Lady Grey Holidays - Eastern Cape, Wild Coast & Berg
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Lying in the Eastern Cape Wild Coast & Berg region, Lady Grey is a delightful little Victorian style village in which you'll want to linger longer. Surrounded by the beautiful snow-capped Eastern Cape Witteberg Mountain Range close to the Karringmelkspruit River gorge, this quaint little Eastern Cape town is in close proximity to both mountains and water, making Lady Grey famous for it's beautiful scenery. Just outside Lady Grey, Joubert's Pass provides a gorgeous drive up to a reservoir in the centre of an Eastern Cape nature reserve, where bird watching is reputed to be the best in the area, and if you're looking for adventure, then the rugged terrain around Lady Grey provides a number of hikes, mountain bike and 4x4 trails.
Lady Grey, Eastern Cape has a number of Victorian buildings worth a visit, including the old Dutch Reformed Church. The Lady Grey Museum focuses on local celebrities, with exhibits on people like Athol Fugard and Tiro Vorster, who have roots in this area of the Eastern Cape.
For overnight Lady Grey Bed & Breakfast accommodation, the Mountain View Country Inn in the heart of Lady Grey offers super low rates for families, and Lady Grey Guest Farm accommodation at Vorstershoek Farm Accommodation has panoramic views that are absolutely breath-taking, making you feel like you are looking into the future! For longer stays, Lady Grey Self Catering Cottage accommodation is situated 35km from Lady Grey, and 40km from Barkley East on the scenic Eastern Cape Joubert's Pass. Tucked away in the Eastern Cape Witteberg Mountains, Glen Doone Fly Fishing Cottage is within walking distance from the renowned Karringmelkspruit, whose pristine waters and wily wild trout makes for Eastern Cape fly fishing at its best. See the Where to Stay Lady Grey accommodation page for more info.
About an hour's drive South-East from Lady Grey accommodation (72km ), you will find Barkly East set in the foothills of the majestic Southern Drakensberg mountains, between the Eastern Cape Lady Grey village and Elliot. Elevated at 1790 meters above sea level, Barkly East in the Eastern Cape is known as the 'Switzerland of South Africa', because of the snow that covers its rugged mountains in winter. Barkly East in the Eastern Cape, and especially nearby Tiffindell Ski Resort (just under 80km from Barkly East), is one of the few areas in South Africa where winter sports are pursued. In this Barkly East, Eastern Cape area you can experience skiing and snowboarding between May and August, with professional ski instructors showing you how it's done.
Eastern Cape summers are famous for excellent Barkly East fly fishing in sparkling mountain streams, where indigenous rainbow trout and yellow fish are in abundance. Barkly East bird life is enticed by the characteristic lush green valleys covered in wildflowers, making summer in Barkly East perfect for wonderful hikes, mountain biking, horse riding, and swimming in natural Eastern Cape pools. For the 4x4 enthusiast, there are outstanding Eastern Cape 4x4 trails suitable for all levels of driver. For the golf fanatic, the Barkly East Golf Club has a nine hole golf course with lovely mountain views, a bar which boasts big screens, and a large fireplace for those cold Eastern Cape evenings.
When looking for accommodation in Barkly East, you'll find superb Barkly East Guest Farm accommodation at Reedsdell Country Guest Farm, a comfortable sandstone Eastern Cape farmhouse with beautiful grounds and magnificent mountain views. Then just 25km from Barkly East there's more stunning Barkly East Guest Farm accommodation at Rosstrevor, Eastern Cape Guest Farm, a hundred-year old farmhouse painstakingly restored and furnished in late Victorian style. These Barkly East Guest Farm accommodation establishments offer a multitude of activities - such as Eastern Cape fly-fishing for trophy size rainbow trout and yellow fish, hiking, horse riding, Eastern Cape bird watching, quad biking and nature walks in the noble Witteberg Mountains. See the Where to Stay Barkly East accommodation page for more on these incredible Barkly East holiday destinations.
If you're visiting Barkly East around April, don't miss the annual Barkly East Wild Trout and Partridge Festival, which draws tourists from far and wide.
Still travelling South from Eastern Cape Lady Grey, and less than an hour from Barkly East, you will come across the Eastern Cape town of Elliot (63km from Barkly East accommodation and 135km from Lady Grey accommodation) lying in the valley of the Slang River, with a wonderful backdrop of mountain grandeur, crystal streams teaming with trout and bass, waterfalls and towering cliffs. This sleepy (almost) one horse Eastern Cape town of Elliot may be easy to pass by, however, just 9km outside the actual town centre of Elliot lies Intaba Lodge, cosy, rustic Elliot Bed & Breakfast accommodation where you'll experience warm Eastern Cape hospitality at its best. For more on this charming establishment, see the Where to Stay Elliot accommodation page.
While in Elliot, make sure you see the fascinating rock formations and sandstone caves adorned with Eastern Cape bushman art - rock paintings from the Eastern Cape’s earliest inhabitants, the San people, who provide a unique eye into the world of many generations ago.
Tucked away in the Eastern Cape Highlands 132 km from Lady Grey accommodation is Rhodes, a beautiful, timeless Victorian era village lying at the foot of the highest mountain pass in South Africa. Rhodes, Eastern Cape is where many artists make their home, and galleries abound with some of the finest South African art. For the adventurer, there are incredible mountain walks where you are may be lucky to see the rare bearded vulture, known as the 'lammergeyer'. Because of its height above sea level, and the tendency towards winter snowfall, this Eastern Cape area is also known as the ‘skiing capital’ of the country, with Tiffindell lying just above the village of Rhodes.
Pristine beauty, majestic mountains and blissful serene silence define Rhodes Hotel accommodation at Tenahead Mountain Lodge, lying on 3,500 hectares of unspoilt Eastern Cape mountains, valleys and streams. Also try Rhodes Guest Farm accommodation at Reedsdell Country Guest Farm nestled below the sheer cliffs of the majestic peaks of the Drakensberg, or rustic Rhodes Self Catering accommodation at Cow Lane Cottage - a very unusual, rewarding destination! Visit the Where To Stay Rhodes accommodation page for more info on these wonderful Eastern Cape establishments.