Climate | Safety | Amenities etc | Cell Phone Coverage | Basic Xhosa | Travel Information

Climate

The climate along the Wild Coast varies from temperate sub-tropical in the South to moderate sub-tropical further North. The combination of mountains and sea creates a temperate zone of its own which is ideally suited to winter vacations when dolphins and whales abound, but also keeps the temperature cool and comfortable in summer. Rainfall occurs mainly in the summer months. The temperature seldom drops below 14 degrees C. The best time of year to visit Port St Johns is April and May. The Wild Coast is a malaria free zone.

Safety

Amenities etc

Cell Phone Coverage

The area is well covered along main roads with coverage in larger resorts as well.

Basic Xhosa

Xhosa is the language spoken by the local people. A few of the very important words are listed here:

ENGLISH              XHOSA
Hello                molo
Good morning         intsasa emnandi
Good night           ubusuku obumnandi 
How are you?         unjani
Good-bye             sala kakuhle 
Please               enkosi 
Thank you            enkosi kakhulu
Yes                  ewe
No                   hayi

Travel Information

The spelling of place-names in South Africa, especially in the more remote areas, is inconsistent. Place-names are derived from so many languages, which have then often become corrupted or Anglicised. Sometimes the process goes in the opposite direction, with English names taking on a distinctly local flavour. For instance, there is a primary school called Gwadu Senior Primary. The Gwadu is a corrupted form of the word 'guardian'! This is often the case on the Wild Coast and so it is not unusual to find the same place having slight variations in spelling in different guide books or maps.

Roads

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