My visit to East London, Eastern Cape.

June 4, 2016

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I was recently in East London as part of a media tour.
We were there to see what the Eastern Cape
has to offer as a tourist destination.
All our activities were coordinated by Sithembiso Foster
of Ezethu Tours

Our group was accommodated at the Blue Lagoon hotel.
My room had two bedrooms, a full bathroom as well as a
second which had a shower and a toilet.

The rooms have a full kitchen, dining area as well as a lounge
that overlooks the Nahoon River Mouth.
The hotel does have a restaurant
where guests can enjoy not only breakfast,
but lunch and dinner as well.
http://www.bluelagoonhotel.co.za

The view of the Nahoon River from the balcony of my room.

I found this Little Egret marching through the surf
while on an early morning beach walk.

Leave only foot prints.

The hotel pool.
It was inviting, but as it was rather chilly,
I decided that discretion was the better part of valour,
and chose NOT to have a swim

10/10 for creativity.
A hard boiled egg wrapped in bacon that had
been cooked in a muffin tin.

A first for me…
A Half-Collared Kingfisher looking for a meal.
This was the first stop on our tour…
The Areena Riverside Resort.
There are a variety of activities that visitors can do here.
To find out more, visit:
http://www.areenaresort.com

One of the resident resort looks on
as some of the media take to the water

A LOT of fun was had by the group,
several of which had never been in a kayak before.

Looking cool on a quad bike.

Quad bikes and I do NOT have a great relationship.
So I chose to sit the trip out…

and I decided to interact with some of the wildlife on the property.

Luckily for these two it is not near Thanksgiving.
Time to say goodbye and head off to our next destination

Inkwenkwenzi Game Reserve.
Here we enjoyed lunch before setting off on a game drive.
Those who tried this chocolate sauce said it was sublime.
For more information on what the reserve offers,
http://eastlondon-info.co.za

“If I open my mouth and close my eyes,
might I get a big surprise”?

The game reserve has both White and Tawny lions.
Seeing the former was a first for me.
The other attractions include Cheetah and Elephant interactions.
The reserve is home to several species of plains game as well.

Sunrise on the Wild Coast.
And it is NOT called that for nothing.
Freezing weather and winds that can bowl someone over.
The beauty of this part of our country should be
promoted more to the tourist market.
Having been born and raised in Port Elizabeth,
I have an affinity for the Eastern Cape.
It therefore is of concern that it is seen as a business destination,
rather that a playground for tourists.