Makhanda, Port Elizabeth and The Sunshine Coast

Makhanda (Grahamstown)

This 1820 Settler town is only a 30 minutes drive from Woodbury Lodge. Makhanda is situated in Frontier Country and maintains its small-town while paying tribute to the turbulent past of the region. Beautifully preserved historical buildings line the streets and jacaranda trees colour the town purple every summer.

At over 160 years old the Albany Museum is the second oldest museum in South Africa. The museum's collective includes the Natural Sciences Museum which houses a reconstruction of the first known dinosaur in the Southern Hemisphere. Paranthodon africanus was discovered by Andrew Bain and William Atherstone in 1845 on what is now Amakhala Game Reserve!

Makhanda also hosts the National Arts Festival in July every year. This is South Africa’s biggest arts and culture festival offering music, dance and art and attracting visitors and performers from far and wide.

Port Alfred & Kenton-on-Sea

Port Alfred and Kenton-on-Sea are found in the heart of the sunshine coast, approximately an hour and a half from Amakhala Game Reserve. Picturesque scenery and beautiful beaches make these coastal towns a popular holiday destination both nationally and internationally. Boats and canoes may be hired for river activities on the Kariega and Bushman's Rivers, or a game of golf enjoyed at the Royal Port Alfred Club.

Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)

Port Elizabeth, now formally called Gqeberha, is known as the “Friendly City” and overlooks Algoa Bay. The city dates back to the arrival by sea of 4000 British settlers in 1820 and the province is also famous for having been the birth place of Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa who was a leading figure in the struggle against Apartheid and led South Africa into democracy. Port Elizabeth is just an hour’s drive from Woodbury Lodge.

PE is now one of South Africa’s largest cities with an international port and the main airport in the Eastern Cape. There are many activities on offer in Port Elizabeth including seasonal whale-watching excursions, historical attractions, craft markets, shopping malls, pubs, restaurants and late night music spots.