STRIKE A POSE - WHERE TO SNAP YOUR SELFIES IN THE EASTERN CAPE
Monday, 26th August 2019
What would your holiday be without a few shameless brags on social media? And, what better way to that Eastern Cape vibe than a selfie or an usie? Whether your holiday selfies inspire your friends to travel or leave them a little green with envy, wherever you’re travelling in the Eastern Cape this year, we’ve got the perfect selfie spot for you!
We’d love for you to share your selfies and holidays snaps with us, using the hashtag #ExperienceEastCape
ADDO
The Wildlife selfie
While we’re not encouraging you to get up-close-and-personal with our local wildlife, a lucky safari-vehicle selfie, while watching the elephants at the watering hole, would certainly make most people’s list of favourite holiday moments! The Addo National Park is 160 000 hectares of pure unspoilt beauty: mountains, veld, Fynbos and more wildlife than you could have imagined. The Big Five too.
BONUS: Sand dune selfie – the coastal section of the Addo national park features the largest and least degraded dune field in the southern hemisphere – known as a dune sea, leading to the real sea and the new Addo National Park Marine Protected Area.
KOUGA
Mega-reserve selfie
The Baviaanskloof is one of the most biodiverse spaces on the planet, all towering mountains, flourishing valleys and plant species that are found nowhere else in the world. If you’re into the 4x4 scene, then you’re in for a treat of endless peaks and troughs waiting to be explored. Choose a mode of transport: hiking, 4x4, horseback riding, cycling or a car to explore this 500 000ha mega-reserve that is a part of the UNESCO Garden Route Biosphere Reserve.
BONUS: Lighthouse selfie - the wildly photogenic Seal Point lighthouse at Cape St Francis makes a super destination for hikers, beachgoers and walkers. The lighthouse, the tallest masonry lighthouse in South Africa, is located amongst the coastal vegetation and rocks along one of the prettiest stretches of coastline in the country and at the second-most southern tip of Africa.
AMATHOLE
Waterfall selfie
Follow us into a magical mountain forest filled with birdsong and the sounds of bubbling streams. Follow us to the Madonna and Child Waterfall for a captivating stroll through the remarkable Afromontane forest of Hogsback to a waterfall with the face of a mother and child visible (to those with a good imagination) naturally formed into the rock. On a warm day, the pool beneath the falls is perfect for a swim.
BONUS: Bathtub selfie – wait, no – this isn’t what you think! Probably the most famous bathtub in the world and certainly one of the most sublime panoramas in the Eastern Cape, the famous bathtub, at Away with the Faeries Backpackers, will drop your jaw to the ground! So, hop in and swivel to fit yourself into the frame with that view!
TSITSIKAMMA
Treetop selfie
Adventure awaits in the indigenous forests of Tsitsikamma. Ancient yellowwood trees tower over a carpet of forest ferns. You can take a selfie in the forest…or above it! A zipline tour of the forest ceiling is both thrilling and wonderous, 30m from the forest floor! Trees up to 800 years old share space with hundred-year-old ferns – the forests of Tsitsikamma National Park have aged well and glow with vitality!
BONUS: Bridge selfie – pick your bridge: the suspension bridge at Tsitsikamma National Park or the world’s highest bungy bridge at Bloukrans. Either way you’re going to be posting one epic selfie!
ROUTE 72
Seaside selfie
There’s actually a selfie called a ‘beach-leg-brag’ selfie and Route 72 on the Sunshine Coast is absolutely perfect for spoiling yourself with a seaside vacation and unashamedly posting lots of beach photos! It’s a well-known fact that the Sunshine Coast has some of the best weather in the country, so there’s not really a bad time to visit Kenton-on-Sea, Port Alfred, Fish River, Bushmans and Boknes.
BONUS: Mermaid selfie – Kenton-on-Sea has some of the loveliest, clearest rockpools and bays to explore. Head down to the beach around mid-low tide, hop into Blue Pool or Mermaid Pool and live that tropical island dream!
KAROO HEARTLAND
Outsider Art selfie
Helen Martin’s Owl House in Nieu-Bethesda is said to be the finest example of outsider art in South Africa. It’s not hard to see why: a garden of cement-and-glass statues and a house filled with light and colour; crushed glass glitters from the walls and coloured glass sparkles in the windows. The Owl House will offer numerous selfie opportunities - we’re most partial to the mermaid statues…
BONUS: Sunset selfie - Karoo sunsets are just glorious - golden orange light seems to shimmer in the air as the sun sets and the silence contrasts with the colours of the sky. The Valley of Desolation in the Camdeboo National Park is a spectacular sunset choice, although you’ll get treated to the same light show from a fly-fishing dam in Somerset East, a fort in Jansenville or any number of secluded Karoo farm stays.
WILD COAST
Hole-in-the-Wall selfie
Bring on the adventure, drink the wild air! The Hole in the Wall, near Coffee Bay on the Wild Coast, is as photogenic as it is untouched. The hike is about 9km and should take about three hours. Pack a picnic and aim to get that rock formation in your selfie!
BONUS: Cliffside selfie – the Morgan Bay cliffs at sunset! Hike out to the cliffs to enjoy the views from sheer dolerite cliffs dropping 50m into the wild ocean surf. This is a special place. This is a great location for a selfie stick and a group pick!
