Kei Mouth, Wild Coast

Close to East London on the Wild coast, Kei Mouth lies on the bank of the Great Kei River, which flows for about 225 kilometres before ending at the Indian Ocean at the small village. This is still part of the coast in South Africa that almost guarantees quiet and peaceful holidays.

The beaches, lined by wooded sand dunes, fynbos and indigenous vegetation are wide and expansive and invite beach combing and long walks. The Strandloper Trail, described as the one trail where you can relish the feeling of solitude on unspoilt beaches, starts at Kei Mouth and wends its way down to Gonubie near East London over five days. There is no shortage of things to do in Kei Mouth, and the outdoor lifestyle is given a boost by the sheer beauty of the surrounds. Fishing is extremely popular upstream and at the mouth of the Kei River. Just up the coast from Kei Mouth is Morgan’s Bay, a little hamlet surrounded by steep cliffs separated from Kei Mouth by a nature reserve with a wide swimming beach and protected lagoon. An old fashioned pontoon-ferry transports you and your car across the Kei River from where you can travel to Coffee Bay or the legendary ‘hole in the wall’.

Wacky Point, on the right of the main beach at Kei Mouth, is great surfing spot and the annual Wacky Point Surf Competition is held here, whilst magical horse rides along the beach to Morgan Bay Cliff top or along the Kei River Mouth are run by Wild Coast Horse Trails. The 18-hole golf course is another attraction to this part of the world, and hiking along some of the fantastic routes takes one through nature virtually untouched by man.