The Hotel-Hopping Hike

Most trail-hikers are expected to carry a donkey-load of gear, cook over a tiny portable stove and sleep under the milkwood trees on the beach. For those who wish to experience the wonder of the Wild Coast - but don??t think that they are tough enough for a wilderness trail - the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) has created the Hotel Hopping Hike. This follows similar but gentler terrain, and with nights spent in the comfort of a hotel room with a soft bed and hot water! They start at Mazeppa Bay, with overnight stops at evocatively-named Wild Coast hotels such as Wavecrest, Seagull??s, Morgan??s Bay and Haga Haga.

During the 64-km hike, guests will experience the joy of walking barefoot on deserted beaches, taking short detours into lush sub-tropical forest and coming around rocky headlands to find sweeping blue-and-golden bays. Each hike takes a minimum of ten people and the distance covered in one day is short enough to really enjoy the wild and unspoilt beauty of the East Coast??s best-kept secret.

Mazeppa Bay takes its name from a trading ship that used to call and offload supplies. Wavecrest Hotel has been described by the Rough Guide to South Africa as having one of the best coastal settings in the world(there are cruises up the river in the evening.) Morgan??s Bay has always been a popular destination because of its magnificent beach, and Haga Haga is a legend in its own right. This is your chance to see the Old Wild Coast as it has remained unchanged for decades.

All hikes are accompanied by qualified guides and are held under the auspices of WESSA, so you know you are in the company of experts. The cost includes dinner, bed and breakfast and a packed lunch each day. Each hotel provides the groups with a guide who will accompany the hikers to each overnight stop.

BOOKING INFORMATION

Delise Coad
Tel: 031 ?? 464-8579,
E-mail: edwessa@mweb.co.za

or

Paul Colvin
Tel: 033 ?? 343-1217
E-mail: info@wildcoastwalk.co.za

Wild Coast Community Tourism Initiative

Postal Address: PO Box 18171, Quigney 5211, South Africa

Physical Address: Tourism Centre, Eastern Cape Tourist Board, Quigney, East London 5211, South Africa

Telephone: +27 43 7222203
Fax: +27 43 7222219
info@wildcoast.org.za