Day by day
Day 1 & 2: East London to Bulungula
DISTANCE 278km ALLOW 5 hours
From East London, take the N2, past Idutywa and Butterworth. There are roadworks near Mthatha. Take the Coffee Bay turnoff before Mthatha. After 50km, turn right at the sign for Zithulele Mission Hospital. After 16,5 km, turn right at the sign for Bulungula. Follow the dirt road for 9km (ignore the left turn after 5km). After the face-brick school on your left, you will reach a T-junction – turn left, drive for 4km (ignore the right turn after 1km) until you reach the shop with the big wall. Turn left at this junction. After 1km you will see the signs to Bulungula Lodge (1). 4x4 advised when wet.
Day 3 & 4: Bulungula to Coffee Bay
DISTANCE 56KM ALLOW 2 HOURS
Have pancakes for breakfast (2) before departing. You can retrace your route back to the N2 and continue towards Mthatha, taking the Coffee Bay/Mqanduli exit. Or take a short back-road route – ask the lodge for directions. Once you pass the police station in Coffee Bay, continue until the end of the road and cross the bridge to Coffee Shack backpackers (3). Visit the Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori (4) and hike to Hole in the Wall (5) and/or Mapuzi Caves and Cliffs (6).
Day 5 & 6: Coffee Bay to Mdumbi River
DISTANCE 53KM ALLOW 2 HOURS
Heading out of Coffee Bay towards Mthata, take the second right-hand turn (signed Mdumbi/Umdumbi) onto a gravel road. Cross the Mthatha River and keep straight until the T-Junction, which has a signboard to Mdumbi Backpackers/Swell Eco. Take a left for Mdumbi Backpackers (7) – follow the dirt road for 10km, passing a spaza shop on the left. Get there in time for sunset on Mdumbi Beach (8). To get across the river (9) to Swell Eco Lodge (10), retrace your route to the T-junction. Take a right and then drive 7,6km until you see the next Swell Eco sign. Turn right and stay on this road for 4,3km until you reach a fork in the road – keep right. Follow the road for 600m. Take the second turning left, and follow the road for 2,7km until you reach Swell Eco Lodge (10).