Coffee Bay

Up and down the hill, a continuous rollercoaster. The top of the hills offered a beautiful vantage point from which one was able to overlook the vast Indian ocean which reaches till the shores of Australia. If we looked closely, we were able to spot dolphins, emerging from the crashing waves. The valleys however, offered a great variety of florae, including Aloe Vera which the local’s use in herbal medicine.

This remote village situated on the Wild Coast, gives its visitors the chance to explore traditional South-Africa. The Xhosa people inhabit the southeast coast of South-Africa and they have been living in this area of the country long before the arrival of the Europeans, who first colonised in and around Cape Town and later expanded their territory, claiming Xhosa land.

During the 19^th century and apartheid, Xhosa communities were deliberately neglected and there was a serious lack of social services. This is the reason, why today many Xhosa people still live in poverty and do not have access to electricity or running water.

However, the cultural customs and traditions still play a major role in Xhosa communities, which allows travellers to discover traditional Africa. The thatched-roof huts, which are often painted into a bright colour, creating a gorgeous scenery.

Traditional thatched-roof huts; some painted in bright colours

A gorgeous view

We spent two nights in Coffee Bay in the Ocean View Hotel. One of the few hotels available in the area. Coffee Bay is an isolated village with gorgeous sea cliffs and magnificent nature. Hole in the wall is a detached cliff that has an opening in its centre created by the crashing waves. It is a popular destination for guided hikes and it is a three hour walk from Coffee Bay. Our hotel manager arranged us a local guide who would walk us to the Hole in the Wall. During the hike we passed a few small settlements, climbed hundreds of hills which offered beautiful views and we caught a glimpse of five dolphins emerging from the ocean 300 metres beneath our feet. After three hours, we arrived at the Hole in the Wall and I must admit that the hike was far more impressive than our destination, considering the fact that one is able to visit thousands of Hole’s in the Walls in southern Europe. However, the walk was absolutely beautiful and it gave us the opportunity to explore the traditional African culture as our guide enlightened us.

Hole in the Wall