Destinations / The Hinterland >>

Not many international tourists will find the Eastern Cape inland region on their itinerary, unless they are making the long journey from the Eastern Cape Coast to Lesotho or onwards to Gauteng, but there are two truly unique places worth visiting if you have the time.

Rhodes is on a dirt track (but fine for normal cars) to no-where other than a very short ski run that’s only open for a couple of months a year. A long-time haven for artisans escaping a busier world, it has several good art galleries show-casing local artists works and a couple of olde pubs, including a micro-brewery. Nestled under the mountains that climb up to Lesotho, there’s good fly fishing and excellent hiking to be done.

Hogsback’s almost highland micro-climate with tall pine forests feels very apart, very magical compared to the rest of the Eastern Cape. The views (the most impressive from the top of the dramatic cliffs) and hiking are astoundingly good. It also boasts some great hotels and unquestionably the best home-made chicken pie in the world!