When I planned my trip to South Africa, I wanted to have plenty of time to stop at the random towns along the coast. I thought I wouldn’t have to rush, spending a few days in each. But it didn’t turn out that way, of course. I didn’t have an entire year like I had when traveling the East Coast of Australia. I did, however, make time for a few places where I could go off the grid.
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Doing Nothing in Chintsa
After leaving my friends in Durban as they headed to Lesotho before following a few days behind on the coast, I boarded the BazBus again. We left early in the morning for what would end up being an all-day ride, stopping in towns like Umzumbe to pick up passengers.
It was due to take ten hours but became longer when a farm protest caused road closures. The travelers we were supposed to pick up had to take a long detour, so we had to wait for them at a gas station for a few hours. It was here I started chatting with a French guy that would become my travel companion for the rest of my trip and a Swiss girl.
The main place to stay is Buccaneers Lodge & Backpackers, a large property with dorms, cottages, and camping. My new friends and I checked into the 12-bed dorm with some other people from our bus. It was one of the few places I booked in advance just because it’s very remote.
We went to the restaurant next door for a communal meal, which was delicious. Like with places I’ve stayed before (La Iguana Perdida to name one), you have a tab system and pay at the end.
Most mornings we woke up to monkeys jumping around on the tin roof but the walks to the bathroom provided sunrise views of the ocean. In addition to the nightly meals, there was a restaurant open for breakfast and lunch. They also have a full kitchen where I ended up making most meals.
There is a small grocery store across the sandbar in Chintsa town but the selection is limited. I ended up making sandwiches and ramen, wishing I’d brought items from my last stop or the better store in East London. The town also has a few cafes but they were closed when I was there. Buccaneers also has a lively bar with pool tables and South African craft beer.
Over the next three days, I barely used the WiFi because it wasn’t easy to use and I wanted to enjoy my surroundings. The hostel put on daily events like a volleyball tournament (complete with boxed wine), canoeing, surf lessons, and volunteering in a nearby village. They have surf lessons, yoga, laundry facilities, and massages which I was happy to do. Bring a good book to read by the pool and watch out for creatures. I saw a few snakes during my stay.
Embracing the Outdoors in Storms River
After leaving Chintsa, it was a five-hour bus ride from Chintsa to Port Elizabeth, where I had to spend a night. I added on a night so that I had a bit of time to answer emails before going back into the wilderness. That time went awry, which I may eventually write about. But needless to say, I was glad to get back on the bus, even to ride for another three hours to Storms River Village.
My friend and I didn’t have a hostel booked but instead got off and walked towards a few, stopping in to ask prices before deciding on one. That’s how we ended up at Dijembe Backpackers, the last on a long road of budget accommodations. It didn’t look like much from the outside and my travel companion looked at me suspiciously, but they had free WiFi and free breakfast. They were also the cheapest.
The hostel itself was a converted house where horses, goats, and dogs walked freely around the property, even inside. The walls were covered with funky murals and penned words from past travelers. It was much more hippie than I was used to but I had a feeling it would still be better than the last place I’d stayed. Thankfully, I was right. It was very social and we met people sitting around for beers and over the braai dinner, also on a tab system.
The main draw to this special corner of the coast is blackwater tubing, but I decided against it after a close call on a past trip. Storms River is also close to the Bloukrans Bridge Bungy, the tallest in the world. It’s a popular day trip from places like Port Elizabeth. I went back and forth about it but after my jump in Durban decided against the cost.
There were shuttles to various hikes but we looked at a map and decided we could do it ourselves. Our long walk started with the trek into town where we picked up some greasy sandwiches, one of the only options, and walked down the Garden Route National Park path.
At some point, we crossed a river but the path just kept going into what looked like a lumber company site. He went ahead as I listened to true crime podcasts on my phone. We finally reached the river and its incredible views that reminded me of the Pacific Coast Highway.
I carefully stepped down one at a time until we crossed the suspension bridge over where the rafting trips ended. My friend wanted to continue hiking, to some waterfall, but it was already late in the day so we compromised with beers. Instead of paying for a shuttle back, we asked a kind Dutch couple for a ride, which they agreed to. We got back to our hostel and relaxed by the fire, legs a bit more sore than they had been.
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