Page 28 - Off The Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 2 of 2)

196 5 MORE AFRICAN BEACHES TO RIVAL MOMBASA’S

BEACHES

A local woman carrying a heavy load in the traditional manner
along the beach at Busua, Ghana
The magnificent beach at Rocktail Bay in iSimangaliso Wetland
Park, South Africa point of a trip here. The beaches, beautiful
Busua though they are, are only part of the appeal of
iSimangaliso this extraordinary wilderness, the rich biodiversity
Wetland Park he came here in 2001 (a fate from which few
NEED TO KNOW of which left Nelson Mandela spellbound when
LOCATION Busua is on the coast visitors to the park can escape).
of Ghana, 12 miles (20 km) west of #PMHBUBOHB
the main port of Sekondi-Takoradi NEED TO KNOW iSimangaliso became South Africa’s first ever
BEACH FRONTAGE About UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. It is a living
$¼5&
2 miles (3 km), though there are % *70*3& LOCATION iSimangaliso is between Eden where rhinos, elephants, leopards, sharks,
many other beaches in the area ()"/" St. Lucia village and the Mozambique
50(0 border, 171 miles (275 km) #0548"/" and whales thrive in a remarkable mosaic of
KEY WILDLIFE Green turtles, 4VOZBOJ -BLF north of Durban, South Africa
monkeys, marine birds, dolphins 7PMUB /".*#*" 1SFUPSJB natural habitats, from beach and coral reef to
BEACH FRONTAGE
ACTIVITIES Swimming, "UMBOUJD 155 miles (250 km) swamp, forest, and savanna. More than 500
walking, boat trips, visits to #646" "DDSB 0DF B O *4*."/("-*40 bird species exist here, as well as high densities
Dixcove Castle 4FLPOEJ 5BLPSBEJ KEY WILDLIFE White 8&5-"/% 1"3,
rhinos, green turtles, blue #MPFNGPOUFJO of hippo and crocodile, especially around the
monkeys, humpback whales 4065) "'3*$" %VSCBO mangrove-lined St. Lucia Estuary, which is easily
The small Atlantic coastal village of Busua is ACTIVITIES Snorkeling, scuba $BQF 5PXO explored by boat. The open waters offshore are
diving, whale- and dolphin-spotting
dominated by a beautiful, sweeping beach that legendary among game fishers, while the coral
boasts safe swimming conditions and a laid-back reefs around Sodwana – the most southerly reefs
vibe rooted in the hippy heyday of the early iSimangaliso is the largest and most ecologically in the world – are lauded by snorkelers and
1970s. A favorite spot with villagers and the varied coastal sanctuary in Africa, protecting a divers. The beaches in the north of the park are
occasional savvy traveler, the beach remains vast subtropical wetland system that stretches a vital breeding ground for marine turtles, and
one of West Africa’s most unspoiled spots. If you from the wildly beautiful St. Lucia Estuary in on a clear day, hikers might well be treated to
tire of the beach, take a trip to the nearby fishing the south to the pristine Kosi Bay in the north. the distant sight of breaching whales from the
town of Dixcove, which has some elegant A succession of spectacular and largely tops of the sand dunes.
colonial architecture, or the remote estuarine undeveloped beaches fringe the park’s eastern
villages of Butre and Akwidaa. edge, including the popular swimming spots
around St. Lucia village and the semi-deserted PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Cape Vidal, Sodwana Bay, and Rocktail Bay – Getting There The nearest international airport is in Durban. From here,
PRACTICAL INFORMATION St. Lucia village is accessible on public transportation (buses, coaches, and
wide arcs of peach-colored sand hemmed in
Getting There The closest international airport is at Accra, the capital of mini-bus taxis), and operators within the village offer a good range of day
Ghana. From here you can take a bus to Takoradi, then catch a small shared by the world’s tallest forested dunes. trips. Otherwise, the best option is to rent a car in Durban.
“tro-tro” (van) to Busua via Agona junction and Asane. It would be easy to spend two weeks in When to Go The dry southern winter (May–Sep) is more comfortable than
When to Go The most comfortable period covers the relatively cool and iSimangaliso, beach-hopping from south to north the sweaty summer. Whale-watching is best from June to October, and
less humid months (Oct–Apr). Avoid the wettest months (May–Jun). with a stash of paperbacks, a collapsible umbrella, bird-watching from November to March.
Website www.touringghana.com and a large towel. But this would be missing the Website www.kznwildlife.com

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