Situated in the heart of the Transkei Wild Coast, close to Port St Johns. |
The Kraal Backpackers was built in 1998 with the help of the local community, Thtsweleni, and Dillon, the owner, who speaks Xhosa.
The Kraal lies in an natural amphitheater overlooking the sea. We are 100 km's from Umtata and provide a pickup service from the Baz Bus drop-off point at Tombo Stores.
Activities include
And, of course you can just lay back, relax and enjoy our world famous whale and dolphin show. The Kraal presently own 14 horses. Two men from Mpande are trained horse guides and are also responsible for the dipping, grooming of the horses. Two canoes have been bought for use on the nearby Sinangwana river and a similar system has been introduced for guided tours on the river. Local guides are always delighted to take our guests onto the various hikes. Guests can experience the true beauty of the Wild Coast and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. All guests are encouraged to visit the local sangoma, local witchdoctor. Backpackers are also urged to participate in the local village parties and ceremonies; helping the community by paying an entrance fee or per dance participated in. These are huge successes and they encourage cross-cultural interaction and understanding.
The Kraal Backpackers Cell: + 27 82 871 4964 http://www.thekraal-backpackers.co.za/ |
The aim of The Kraal is to be environmentally friendly, locally run and a pilot project in the area. No other building structure along this stretch of Wild Coast in the Transkei has been build with such sensitivity to the surrounding environment. Hopefully in the future projects like the Kraal and the ideas by the Kraal will be supported and promoted through out remote poverty stricken areas of South Africa. Accommodation is in dormitories or in our excellent camping site. Traditional Xhosa mud huts retain and maintain good temperatures in a hot and humid climate such as that of the Transkei. The dormitories are quite spacious so guests can read, relax and sleep here in comfort. We provide traditional Xhosa lunches, delicious cooked evening meals and we have a pizza oven for the best pizzas. We also breed our own chickens and thus have free range eggs for breakfast or we can organize chicken and vegetarian pokjies on the beach.
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Don't just take our word for it. Read what the Independent Online
has to say about Mpande! Wild Coast: get there while it's still wild Or from the "Let me stay for a day" guy :"Now this isn’t an ordinary backpacker’s lodge, this is the most alternative lodge in South Africa. This place has no shops, phones or electricity. It’s just the people, the moonlight and the wonderfulness." Ramon Stoppelenburg also said " I Have Never Seen Life Like This. "
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At The Kraal we have four types of energy sources. We use solar panels and batteries for music. In the evening, we use candles in the entertainment and dorms, and paraffin lamps for the external light. We use wood bought to the forestry department for the pizza oven to cook food and bake our bread. Fridges and freezers run on gas A ground water tank provides water for showering, washing dishes, clothes, cleaning the collection and delivery vehicle, watering the plants and gardens and drinking water for the horses and animals. Additionally the roof of this area catches 20 000 litres of pure drinking water. The Kraal recycles all of its rubbish, with separate bins placed and marked for the various types of waste produced – organic matter, glass, tins, plastic and papers. Tins are crushed and bottles and glass broken and delivered to a designated area in Umtata. Paper is burnt and the organic matter is used as fertilizer. In keeping and promoting belief of a self sufficient eco-friendly village the Kraal grows its own vegetables, fruit and herbs which are used every evening when preparing dinner. Assisted by the local sangomas, medicinal plants such as aloes have been planted around the site and are used as medicine when necessary. Using the advice of Eastern Cape farmers, a small banana plantation has been established below the entertainment area. In future these bananas will also supplement the diet of the school children at Nomzi pre-primary with fresh organic fruit. The Kraal is situated on Tribal land and as such the local communities cattle are free to roam and graze anywhere around the site. Tourism is a vital in the future of South Africa and especially in the poor rural communities. The village shop relies heavily on The Kraal’s guests, who buy personal items there like cigarettes, cool drinks and sweets. |
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