Ten Day Road Trip!

Day 1: Thursday 4/19 Cintsa

We flew from Cape Town to East London and then drove to Cintsa. We stayed at the backpackers called Buccaneers right on the beach. It was absolutely gorgeous and since we got there in the afternoon we spent the day exploring and enjoying its beauty.

Day 2: Friday 4/20 Cintsa to Bulungula

We took a long drive from Cintsa to our next hostel called Bulungula. Words can not describe how much I loved this place. We were dropped off on the road and a short walk over a hill we arrived at Bulungula that was right on the beach at the mouth of a river. Bulungula is located in the Transkei, which is natively inhabited by the Xhosa people. It was an eco-friendly hostel so for the showers we were given a container of paraffin that we put into the bottom of this pipe. Then we lit the paraffin and the water pipe ran inside the pipe and it would heat the water. It lasted for about 7 min so you had to shower fast but it was a really hot shower and really nice as well. The toilets were drop toilets so they were basically glorified portapotties but really nice for what they were. Every night the local village women cooked us awesome food and dessert. This was definitely my favorite place and I really really hope to go back at one point.

Day 3: Saturday 4/21 Bulungula

On this day I went on a canoe trip down the Xhora river. We had to hike over a couple hills, which lead us to the river and we canoed up and down it and ended up at the sea. We then walked back to Bulungula on the beach. We also met some awesome people at Bulungula and every night enjoyed conversation around the fire and in the eclectic dining area.

Day 4: Sunday 4/22 Bulungula

On this day I woke up early to go fishing with one of the locals, which was fun but I wasn’t able to catch anything. Later that day I went horseback riding through the hills and stopped at a local crepe place and enjoyed some yummy crepes and coffee. The crepe place was created as a business through the Bulungula hostel. It is another way that the hostel supports the local community. The horseback riding was my favorite thing that I did in Bulungula and it was just an amazing experience I will never forget.

Day 5: Monday 4/23 Bulungula

On this day our coordinator arranged for us to have crepes on the beach at sunrise. Later in the day we all together participated in a Women’s Power activity in which we learned by doing some of the local women’s daily activities. It was neat to see what they did everyday and really the women work hard. This was our last night so we enjoyed the last night hanging out with our new friends.

Day 6: Tuesday 4/24 Bulungula to Hogsback

This day we had a long day in the car to Hogsback. It probably was my least favorite place but it was still very pretty. It is located in the mountains and was actually quite cold when we arrived. Since we didn’t arrive till late we really did not have much time there.

Day 7: Wednesday 4/25 Hogsback to Addo

In the morning at Hogsback we went for a hike through the forest to some waterfalls. It was nice to be able to stretch our legs after a very long day in the car before. Then we drove to Addo where the Addo Elephant Park is located. It is a giant nature reserve and we stayed at probably one of the nicest hostels on our trip. That night we went through a quick drive through the park and saw a bit of some wildlife including: zebra, kudo, warthogs, ostrich and a secretary bird.

Day 8: Thursday 4/26 Addo to Tsitsikamma

We woke up super early this morning to go on a guided trip through the park. On this drive through we saw the new animals: elephants (even a baby elephant), hyena (we actually got to see them eating a kudo they just killed), jackles, and cape buffalo, along with most of the animals we saw the day before. We then got in the car and drove to Tsitsikamma where I went on a zip-line adventure through the treetops. It was a really neat experience and also really fun.

Day 9: Friday 4/27 Tsitsikamma to Knysna

We got up and went for a walk on the coast in Tsitsikamma. We then drove to Knysna, which is another beach town. We enjoyed some fish and chips for lunch and then spent the afternoon shopping in the local shops. It was a nice relaxing day and a little less adventurous than the day before but still good.

Day 10: Saturday 4/28 Knysna to Ootshoorn

In the morning we went to an outlook over the Knysna bay and then drove inland to Ootshoorn where we first went to an ostrich farm. The tour was a bit boring but at the end I was able to ride an ostrich, which was an awesomely terrifying experience that I will never forget. I hope to post a video of it on facebook soon. We then drove to the Cango Caves and went on a tour through the massive caves. We then went to our hostel and enjoyed a yummy ostrich braai (South African BBQ) and the ostrich was fantastic.

Day 11: Sunday 4/29 Ootshoorn to Cape Town

This was our final leg of the trip and we enjoyed a great breakfast and then had a long drive back to Cape Town. The trip overall was amazing and an experience I will never forget.