“In Part 2 of Mandi’s family road trip the family make their way through the Eastern Cape. Not one of South Africa’s most well-known tourist locations, it is definitely one of the most beautiful and more magnificent provinces. ”

In Part 2 of Mandi’s family road trip the family make their way through the Eastern Cape. Not one of South Africa’s most well-known tourist locations, it is definitely one of the most beautiful and more magnificent provinces.  With rolling hills, the flatlands and beaches of the Wild Coast; this province is perfect for the explorer wanting to experience real raw Africa and is not for the faint hearted!

Mandi and her family made their first stop at the Kwandwe Private Game Reserve at the elegant Uplands Homestead. This beautifully restored 1905 homestead exudes charm and farmhouse hospitality.

With only four bedrooms and being one of the newer lodges at &Beyond Kwandwe, its perfect for individual attention, Mandi and her family had the lodge all to themselves!  Situated in a remote and tranquil valley, surrounded by magnificent hills, it is the perfect place for a private safari.

With a very experienced game ranger name Marcelino as their tour guide, they had a magical safari here and Marcelino proved to be an instant hit with the kids.  His style of lecturing is fun and informative; he brought the game viewing experience totally to life!  And apart from the bad weather the family was lucky enough to track down a pride of lions eating a warthog for breakfast so it was a good experience all round!

The family had no time to waste and was off yet again on to their next stop. Prana Lodge Private Beach Resort and spa is situated on the Wild Coast, just 40 minutes north of East London.

This five star luxury boutique hotel and spa is located on 21km of unspoilt stretch of beach within a private estate surrounded by an indigenous dune forest. Mandi says that they were pleasantly surprised by its beautiful setting and gourmet dining.

Large suites are set far apart with their own plunge pool and outside shower and one nice touch for such a small lodge is the brilliant Thai spa offering a range of treatments for the wearied traveller.

The property is also large in size with wonderful gardens, it almost feels like you are staying at some beautiful resort in Asia, with Vervid monkeys running around and Knysna’s Loerie birds flitting about, trying to take cover in the nearby forest.

They also have lovely wooden walkways which connect the lodge to the beach through the forest, which lead onto a dramatic deck that showcases the magnificent views of the white beaches below.  Surf lessons and horse riding on the beach can be booked among a range of other low-key activities, which Gabriella took full advantage of.

Lovely for kids and honeymooners Prana is a definite gem on the Wild Coast, the perfect combination of game lodge and beach!

The last stop on the Wild Coast route was in Kokstad, which sits on the border between the Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal, called Willowdale Lodge.

Again this was a lovely surprise for the family, and according to Mandi is the only place to stay in this area! This homely manor house is family run and set up in the middle of nowhere but offers wonderful features and accommodation, and the dinner the family had was out-of-this-world, totally unexpected for such a small town in a remote setting.

With 10 rooms the manor house is small providing the visitor the comfort of modern living with historic ambiance, including scores of interesting artifacts, family photos and antiques that are showcased around the homestead for added interest.

It has a very casual feeling about it which is nice when you have kids and the fact that there was a huge espresso machine working on overdrive in the morning to provide fresh coffee, was an added bonus for the Aliverti’s!

 Interested in finding out more about these little gems on the Wild Coast? Contact us to help you find out more!Stay tuned for our final blog post on Mandi’s trip titled “Going Gaga on the Garden Route!”