The East coast of Africa is one of the most amazing coastlines to visit in the world. And it is almost endless. Starting from Cape Town right on the south-western tip of the continent, moving east past Cape Agulhus...
The East coast of Africa is one of the most amazing coastlines to visit in the world. And it is almost endless.
Starting from Cape Town right on the south-western tip of the continent, moving east past Cape Agulhus (which is technically the southernmost point of Africa) and up the coast towards Durban, one experiences an amazing change in climate; Mediterranean weather (hot dry summers and cool wet winters) gives way to a sub-tropical system (warm all year with rain over the summer months), and the incredible diversity of habitats along the beaches reflects this.
The coastline is so full of life that documentary makers come from all over the world to film the spectacular array of creatures and natural events taking place.
The Academy Award winning feature My Octopus Teacher was filmed in Cape Town, and the annual sardine run off the appropriately named Wild Coast north of East London is one of the greatest marine shows on earth with countless whales, dolphins and all sorts of other marine life flocking in to take advantage of this bounty.
And that’s just in the south.
Golden beaches with bath-warm water await you in Mozambique. The Kenyan coast and its coral fringes have some of the best big game fishing in the world. And offshore you have the jewels of the Seychelles, the Comores and Mauritius awaiting.
The point is you are absolutely spoilt for choice, and the accessibility of so many of these dream destinations is more often than not a short flight from Johannesburg, the flight hub of Southern Africa.
45 minutes in a light aircraft can get you from your safari destination to Johannesburg, and then a connection down to the coast will not be much more than that.
You can be on a game drive in the morning watching a leopard climb a tree and elephants drinking from the waterhole, and by sunset you can be sipping a pina colada under a palm tree, the Indian Ocean lapping the shoreline only a stone’s throw from your verandah whilst a fresh seafood buffet – caught that day – is being prepared for dinner.
And whilst safari can offer the ultimate opulence, with luxurious rooms and Michelin-quality food, amazing service and hospitality, after four or five days of extended game drives, getting up before sunrise for a 5:30 departure, one can feel the need to slow down and unwind a little bit. And that is where the beaches come in!
A few days reclining in a hammock, reading a book whilst reminiscing over your favourite safari sightings, or snorkelling on shallow reefs, marvelling at the myriad tropical species to swim in front of your goggles
Be you a honeymoon couple, a family with kids or a group of friends travelling together, there is something for everyone along Africa’s extensive coastline.
Get in touch at info@iconicafrica.com, and let’s start planning your beach and bush combination holiday…
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