Plettenberg Bay to Port Elizabeth

Wednesday morning started with the most delicious breakfast and the most awesome view. We were overlooking Plettenberg Bay, and the owner and his dachshund, Bella, were also having breakfast. We had a very pleasant chat with them while taking in the view.

From where we were sitting, we could see several gated communities. You could actually see three different communities in the picture, noticeable by the same colour of the housing within each compound. The homes can be owned by anyone, and the lady was telling us that many are owned by people who have come to work in the area from Johannesburg. Apparently, some believe the area is not safe, although it actually is very safe, which we certainly felt when we walked around last night.

Plettenberg Bay was really nice, with stunning housing, lovely beaches and a really nice vibe. After breakfast, we walked up to the lookout to get another view of the bay and, of course, to be a little nosy around the area. There were some very nice houses around there.

Then it was time for another three-hour drive to Port Elizabeth. We had to use a toll road, which cost 75 rand for the three-hour journey, less than £3, so certainly not something to complain about!

We arrived at our accommodation, which was again behind automatic gates and set in a lovely garden. Our host, Brian, was very welcoming. He is 78 and has travelled all over the world through his work, and he was absolutely fascinating to talk to.

We were due to have a guided historical walking tour of Port Elizabeth, but unfortunately this had to be cancelled because of a sudden death in the guide's family. Instead, we downloaded a self-guided walking tour and took an Uber to the starting point, which happened to be the tourist information office.

While we were there, we filled in one of their surveys and the lady asked if we wanted to go up the lighthouse. I decided to give it a go while Mark stayed at the bottom. The steps were very steep, especially on the top three tiers. Going up was fine, but coming back down was a little more dodgy! Still, I made it to the top and back down again.

We started the walking tour, but unfortunately it wasn't in a particularly great area. Our gut reaction was that it was probably best not to carry on, so we took an Uber back to the accommodation. We spent a pleasant few hours sitting in the garden instead and then did the virtual version of the walking tour.

Port Elizabeth has a fascinating history, but it has declined rapidly in recent years. It is a real shame to see so many of the historical buildings being allowed to fall into disrepair. Many date back to Victorian times and the period of British rule, and there are so many buildings that reflect that history but have simply not been preserved very well.

Back at our accommodation, our lovely host Brian even did all our washing for us! It was exceptionally hot today, especially considering it is winter, reaching 28°C, so everything dried very quickly. The weather is due to change tomorrow and become more seasonally average. We have certainly been very lucky so far, with only one rainy day during the trip.

We finished the day with a lovely meal at a restaurant just three minutes from the accommodation. Then it was an early night because tomorrow is a big day. We have a full-day Big 7 safari with a 7.30am pick-up, so we will need to be up and ready early.

One thing we have definitely noticed during our travels is just how much South Africans love their Toyotas. We are seeing Land Cruisers and Hilux everywhere, and some of them are absolutely huge with massive tyres. Mark is getting far too many ideas for his own car!