How to lose yourself in this pleasantly slow Eastern Cape enclave

CINTSA East and Cintsa West, just northeast of East London, are lazy places. You can't help but relax and if you're not careful, you could spend most of your day in a hilltop bar gazing at the sea.

But if you're energetic there is plenty to do, such as quad-biking, abseiling, deep-sea, rock or river fishing and dolphin- and whale-watching. Some of these activities can be organised through your accommodation establishment.

The two halves of Cintsa, on the Wild Coast Jikeleza route, lie to the east and west of the Cintsa River. Jikeleza means "to wander".

I stayed at the four-star Crawfords Beach Lodge at Cintsa East for a weekend. You have the feeling of being in a bushveld lodge, but at the sea. Each A-framed duplex suite has a stunning ocean view. There are wooden boardwalks that take you to the units. My daughter was enormously chuffed to have her own double bed, TV and en-suite bathroom upstairs.

Crawfords also has self-catering thatched cabins, which offer quiet and privacy.

The swimming pool has a shallow section for children, and there is a games room and a children's outdoor play area with jungle gym and trampoline. The beach is a two-minute walk from the lodge.

My favourite activity is walking on the beach from Cintsa East to Cintsa West. As you approach the west side, you can choose the steep boardwalk route. When you get to the top of the wooden stairs, there is a superb lookout spot, after which you drop onto a silky-soft sand path through a forest. In the evening, lamps light your way and it feels marvellous padding along under the canopy of trees. Sometimes you can spot duiker.

After the walk it's great to reward yourself with a drink in the pub at the Cintsa Bay Restaurant or enjoy one of their reasonable meals. I like their Sunday lunch buffet. It is value for money and you can choose to sit on the deck, overlooking the bay.

There is a tidal pool at Cintsa West, which has been there for decades and is safe for children. Cintsa West is also a good fishing spot, and it is pleasant walking west from there along the beach.

Cintsa East has the best swimming beach. The seven-kilometre stretch is a popular kite-surfing spot. Also, Buccaneers Backpackers hires out surfboards and wetsuits.

Canoe up the Cintsa River and you will spot many bird species.

What is attractive about the coast north of East London is that there are many resorts close together to explore: Glengariff, Glen Eden, Yellowsands, Morgan Bay, Marsh Strand, Haga Haga, Kei Mouth and more. Each has its own character and features.

A visit to the Cintsa area would not be complete without visiting Mama Tofu at Ngxingxolo Village in the nearby district of Mooiplaas. This much-loved 90-year-old, who has star status in the area, introduces visitors to the culture and rituals of the Xhosa people.

During a half-day tour you will be treated to a traditional dance, with drums, singing and authentic tribal costumes. Members of the community also showcase their crafts and artwork, which are for sale. You can learn about the roles of the sangomas and watch stick fighters in action.

The Mama Tofu tour includes a delicious lunch of umngqusho (samp and beans), mfino (cabbage, spinach and mealie-meal porridge), steamed bread, fat cakes and lamb stew, all washed down with traditional ginger beer.

If you enjoy riding, go on a beach trail with Cintsa Horses. Georgie Dickerson has 18 horses, the majority of which have been rescued and rehabilitated. Cintsa Horses also offers working weekends for kids, where you can pack your children off to the farm for the weekend. They learn to care for horses and other animals and you know they are in safe hands and in a healthy environment.

The four-star Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve is only 8km from Cintsa East and well worth a visit. It encompasses five different biomes and a tidal estuary, and offers the Big Five as well as interaction with a tame elephant.

I enjoyed staying in their Bush Camp luxury tents, each of which has its own rock-waterfall shower. The showers are private, yet open to the elements, with a view over the bush. In the Valley Camp, they have enclosed glass showers - maybe good for winter.

Inkwenkwezi is beautiful, with a wood-and-thatch bar and dining and reception area; a spacious outdoor deck and sprawling fig trees.

On Wednesday nights they have their potjie, and you can choose between venison or lamb curry, served in traditional black pots.

