There is plenty to see and do in the Eastern Cape and this great province makes the perfect start or end to a trip along the Garden Route. Traditional home to the Xhosa people, the Eastern Cape has borne many a well known South African politician including the late Nelson Mandela as well as Oliver Tambo, the namesake for Johannesburg’s international airport. The Eastern Cape is serviced by two small but well developed cities. East London, gateway to the Wild Coast and the Sunshine Coast, offers a balmy subtropical climate and warm swimming beaches. Port Elizabeth is well known for its fun water sports on Algoa Bay and is close to malaria free Addo Elephant National Park and the surrounding private game reserves. A number of excellent game lodges have been established in this area over the past 15 years and these reserves are now competitive alternative safari destinations to visitors. Grahamstown has an artistic flair and hosts the popular annual National Arts Festival, a fun-filled 10 day event featuring performances in arts, music, theatre as well as crafts. Further west along the coast, the relaxed seaside town of Jeffrey’s Bay attracts surfers from far and wide to try out one of the best and longest right hand surf breaks in the world.