More than 100 things to see and do during your
Wild Coast Sun stay

Experiences
Beaver Creek Coffee Estate

Located in Port Edward, 039 311 2347

Experience a world of coffee when you visit Beaver Creek Coffee Estate.

Coffee fans can sample and purchase the range of freshly roasted Beaver Creek coffee and other coffees of the world. The estate offers a daily ‘crop to cup’ tour that outlines the distinctive flavours of the world’s coffee regions and the processes involved in creating the perfect cup.

The Estate Cafe serves freshly roasted coffee, light lunches and delicious cakes all day.

Wildlife & Bird Watching
Crag’s View Wild Care Centre

039 311-2488 / 083 471-0575

Crag’s View Wild Care Centre is the only formal rehabilitation centre for wildlife in the South Coast area. It homes, treats and rehabilitates birds and animals that have been orphaned or that have suffered debilitating injuries.

The centre offers an educational talk and experience by appointment only.

Wildlife & Bird Watching
Mkambati Nature Reserve

The reserve is situated on the coast of north-eastern Pondoland, in the Eastern Cape. It lies between Port Edward (30 km to the north east) and Port St Johns (59 km to the south west). It is 7720 hectares of open grasslands, dotted with indigenous forest patches and swamp forests, 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. Large numbers of grazing herbivores such as Eland and Red Hartebeest have been introduced into the grasslands.

Hiking or riding horses are the best ways to experience this beautiful reserve.

Wildlife & Bird Watching
Mpenjati Nature Reserve

Enquire about the trail options, 039 313 0531

The Mpenjati Nature Reserve occupies 60 hectares of the KwaZulu-Natal countryside, in Port Edward, and boasts a wide range of birdlife, wildlife and vegetation for hikers and bird watchers to enjoy.

Wildlife includes the Duiker, with red, blue and grey varieties. The Red Duiker is on the IUCN red list as a threatened species.

Birdlife includes the Giant Kingfisher, Osprey, Water Thick-Knee, Black-Bellied Starling, Green Twinspot, Forest Canary, Orange-Breasted Bush Shrike, and the Black-Backed Puffback.

Park visitors can also enjoy the picnic spots of braai facilities.

Wildlife & Bird Watching
Pondoland Centre of Endemism

Described by SA-Venues.com as a ‘wonderland’ and 'one of the most fascinating areas of botanical study in the world', the Pondoland Centre of Endemism is situated between Port St Johns on the West Coast and Oribi Gorge, in KwaZulu-Natal.

The biological hotspot is filled with forests, grassland and incised river valleys. Not only is it the second richest floristic region in southern Africa (after the Cape Floristic Region (fynbos), but it unites four centres of endemism – Maputaland, Pondoland, Albany and Sneeuberg, and six of the country's eight biomes. This makes this stretch of coastline the second richest floristic region in Africa for its size.

Wildlife & Bird Watching
Umtamvuna Nature Reserve

039 313 2383

The Umtamvuna Nature Reserve in Port Edward is famous for its magnificent views of the deep Mtamvuna River Gorge. It is a treasure house of rare and endemic trees and plant species in a diversity of habitats, with spectacular wildflower displays after the spring rains.

The reserve has phenomenal nature walks with several marked trails to explore – including Kingfisher Trail (30-minutes), Loerie Trail (2-hours) and Fish Eagle Trail (4-hour circular route).

A large colony of the endangered Cape Vulture can be observed on their nesting sites, as well as other rare bird species.

St Micheals on Sea Beach

St Micheals on the Sea is popular among surfers for having one of the best point breaks in South Africa, when the wind offers the perfect conditions.

Situated at the mouth of the Umhlangeni River, one will enjoy the swimming and going out on paddle boats.

A highlight for families is the grass area with a children’s swimming pool and a number of rock pools.

Uvongo Beach

Considered one of the most beautiful beaches on the South Coast, it is difficult to argue this point when Uvongo Beach has soft white sand and a waterfall that empties into the lagoon, accompanied by top-notch facilities.

Beach goers enjoy swimming, snorkelling, bodyboarding, surfing, stand-up paddling, canoeing, and exploring the rock pools.

Dining
C-Bali Restaurant

039 315 0473

This family run, relaxed beachside restaurant has delicious seafood and sushi specialities on the menu, as well as gourmet handmade burgers. Enjoy craft gin and beers, including its signature house lager at the Craft Gin Bar & Cocktail Deck overlooking the ocean.

* Recommended by previous Wild Coast Sun guests

Dining
Senzi's on Faya
(also known as Senzi’s Shisanyama)

039 312 1203 / senzinokwe@telkomsa.net / senzisbutchergrill@gmail.com

Husband and wife team, Michael and Senzi Frey, started a chain of Senzi establishments starting with Senzi’s Shisanyama in 2013. It serves the best quality grilled meat where you choose your protein, and a Braai Master cooks it to perfection, filling the air with that classic South African Aroma. There is also an à la carte menu.