Another culinary highlight is the legendary supersize burger - beef or venison. They are about the size of a dinner plate. These have great novelty value for kids and teenage boys who enjoy eating contests.

On a game drive I saw two rhinos up close one night. They were having an altercation and refused to get out of the way of our vehicle. We waited patiently and got a good look at them while they settled their differences.

Back in Cintsa, Michaela's on its hilltop perch in Cintsa East is definitely the most trendy and spectacular restaurant. It has a glass funicular to take you to the door, or you can walk up the winding boardwalk. The 360-degree panorama is breathtaking from the lift.

The food is good. It's not wildly unusual, but has a certain luxury to it. My favourites are the desserts, such as home-made mango icecream and huge portions of cheesecake packed with black cherries. There is also a bar.

Then there is Country Bumpkin, also in Cintsa East. It feels like a farmhouse with its concrete floor, corrugated roof, huge L-shaped balcony and sprawling lawn. In winter you can pull a rocking chair up to the fire and toast your toes.

The restaurant is aptly named. The buffet has a unique country feel. There is much variety and the fresh herbs, butter and cream add pizzazz. The best way of describing the fare is "opulent country cooking with a modern take".

I liked the imaginatively prepared veggies and they certainly know how to cook seafood, especially prawns - they are flavoursome and crispy, yet succulent.

I enjoyed sitting on the veranda at Country Bumpkin because summer evenings are so warm in this part of the world that you never want to go inside. It's relaxing to enjoy a pre-dinner drink while wandering around the lawn. Swings, a jungle gym and sandpit make it fun for kiddies.

Phone first to find out when the restaurants are open.

I did mention that Cintsa is sleepy, didn't I? - © Linda Sparg

IF YOU GO

WHERE TO STAY:

Crawfords Cabins: 043 738 5000; www.crawfordscabins.co.za

Xanadu: 043 738 5024; www.xanadu-chintsa.co.za

This is a time-share spot, but you don't have to own time-share; you can book a holiday through the management. I've stayed here before and enjoyed it. The security is excellent and the management is pleasant. It is marketed as a family-run resort and it is exactly that.

Buccaneers Backpackers and Lodge: 043 734 3012; www.cintsa.com

Buccaneers is spread out over eight hectares of indigenous forest alongside the Cintsa River and Cintsa East beach and, because of its size, is known as a backpackers' village. It offers en-suite rooms, rooms with shared bathrooms and dormitory accommodation. There are also cottages for hire. Plus you can camp.

There is a scenic path along the river to the beach and you can take one of their canoes upstream.

Facilities include an internet cafe, swimming pool and shop, a "beauty bungalow" where you can have a facial or massage, a sauna and jacuzzi, a volleyball court and a restaurant.

Surfing lessons can be booked with a professional coach. If you like cycling, try their supervised mountain bike trail. I have not stayed here myself, having only walked to it from Cintsa East beach and taken a look around, but I found the setting beautiful and it has a bohemian feel. They say they cater for festive folk as well as for "quiet, contemplative" types, so it seems this could be a backpackers with a difference.

Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve: 043 734 3234; www.inkwenkwezi.com or Rendezvous Caravan Park at Cintsa West: 043 734 3317

WHERE TO EAT:

Michaela's of Cintsa: 043 738 5139

Country Bumpkin: 043 734 3438; 076 555 4711

Cintsa Bay Restaurant: 043 734 3230; 082 491 1617

WHAT TO DO:

Mama Tofu: Imonti tours offers a half-day guided tour, with pick up and drop off, at a cost of R380. Call Velile Ndlumbini on 083 487 8975; velile@imontitours.co.za. A tour is best done at the weekend, when the village children are not at school, because they take part in the dancing and other activities.

You can also book a Mama Tofu tour through many of the accommodation establishments in the Cintsa area, including Buccaneers Backpackers and Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve.

Cintsa Horses: 043 738 5141; 083 459 6646; www.cintsahorses.co.za