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The Kraal
Coffee Bay
Wild Coast, South Africa
filmed and produced by Mike Thornton
The Wildcoast / Transkei
Bordered by Port Alfred in the north and Cintsa in the south, the Wild Coast is one of the most stunning coastal regions in Southern Africa .
The Wild Coast is part of the former Transkei, which means
the area beyond the Kei River. The Transkei was a so-called Bantustan in the Apartheid years in South Africa. Bantustans (coming from the word "Bantu" meaning "people" in the Bantu languages and "-stan" meaning "land" in the Persian language) were twenty territories that served as tribal reserves for the indigenous black inhabitants of South Africa and South-West Africa (now Namibia), as part of the racial segregation policies of apartheid.
One of the most known sons of the former Transkei is the first democratic president of South Africa - Mr Nelson Mandela. He is still owning a home in Qunu, close to Umtata.
When you are in the WildCoast area don't miss “The Kraal” in Mpande. Mpande, or Tswelleni, itself is a rather normal small xhosa-village, but “The Kraal” makes it a bit different. The Kraal (a traditional village of huts in Southern Africa ) is a unique backpacker situated in a beautiful and remote Pondo/Xhosa tribal area of the old Transkei. The hostel is situated in the heart of the Wild Coast, at the tip of a peninsula situated between Sinangwana river and the Mpande river and the Indian Ocean. Mpande is part of the Gomolo District of Port St Johns in the former Transkei, on the Wild Coast in South Africa."The Kraal" is fully integrated in the local community, supporting social projects and completely ecofriendly.
You can make coastal and forest hikes, you can take one of their horses for a ride through the amazing landscape, you can take one of the canoes and do a trip on the Sinangwana river - its so much to do in this awesome part of South Africa.
How to get there
Directions:
GPS: S:31 45' 118". E:029 22' 128"
From Umtata: Take the R61 towards Port St Johns. About 80kms down the road you will find the Tombo Trading Store on the right. 150 metres past the Store is the Mpande turning to the right – The Kraal is 20km down this road.
From Port St johns: Travel 20kms on the R61 towards Umtata until you come to the Mpande turning on the left. The Kraal is 20km down this road.
Getting here
The Baz bus drops at Tombo Stores where the Kraal built a taxi and backpackers office, so you can sit and wait for a local taxi. There is a man who organises taxis for the backpackers. If you get dropped in Umtata please let us know the day before as we have three taxi drivers making pickups in Umtata. The Sunrise Bus runs every day excepts Sundays leaving from Port St Johns, and there are loads of taxis in the area that all know The Kraal.
Or just drive in following the signs from Tombo Stores - parking is right next to the dorms, so your car should be safe!
© Sebastian Hermanns - All Rights Reserved - last modified
2008-06-02 5:10 PM
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