The Eastern Cape is the second largest province in South Africa.
The Eastern Cape’s landscape ranges from the dry and desolate Great Karoo to the humid forests of the Wild Coast and the Keiskamma Valley. The area also encompasses the fertile Langkloof, famous for its rich apple crops, and is cradled by the mountainous Drakensberg to the south.
The coastline of this province stretches from the Umtamvuna River in KwaZulu-Natal to the mouth of the Storms River on the scenic Garden Route in the west, and extends inland to the north to the border with Lesotho. Today, the Eastern Cape incorporates the previously independent “homelands” of Ciskei and Transkei. Despite its colonial past, the Eastern Cape remains home to the Xhosa-speaking people of South Africa. With its almost seven million inhabitants, the Eastern Cape has the third largest provincial population, living on approximately 169,600 km2 of land.
Port Elizabeth
The industrial city of Port Elizabeth is the center of the Eastern Cape region, known as “settler country”. The city was founded by boatloads of British settler families who arrived in the early 19th century hoping to improve their prospects after suffering economic hardship due to the industrial revolution in their country.
The settlers were intended to be a defense against the local Xhosa people, who had been pushed beyond the Fish River border.
Port Elizabeth was known as a small British Fort Frederick. The city has grown from its humble beginnings to a major port and manufacturing center.
Although very much a working-class city with a large destitute population living in the outlying areas of the township, Port Elizabeth attracts many tourists.
The city is rightly known as ‘the friendly city’ and Algoa Bay boasts 40 km of beautiful beaches lapped by the warm Indian Ocean. The beach is home to the annual Splash festival and the world surfing championships, and has a long boardwalk.
Port Elizabeth International Airport
Location: The airport is located approximately two miles 3 km south of PE.
Time: GMT+2.
Contacts: Telephone: +27 041 507 7319.
Transfer to the city: Taxis provide the only transportation to the city center.
Car rental: Car rental companies include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Imperial and National.
Facilities: Facilities include various shops, as well as restaurants, cafes and pubs, and conference facilities. An ATM is available for cash withdrawal.
Parking: Short and long term parking is available.
east london
East London is the gateway to the Wild Coast, East London is a small city.
This friendly city is located on the Indian Ocean where activities such as surfing, fishing and golf take place. The city center branches off into business parks, malls and suburbs nestled in subtropical greenery, which are bisected by a myriad of rivers such as the Buffalo and the Nahoon, whose wide banks meander lazily down to the ocean, offering locals excellent opportunities to fish, paddle and sail. .
Formerly a British fort, the city can be explored on foot. There are many attractions such as the East London Museum which houses the prehistoric coelacanth and the town hall that should not be missed. Visitors are better off with a car so they can access various attractions scattered around the outskirts, such as Steve Biko’s grave, the aquarium, the harbor, which is the only river port in the southern hemisphere, and the excellent seafood restaurants. that line the beach front
It takes just 20 minutes from the bustle of this small town to one of the coast’s quiet and secluded holiday villages, where rolling hills of native vegetation meet long stretches of pristine beaches. Here visitors can ride horses on the shore, visit the Gonubie Nature Reserve, which has more than 150 different bird species, or stay at the Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve, where the remarkable Big Five can be seen.
East London Airport
Location: The airport is located six miles 9 km west of the city center.
Time: GMT+2.
Contacts: Telephone: +27 043 706 0306.
Transfer to the city: Gateway Shuttle (tel: 043 743 139) and Redshuttle Bus Services leave in front of the arrivals terminal. Reservations must be made in advance. Its schedule follows the flight schedules.
Car rental: Rental companies at the airport include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Tempest.
Facilities: The airport has an ATM in the departures hall and an information desk in the arrivals hall. A cafeteria, a restaurant and a bookstore are also available in the terminal building.
Safety
Visitors to the Eastern Cape should be aware that this part of our country has a high incidence of crime. Although this tends to be concentrated in pockets across the country, for example in township areas, opportunistic crime is quite widespread.
Travelers should always be aware of these risks and take the necessary precautions. Doors should be locked when driving and one should not walk alone at night on city streets, secluded beaches, or remote areas.
Travelers should be vigilant when using ATMs and not display unnecessary signs of wealth (eg mobile phones, money, expensive jewelry) on the streets. It is worth noting that the South African authorities give high priority to the protection of tourists.
Power outages are common throughout the country; Frequent blackouts and ongoing power outages in January 2008 have forced the government to acknowledge that the country has an electricity crisis on its hands.