* See under experiences for the night club offering.

Pure Venom Reptile Park

082 492 8256 / www.purevenom.com

Situated on an old estate in Izotsha near Shelly Beach, the family run reptile park is a must for those wanting to see the most fearsome and venomous snakes on the planet. Visitors can count all 70 teeth of a crocodile and stroke the scales of an iguana. For the brave, have a photograph taken holding a python, mamba, cobra or viper.

The grounds are beautiful and graced with enormous wild olive trees that date back to the 1800s. They also have a petting zoo with far animals and exotic birds.

Pure Venom Reptile Park rescues and rehabilitates injured snakes as well as removes snakes bothering public and relocates them.

Rotary Uvongo Fleamarket

The Rotary Uvongo Fleamarket has been running every Saturday and Sunday morning for more than 30 years.

With over 160 stalls, there is a wide range of goodies, from fresh produce – fruit and vegetables, meat and cheese – to clothing, bags, toys and games, as well as second hand bits and bobs.

The market also has an open-air tearoom to put your feet up and enjoy a hot or cold beverage and a slice of homemade cake.

Nyandezulu Village (Cultural tour)

Nyandezulu is a lovely rural village situated 9km inland from Shelly Beach. Take a trip into the hills and discover the Nyandezulu community and their semi-rural settlements.

Visitors are welcomed by the community at the large wild fig tree at the Mfihlo Guest House, with its jaw-dropping sea views from the very top of the hill. From there, choose to drive or be driven to the Ntantana Mountain and magnificent Nyandezulu Falls.

Wildlife & Bird Watching
River Valley Nature Reserve

083 263 5537 / info@rivervalleynaturereserve.co.za

The River Valley Nature Reserve falls within a horseshoe of a picturesque section of the Ivungu River in Margate. It boasts a variety of different ecosystems within a small area with an abundance of birdlife, antelope and small mammals.

Dining
Pistols Saloon and Wild West Museum

039 316 8463

It’s no joke, Huckleberry the donkey is a familiar face and regular to Pistols Saloon – he drinks cold drinks at the bar and munches on carrots.

Pistols is a family friendly restaurant and wild west-themed pub, which also has a museum next door, with lots of cowboy memorabilia and information about Indians and the ‘Most Wanted’ criminals of that era, including Billy the Kid and Frank and Jesse James.

There is no horsing around in this pub, with its no swearing rule. If you let one slip, you are fined R2, which goes to the SPCA and a worthy cause.

Dining
The Waffle House

039 314 9424 / manager@wafflehouse.co.za

The iconic eatery has been serving wholesomely fresh Belgian waffles since 1991 and has a view overlooking the Ramsgate Lagoon, with a quaint wooden bridge accessing the beach below.

Great care is taken in the preparation of all dishes on the waffle and breakfast menus, using quality ingredients and organically grown fruit and vegetables where possible.

You can also visit the deli on the property and purchase the same organic foods used at the restaurant.

Open Monday to Sunday between 08h00 and 17h00.

* Recommended by previous Wild Coast Sun guests.

Experiences
Ramsgate Whale Deck (Whale Watching)

From the Ramsgate Whale Deck, you have spectacular views of the main beach, lagoon and tidal pool. It is also the perfect spot for whale watching all year round and the annual migration of the Humpback whale, which occurs between May and September.

Spectators can also enjoy the delightful antics of resident common and bottlenose dolphins, as well as the annual Sardine Run during the winter months.

Experiences
Umtentweni Whale Deck (Whale Watching)

Another great deck to watch the migration of the Humpback and Southern Right whales traveling to Mozambique.

The deck falls part of the Umtentweni Conservancy, which was established in 2007 to protect and promote natural heritage within the greater Umtentweni area

Tour and Extreme
Zip Lines

Zip line down the longest zip line tour in Africa, at 4,5km, across the Lake Eland Game Reserve.

The tour consists of 14 zip line slides starting at the top of Oribi Gorge. Slide number 6 is the longest, which soars 680m down from a 300m height. One of the slides crosses so close over the lake that you can almost touch the water, and the final slide is through a tunnel.

For the adrenalin junkies, the ZipXtreme will provide the ultimate thrill. The first slide is 1km straight down and you reach speeds up to 160km per hour, and another two slides take you to the collection point. Not for children.

Lake Eland Nature Reserve
Game Drives (self and guided)

Lake Eland has a variety of routes that one can select depending on the amount of time you have to spend touring the game reserve and you can do a self-game drive or opt for a guided game drive.

One of the popular routes is a visit to the suspension bridge and caves past the Zip Line office – allocate between 2-3 hours for this. For a full day, continue the scenic drive on the reserve to the lake and back along the western side of the reserve, which is just over 30km.

