On our annual visit to the Transkei last year I discovered that its not the most expensive holidays that bring the most fun and memories but the ones spent with family and friends,
laughing and having a good time.
In September last year we packed our bags(with minimal clothes) and hit the road with our friends, who are more like family. We were ready for a road trip of note and began our holiday with a 3 hour drive to a small ‘village’ called Coffie bay. We spent a night at a hotel there (or should I say the ONLY hotel there) That night my dad took me to a small backpackers and I realised what life is like for those gypsies and hippies all over the world, it opened my eyes to all the wonderful things life has to offer. These people have it so good, they may not have a lot of money but they sure know how to have fun.
I awoke early in the morning, shoved on the clothes I could squeeze out my suitcase and before I knew it we were on the road, and were where we going? To the best place in the world! Bulungula backpackers
Bulungula is a small village situated rather deep in the Transkei, it has no electricity or running water or Even signal but it is one good place to sit back and relax. We arrived in the afternoon and were welcomed by the Xhosa people that live in the village. Before you get a picture in your mind of what Bulungula is like, I'm going to tell you. When you arrive you drive over a big hill, but when you reach the top you look onto 6 small huts, brightly painted with the traditional Xhosa patterns, a main building and an ablution block. They all are right on the river mouth and you wake up in the morning to the sound of children playing soccer outside and the smell of see air, and you think to yourself, what a life!
There are many activities that you can do to keep you busy, such as horse back riding, hiking, fishing and much more. My favourite thing to do is wake up early, sit on the beach and write. You feel so captivated by the beauty of this place that it is almost to much to take in. It is one of those places that your heart aches for and when you are there you feel on top of the world. My favourite thing to do there is play with the Xhosa children and visit their homes. These people are so poor but yet they are so humble and welcome you with open arms. The food is another thing that makes me smile, bacon, eggs and beans for breakfast, traditional Xhosa meals for lunch and the same for supper. What more could you ask for?
After a life changing few days, we said our goodbyes and moved on to a hotel in the middle of Dwesa game reserve called The Haven. This was quite a new experience for me as I had never been here before. It felt rather good to be back in touch with civilization again. We stayed in small cottages a few metres away from the main building. It was wonderful to wake up in the morning and have a zebra staring at you through the bedroom window. We met so many new people and enjoyed a nice supper after a 10km walk through the nature reserve(we saw a skeleton of an actual whale!)
This holiday was so amazing, I wouldn’t trade it for anything and I would recommend it to anyone who is in need of some soul searching.
Websites
www.coffeebayhotel.co.za
www.bulungula.com
www.havenhotel.co.za
