Jeffreys Bay the surf capital of South Africa

The Jeffreys Bay region is renowned for its gorgeous beaches, endless summers, plentiful shells and is best known as “the Surf Mecca of the World”. The beautiful beaches are safe for bathing and provide endless excitement for water sport enthusiasts. Nestled in the Eastern Cape Province, Jeffreys Bay is located just 90km from Port Elizabeth Airport and is a short stop off the famous Garden Route, a place like no other in the world in terms of beauty, natural attractions and unique flora and fauna.

Jeffreys Bay is also home to the only World Championship Surfing Tour event in South Africa. The Billabong Pro J-Bay is the biggest and richest surfing event in Africa attracting the top 45 surfers in the world to challenge for over $400,000 in prize money. The event in Jeffreys Bay in July each year attracts 30,000 daily visitors. The crowds really get into the event with lots of cheering and of course those famous vuvuzelas.

Jeffreys Bay was also the recent location for the sequel to the movie Blue Crush II. The perfect conditions and superb beaches brought the cast over from the USA to film this during 2003. Cast members included Sasha Jackson from One Tree Hill, Sharna Vinson from Step Up 3D and Ben Millikin. We were especially pleased to hear that one of our clients "On the Beach Guest House" had the pleasure of hosting the film's director and cast members as well as the Vice President of Universal Studios. The film is due for release in 2014. This fabulous Guest House is located right on the beach with views to die for.

Jeffreys Bay is a very popular destination in the December Festive season attracting local and international visitors who come to enjoy the golden beaches and sunshine along with the many festive activities.  For other accommodation ideas for South Africa visit www.where2stay-southafrica.com .

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Out and about in South Africa

South Africa really is a wonderful country for those loving the outdoors and in particular, there are so many activities such as golfing, fishing, adventure sports, water sports that one can do whilst travelling through this amazing country. If you’re stuck for things to do, why not try one or more of the following activities:

World's Highest Bungee Jump: This is the ultimate thrill for all those adrenalin junkies out there! 216m above the Bloukrans River in the Western Cape. Whilst you are there, why not try the Flying Fox which is the newest adventure at Bloukrans. The Flying Fox is a 200m cable slide (foofie slide) out onto the archway of the bridge. This can be done by itself or as a quicker way to get to your bungee jump starting point

Take flying lessons: This air school in Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape is a professional flying training organisation which caters for private, commercial, airline and military sectors. They have a dedicated training facility and the average student population is 200 with the campus situated at the airport which provides a secure and productive pilot training environment.

Golfing: The climate in South Africa is perfect for golf and attracts keen enthusiasts from all over the World. There is a fantastic choice of courses to choose from all around the country with some wonderfully challenging coastal courses on offer. The high altitude location of some of the courses offer you a chance to hit the ball further than you have ever hit it before. South Africa has been blessed with many fantastic world class golfers many of which have designed golf courses over here such as Gary Player and Ernie Els.

Visit Table Mountain in Cape Town: With over 19million visitors transported to the summit of Table Mountain to date, this is quite simply something not to miss. With an amazing backdrop to the city of Cape Town and at over 3,563 feet, the mountain commands spectacular views over Cape Town and beyond.

White Water Rafting: South Africa offers some fantastic white water rafting opportunities especially during the months of November to May. If you have never done this before it is truly an experience to enjoy! River package trips are available for all levels of experience and you can go for just a half day or even take a 4 day break. The Tugela River offers a stretch of river some 30km where you can experience some of the most exciting white water. The water here is so good that the Camel White-Water Challenge brings its South African leg here and is extremely well thought of by participants and organisers. If rafting is not your thing you can take one man kayaks or two man crocs instead.

Explore South Africa’s popular routes by car: The Dolphin Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, Panorama Route, Mpumalanga, Garden Route, Western Cape, Route 62, Western Cape or the Cape Winelands in the Western Cape.

Learn to surf at Jefferys Bay: Most people coming to Jefferys Bay do so to surf or learn to surf. The main beach is an ideal place for beginners to learn as there are no rocks and beginners don’t have to venture too far out as there are sandbanks close to the shore.

Go scuba diving in Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape: Port Alfred dive sites are famous for soft coral, the numerous wrecks that dot around our shores and unknown to many, the incredible "Lunar landing" which is where crayfish in their hundreds live and breed.

For more information on these activities and others, please visit: http://www.where2stay-southafrica.com

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Adventure Province - Eastern Cape South Africa

The Eastern Cape region is the second largest of the nine provinces in South Africa and the province has recently undergone a rebrand. The Eastern Cape is now known as the “Adventure Province” due to the sheer number of activities on offer. Wonderful expansive beaches, mountain ranges, beautiful countryside and lush green forest dot around the province.