The roads can accommodate all “normal” cars, no need for a 4×4. However those that want to push their 4x4 talents, can make use of the 4x4 track.

Go Ballistix Paintball

Paintball fun with a range of games from the well-known Capture the Flag and Hostage Rescue to custom-made games, designed to deliver a fun filled experience for your group.

Guns, overalls and headgear are provided.

Suspension Bridge

A spectacular opportunity to be suspended between heaven and terra firma, as you hover 100m above the Gorge floor enjoying views of Lehr’s Waterfall, Baboon’s Castle and the World’s Highest Gorge Swing.

Almost as long as it is high, the bridge’s length measures 84m.

Experiences
Hoepoe Falls (hiking)

Located in the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, the Hoopoe Falls hiking trail is the perfect place to appreciate the best nature has to offer. The easy trail follows the river from the main picnic site in the gorge.

You will be flanked by the towering sandstone cliffs of the gorge as you follow the river for about 1.5 hours when you will join the trail running alongside the Mbalala Stream to the Hoopoe Falls.

The hike is 7km, and approximately 4-hours, return on same route.

* See below for more on the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve.

Oribi Vulture Viewing Hide

Advanced bookings are essential, 072 893 3794

Oribi Gorge is home to a breeding colony of over 200 Cape Vultures.

Get up close and personal with these magnificent birds from easily accessible cliff vantage points where you will see them soaring along the ridges, flying above, below and eye level.

Watch as they perform stunning formations and hear the rush of air through their feathers as they glide passed, sometimes just meters away. The memorable experience does not require hiking or mountain climbing.

Wildlife includes Impala, Nyala, Grey and Blue Duiker.

Birdlife includes over 130 species, some being African Crowned Eagles, African Fish Eagles, Black Sparrowhawk, African Harrier Hawk, Narina Trogon, African Finfoot, Purple and Knysna Turaco, Green Malkoha, Spotted Ground Thrush, Blue-Mantled Crested Flycatcher.

Visitors can enjoy birdwatching, fishing, hiking, picnicking and family photo shoots.

Golf
Selborne Park Golf Estate

039 975 8500

The world class parkland 18-hole golf course with its beautifully manicured fairways was designed by Denis Barker around one of only two privately owned coastal forests. Selborne Park Golf Estate is a challenging but exhilarating course that will test your abilities while you enjoy the gorgeous sea views and glimpses of the indigenous wildlife.

Wildlife & Bird Watching
TC Robertson Nature Reserve

074 792 0605

The TC Robertson Nature Reserve lies on the edge of Scottburgh, on the south bank of the Mapambanyoni River.

Mpambanyoni means 'where birds gather' and the 60 hectares of land is home to 180 species of bird, as well as the blue and grey duiker.

Park visitors can also enjoy the picnic spots.

Wildlife & Bird Watching
Ilanda Wilds Nature Reserve

Situated along the Amanzimtoti River, the Ilanda Wilds is a small 14 hectares nature reserve that consists of a richly vegetated patch of riverine and coastal scarp forest inhabited by more than 120 various tree and shrub species including the rare Fluted Milkwood and Natal Elm tree.

Three self-guided trails within the reserve will delight visitors with prolific birdlife and probable sightings of vervet monkeys. The trails are well laid out and each cover a distance of about 1 kilometre.

Of historical interest, there is a plaque in the reserve mounted on stone, where King Shaka apparently tasted the river water and gave the town of Amanzimtoti its name, "place of sweet water".

Park visitors can also enjoy the picnic and braai spots.

Wildlife & Bird Watching
Umbogavango Nature Reserve

According to SA-Venues.com, the 36-hectare nature reserve is ‘like something out of a story that the passage of time forgot’ with ‘the thick overhead canopy of forest, the tangle of creepers, the slatted bamboo bridge at Dick's Crossing just below the bird hide, alongside which a grove of arum lilies grow in spring, and the odd little water hole combine to form a haven for birds.’

There are two trails that lead through the coastal forest and a longer trail to the dam system, passing a large plantation of exotic trees where you can spot raptors like the black sparrowhawk. Three hides along the edge of the dams gives one better access to the water.

Wildlife & Bird Watching
Umdoni Bird Sanctuary
(also known as Amanzimtoti Bird Park)

This wonderful family attraction bird park sprawls across 4,5km hectares of landscaped gardens and boasts a birdlife of more than 150 species.

Visitors can either enjoy the calls of birds from the lush gardens or tea garden that overlooks the pond, or the more adventurous can head off on a self-guided trail through the indigenous riverine forest.

The park also features picnic areas and a number of bird hides.

Wildlife & Bird Watching
Vumbuka Nature Reserve

031 949 2081 – bookings need to be made in advance

Another birdlife gem, Vumbuka Nature Reserve is situated within the factories of the Industrial Park of Amanzimtoti. Walk through the indigenous forest with the opportunity to spot a multitude of species.