to Wild Coast is East London. East London however is small.
The Indian Ocean is the ideal place to enjoy activities such as surfing, fishing, and golf. From the city center, there are business parks, malls, and suburban areas that are set within subtropical vegetation. The suburbs lead to a multitude of rivers, including the Nahoon and Buffalo. Their wide banks run lazily into water, giving locals great fishing, rowing, or cruising.
The city was once a British fort. It can now be explored by foot. The East London Museum is a must-see, which houses the prehistoric coelacanth as well as the city hall. A car is a good idea so visitors can reach many of the attractions located on the surrounding areas, including Steve Biko’s tomb, the aquarium and the harbour, which is one of the most important river ports in the Southern Hemisphere.
You can travel only 20 minutes between the busy city and one of the quieter, more isolated villages at the coast. Long stretches of unspoiled beaches lie in the midst of rolling hills covered with indigenous vegetation. Visitors can ride horses on the beach, visit the Gonubie Nature Reserve which has more than 150 bird species and stay at Inkwenkwezi private game reserve where they can see the extraordinary Big Five.
East London Airport
It is approximately six miles (9 km) west of the centre.
GMT +2.
Contacts: Tel: +27 043 706 0306.
Redshuttle Bus Services and Gateway Shuttle are available to transfer you into the city. They depart from the terminal in front. You should make reservations in advance. They should follow flight schedules.
Avis, Budget and Europcar are some of the rental companies available at airports. Hertz, Tempest, Hertz, Europcar and Europcar are all examples.
Airport facilities: There is an ATM available in the departures hall, and an information desk in arrivals hall. The terminal has a coffee shop, a restaurant, and a bookshop.
Safety
It is important to be aware that the Eastern Cape has an extremely high rate of criminality. Opportunistic crimes are quite common, even though it tends to be more concentrated in certain areas of the country such as the towns.
It is important to be alert for these dangers and take the appropriate precautions when traveling. When driving, doors should always be locked and it is not a good idea to walk at night alone on streets or isolated beaches.
When using ATMs, travelers should be vigilant and avoid displaying unnecessary wealth signs (e.g. On the streets, mobile phones, money and costly jewellery should not be displayed. Not to be overlooked is the fact that South African authorities place a lot of importance on protecting tourists.
The country is plagued by power outages; the frequent blackouts, rolling power cut in January 2008 have forced the government into acknowledging that it has an electrical crisis.