Travel to Sunshine Coast

a pretty and relatively quiet part of the coast

Sunshine Coast is the section of ocean frontage which runs for around 220 km east from the city of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa.

The 75 km of coastline that lies immediately to the west of Port Alfred is amongst the most alluring in the country, with wild and rural landscapes backing broad sand-dune beaches between glorious river mouths and estuaries.

Inland from the coast lie a number of private safari reserves, all of which are easily accessible from the main N2 highway from Port Elizabeth.

The upsides of safari in these reserves is that the area is non-malarial, the landscapes are reasonably attractive, there is a wide range of accommodation options, many of which are particularly child-friendly. The lodges here also tend to be relatively well priced compared with most safari areas across the continent.

However the safari here can be relatively tame. Most of these reserves are on reclaimed farmland, are close to the main road and close to human habitation. All of them are fenced and stocked with animals.

We divide the Sunshine Coast into three discrete locations, two safari reserves and a coastal settlement.

Sibuya Reserve

The Sibuya Reserve is an interesting place, a safari area which can be accessed by boat from the coastal settlement of Kenton-on-Sea. Sibuya Forest Camp and Sibuya River Camp are both pretty decent options.

Kariega Reserve

The Kariega Reserve is a more substantial conservation area with free-roaming elephants, rhinos and lions. The best accommodation here is the quaint Kariega Homestead, backed up by the more substantial Kariega River Lodge and Kariega Ukhozi Lodge.

Kenton-on-Sea

Kenton-on-Sea is a pretty seaside village with a modest range of beach accommodation, notably including River Roost and Oyster Box.

most often visited by serial self-drivers