You can also enjoy some of the longest hours of sunshine along the sub-tropical coastline. You can take advantage of the malaria free Big 7 Game viewing and for the adventurous ones amongst you, leap off the 216m bridge bungee jump at Bloukrans Bridge. This is the highest commercially operated bungee jump in the World! The Indian Ocean provides a wonderful coastline for the Eastern Cape comprising long stretches of clean sandy beaches, rocky coves, secluded lagoons, huge sand dunes and towering cliffs. Some highlights not to miss when visiting the Eastern Cape are:

Port Elizabeth – is the largest coastal city between Cape Town and Durban. In the heart of the town, known as Central, you will find Market Square which is very attractive. PE has many historical attractions including the Donkin Heritage Trail where visitors can trace the footsteps of the 1820 Settlers. This is a 5km trail passing by some 47 historical sites in the Old Hill area of central PE. If you are interested in snorkelling or scuba diving ,then head to Sardinia Bay which is a marina reserve. Indeed PE offers ship wrecks, coral reefs and wonderfully coloured fish in warm waters for the scuba divers amongst you.

Grahamstown - is also known as "City of Saints" due to the many churches found here and "City of Schools" due to the array of excellent schools and of course Rhodes University. Grahamstown is of course most famous for the Grahamstown Arts Festival which is held over 03 days every year during June/July. This festival is one of the top cultural events and attracts over 50,000 visitors from far and wide and is a real treat for holidaymakers.

Port Alfred - most popular destination for holidaymakers on Route72. There are kilometres of sand dunes in both directions and the friendly village atmosphere and beautiful climate make it the perfect place to visit. The unique arched bridge which crosses the Kowie River in Port Alfred provides a landmark for all those visiting or passing through. Each evening, the bridge is lit up with a wonderful display of multicoloured lights for all to enjoy. This is especially a delight watching from the banks of the Kowie or on a boat with a glass of wine in your hand. This town is popular with surfers and scuba divers. There are a range of activities which include golf, sand boarding, river cruises, flying school, hiking, horse riding, quad biking, art galleries, fantastic restaurants and much more.

Addo Elephant National Park - sanctuary to over 450 elephants and attracts more visitors per year than the Serengeti National Park. The park is now expanding to over 360,000 hectares and transforming Addo into one of the great tourist attractions in South Africa. Elephant viewing at Addo is considered to be the best in the world and you can either choose to drive yourself around the park or take advantage of the guided tours on offer.

Jeffreys Bay - truly a surfer’s paradise. This place has a real international atmosphere as the bars buzz with chatter of perfect waves and supertubes. This is a perfect spot for families with great sunshine and beautiful beaches stretching for miles. Nearby are other smaller beach towns such as Cape St.Francis, Oyster Bay, St.Francis Bay and Humansdorp.

And finally – not to miss is the Wild Coast - this remains one of the most unspoilt areas of South Africa. You will find unspoilt stretches of coastline, open spaces and pristine forest areas providing an opportunity for the adventure traveller to discover a variety of leisure options guaranteed to make holiday memories. If fishing is your thing, then you will be in angler heaven.

For more information on the Eastern Cape, activities and events and accommodation, go to http://www.where2stay-southafrica.com/

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A little magic in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

For anyone travelling to South Africa, try not to miss out on a little town in the Eastern Cape called Port Alfred which is set on the warm Indian Ocean, with kilometres of sand dunes in both directions; Port Alfred is a magical little town which offers a taste of everything. For all you water enthusiasts out there, Port Alfred has a wide range of activities from fishing, surfing, scuba diving and canoeing.

The friendly village atmosphere and beautiful climate make it the perfect place to visit. The unique arched bridge which crosses the Kowie River in Port Alfred provides a landmark for all those visiting or passing through. Each evening, the bridge is lit up with a wonderful display of multicoloured lights for all to enjoy. This is especially a delight watching from the banks of the Kowie or on a boat with a glass of wine in your hand.

If flying is your thing, then Port Alfred doesn’t disappoint. The world class No 43 Flying School founded on a WW1 airstrip in Port Alfred has the finest flying school teaching facilities in the Southern hemisphere.

There are also some marvellous hikes available including beach hikes. You could always enjoy a fabulous horseback ride along the pristine beaches via the Milkwood dune forests. For golfers there are two excellent 18 hole golf courses – the Fish River Sun course designed by Gary Player and the Royal Port Alfred set against the backdrop of the Indian Ocean.

We stayed at this fantastic guest house called Dockside. It overlooked the marina so there was always something going on. It was really peaceful and beautiful with very attentive hosts. http://www.where2stay-southafrica.com/search.php?listingid=7

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