Spending The Weekend in a Xhosa Village In Coffee Bay: Photo Gallery

I’ve been away from the ocean for too long, I thought to myself as I nursed a post-festival come-down. Nestled deep in the countryside of KwaZulu-Natal, I was hours away from the nearest ocean. A cold swim and a fresh breeze would be undeniably stellar. So instead of doing the sensible thing and moving north to Johannesburg, I decided to backtrack down to the ocean and further condense what had already felt like a rushed itinerary. To the Wild Coast we go.

I knew it was called the Wild Coast but I didn’t really know why it was called the Wild Coast. Come to think about it, I don’t really know why South Africa’s routes are named the way they are. The Garden Route didn’t really have too many Gardens. Surely the Wild Coast was just another undeserved nickname. Nope. Pretty wild.

I arrived in the bustling industrial city of Mthatha and parked myself in the Shell station that I would call home for the next few hours. I sat and waited for my shuttle to come pick me up and whisk me away to Coffee Bay. With a name like Coffee Bay, you don’t really expect something “wild.” Every “Bay” I had been to in South Africa so far had just been surfboards and Cali vibes. Mossel Bay, Betty’s Bay, Jeffrey’s Bay, etc. Surely Coffee Bay wouldn’t be too different.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. I hopped on the shuttle to Coffee Bay and we careened off of the N2 highway. Although the rolling hills of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal have been omnipresent since I left Durban, staying on the highway kept things pretty tame. Hundreds of sharp turns, potholes, and cows in the road later, we pulled into my backpackers lodge. Passing by one overturned taxi made me feel lucky to be alive, albeit a bit nauseous. I quickly checked into my hostel before rushing to the beach in the backyard to take in that crisp ocean breeze to clear my head and exhale the nausea.

My short time in Coffee Bay was spent mostly in a Xhosa village called Rini. It was a refreshing change from being surrounded by the Western civilization that I sought to escape when I decided to come to Africa. The drastic change in scenery, immersion in a new culture, and unpolluted rural air was all I could have asked for.

From hiking along the violent and untouched coastline to having dinner and drinks at a Xhosa hut, my experiences were diverse and rich. It was a testament to the incredible variety of things you can accomplish in South Africa if you opt to step away from your comfort zones and the typical tourist fare. It truly felt like I had entered another world for the first time in a long time.

Dinner at a Xhosa hut calls for a welcome song and dance. Thankfully the dancing came before the meal otherwise we would have been far too full to pull off any dance moves.

The rural countryside, featuring our dinner stuffed inside those two pots.

Just a quick shoutout to my homie. I put a camera in his hands and homie was a natural.

Just cows by the beach. You’ll come to see that I took a lot of pictures of cows on this trip.

Cows.

Like I said, a lot of cows.

Anyway, here comes the good stuff. The scenery, ya feel? If you don’t know why it’s called the Wild Coast, these pictures will explain it all.

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And just for good measure, here’s a goat chillin’.

50 thoughts on “Spending The Weekend in a Xhosa Village In Coffee Bay: Photo Gallery”

  4. I would love to see that village in person one day! Taking trips to places like this is what travel is all about. Anyone can go to a theme park – which I also like sometimes.

  7. The scenery is beautiful. I love the traditional concept at Xhosa Hut. South Africans have rich cultures. And the beach should prolly be cow beach. Nice pictures of Xhosa Village you have.

  12. the coastline actually reminds me of the North Cornwall coast here. I must say that’s the only similarity, the culture and people sound very different, what a treat to be in a really rural and local village.

  15. So glad you decided to backtrack to the sea… so we got to enjoy these photos. I thought the cows on the beach would be my favorite until I saw those amazing cliffs covered in surreal plants and the water below. Thank you for sharing and inspiring my Wanderlust!

    1. hahaha until the trek, all I really took pictures of were livestock. So I’m glad I went on the oceanside trek because that was stunning for sure

  16. Been to South Africa but this is a completely different and not the typical tourist-y place which I can enjoy and consider for the future! I love the cows and the goat chillin’! 😂

  22. That coastal scenery is breathtaking, I love being by the sea. Looks like you had the most amazing experience

  23. You are killing me!!!! These types of travels and adventures are my favorite. I am so jealous. Looks like you had an amazing time and the photography is beautiful.

  31. What an interesting and beautiful village. Such absolutely breathtaking scenery! I think it is great to visit villages when travelling and seeing a little more in countries rather than just the well known places.

  34. This was truly a rustic paradise. I would like to hiking among the beautiful scenery and have dinner at a Xhosa hut. I envy you the rich experiences you had on that trip.

  36. Experiencing the local culture can be such a great opportunity. I love exploring new scenery and meeting people. Looks like a great trip!

  37. It looks like an amazing village to state at. Both the people and the scenery would have made it well worth the trip. Some of those shots with the crashing waves are incredible. I love them.

  46. what a wonderful discovery! I had no idea of the wild coast in South Africa, but it surely sounds like a refreshing experience, especially if you want to escape the madness of western civilization. Awesome pictures!

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