Driving in East London, South Africa

• Posted by: Editor
• On: 04/10/2007 11:43:55
• In: South Africa Car Hire

East London was founded in 1847 as a British outpost called Fort Glamorgan. It has a great location, sitting between the Buffalo and the Nahoon Rivers and it forms the only deep water river port in the country. Today, the city has been officially renamed as Buffalo City but many people still refer to it as East London so this is something to keep in mind if you intend to visit.

What’s to see in the East London Area?

East London has much to offer the sun-seeking tourist; it's a popular destination for families in South Africa and there are beaches in and around the city such as Nahoon Reef, Bonza Bay Beach and many more. As well as white sand beaches these are also excellent spots for surfing. Watersports are huge here and you'll find the beaches uncrowded and unspoilt – a great spot for relaxing. Orient Beach is probably the best option if you have the little ones in tow, as it has two circular swimming pools and water slides.

The East London Museum is home to the first Coelacanth ever caught. This living fossil is a fish thought to be extinct but it was found by local fishermen in 1938.The museum also has plenty of other exhibitions of fish and animals.

The Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve is located about 30kms to the NE of East London. It is home to lots of interesting animals like the zebra, the warthog, the rhino, the wildebeest, antelopes, elephants, buffalos, leopards and even two rare white lions.

Heading north, in the direction of Durban, you'll find the Wild Coast. Here you can try the Wild Coast Trail which is a very popular area for just about everything …hiking, snorkelling, fishing, scuba diving and bird watching to name a few.
If you head south you'll come upon the city of Port Elizabeth and the start of the Garden Route which is another popular drive. On the way there you can try taking the R72 Romantic Coast Road which is also very spectacular.

Why not hire a car?

East London Airport operates a number of domestic flights to Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg along with flights to other parts of South Africa. You can easily connect to the national roads network from here as both the N2 (for travelling to Cape Town and/or Durban) and the N6 (to Bloemfontein) pass through East London itself.

The best way to see the area is definitely by hiring a car at East London Airport or in Port Elizabeth airport which is the closest big city (Car Rental Port Elizabeth).

If you've been to East London and would like to tell us about a car hire tour that you enjoyed - why not let us know! Or, indeed, if you've any questions about car hire in East London, simply leave a message in the comment box below and we'll get back to you.