Adding to the mystic of the splendid Eastern Cape province is the port city of East London. Directly adjacent to the Indian Ocean, East London has plenty to offer to its tourists and sightseeing enthusiasts. From its immaculate, sand-laden beaches to glamorous suburbs, a tour of East London is filled with marvel. Below are some of the places worth visiting and sightseeing in this city.
1. East London Museum
The rainbow nation has plenty to offer to all, even the evocative and history bent individuals. In this museum, the coelacanth is on display. It is currently an extinct fish species, with fins that resemble mammal limbs. The museum also has educative displays on various other animals, majorly birds and aquatic animals. At the anthropology section, visitors get to know the ways, traditions, and overall culture of the Xhosa people. The museum also has a section dedicated to the maritime history of South Africa.
Name : East London Museum
Address : 319 Oxford St, Belgravia, East London, 5201, South Africa
Related Site : http://www.elmuseum.za.org/
2. East London Aquarium
East London city is a major player in the marital status of South Africa. The city’s Aquarium is a good place to acquaint oneself with the ocean ecosystem. Well-lit fish tanks are used to display locally prominent fish species. The tanks are designed in ways mimicking the original sea habitats from which the organisms were sourced, promising to be a near life experience. Sightseeing lovers are also treated to a memorable sight, thanks to a platform overlooking the sea from which they can view Southern Right Whales.
Name : East London Aquarium
Address : 13 Esplanade St, Quigney Beach, East London, 5201, South Africa
Related Site : https://www.sa-venues.com
3. Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve
East London city is also blessed with expansive stretches of flora and fauna. The Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve is a seemingly endless stretch blessed with game. The reserve is naturally blessed into diversifying into various ecological units, each offering a unique and distinct experience. A visit to the park is either under a tour guide or under autonomous visit. It is recommended that the visit b don I four-wheel drive vehicles. The museum has a lot to offer for sightseers with animals such as while lions, buffaloes, elephants, antelopes, zebras, rhinos, and abundant bird life. Tents exuding luxury are also found in the park and visitors can make initiatives to spend a night in the jungle, a mix of beauty and the beast.
Name : Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve
Address : Schafli Road, Chintsa West, East London, 5200, South Africa
Related Site : http://eastlondon-info.co.za/
4. Gately House
East London acquired city status at the onset of the 21st century. The Gately house was a home to the iconic city mayor, John Gately, and many other of his successors. Everything in the house has been maintained to its fresh original outlook and design. The furniture in the house rang from Victorian to Gregorian styles. The furniture is also a classic and built from hardwood trees. The house is well embellished with various decorative styles, the most striking being the use of Japanese sculptures. The Gately house will surely be an awesome sightseeing visit, especially for interior design fiends.
Name : Gately House
Address : 29 Gilwell Rd, East London Cbd, East London, 5200, South Africa
Related Site : https://www.sa-venues.com/things-to-do/easterncape/gately-house/
5. Apex Predators Snake Park
The Apex Predators snake park is what one would envision of a snake collector. Housed and displayed here is a great range of snake species, including pythons, dwarf adders, and large adders. Visitors are blessed with the opportunity to pet harmless, non-venomous snakes, an adrenaline invoking experience. The park also has various other animals on display. It is home to various reptilian species, including lizards, crocodiles, and gators. A nearby hotel serves connoisseur meat cuisines to visitors, a good place to quell the famished. The hotel gives visitors opportunities to sample rare meats such as crocodiles.
Name : Apex Predators Snake Park
Address : Python Park, East London 5201, South Africa
Related Site : http://helderbergsnakes.wixsite.com/helderbergsnakes/apex-predators-snake-park
6. Hemingways Mall
On the shopper’s front, East London city does not fall short either. The Hemingways mall leaves shoppers with a dilemma, having over two hundred shops all under one roof. Entertainment is also taken a notch higher, with a variety of theatres within this premise. All year round, the amphitheater hosts a variety of showbiz events on fashion and music. A three-dimensional cinema will surely add memorable touches to the blockbuster movies rolling all year round. A bowling alley and bumper cars are a sure way to keep children engaged while parents clear the shopping list.
Name : Hemingways Mall
Address : Cnr Western Avenue & Two Rivers Drive, Cambridge Village, East London, 5247, South Africa
Related Site : http://www.hemingwaysmall.co.za/
7. Mpongo Private Game Reserve
This city is surely blessed with plenty game for wildlife and sightseeing enthusiasts. Mpongo Private Game Reserve is home to a variety of animal species, spread in the park, turning a simple visit into a tour. The big four are a sure sight here, these are buffaloes, rhinos, elephants, and lions. Giraffes, hippos, and hyenas are also easy to come across. The park has accommodation and restaurant facilities available. One restaurant is located opposite a hippo pond, a promising dinner experience. The hotels offer overnight bed accommodation in the jungle away from the bustle of the city. The mornings and evenings are perfect for sungazing as the sun glimpses in the horizon.
Name : Mpongo Private Game Reserve
Address : Macleantown District, N6 National Road, East London, 5201, South Africa
Related Site : http://www.nature-reserve.co.za/mpongo-private-game-reserve.html
8. Ann Bryant Art Gallery
East London city is also a home to some of the prominent South African artists. The Ann Bryant Art gallery serves the purpose of highlighting major artworks. Contemporary displays from major artists are available, such as art pieces by de Jongh. Throughout the year, temporary exhibitions have a home here, a promising refreshing visit each time a visitor sets foot here for the umpteenth time. The Ann Bryant Art Gallery is a 20th-century building that has a striking exterior. The house is in the midst of beautiful gardens, an excellent place for visitors to seek shade, relax and sightsee.
Name : Ann Bryant Art Gallery
Address : 9 St Mark Rd, Belgravia, East London, 5201, South Africa
Related Site : https://www.annbryant.co.za/
9. City Hall
As one of South Africa’s oldest cities, East London’s city hall is a building highly revered. The English style building has a beautiful paint job on its exterior; predominantly red with white pillars to make it seem checkered. At the front side of the building, horse monuments honoring the fallen soldiers in the Boer War make it a good sightseeing zone. Marble casting listing all victims is on display next to the horses. The clock tower looking down upon the building adds to its exterior phenomenal looks. A statue of Steve Biko, one of the city’s most popular activists can also be found at the front of the building.
Name : City Hall
Address : 107 Oxford St, East London Cbd, East London, 5200, South Africa
Related Site : https://www.sa-venues.com/attractionsec/east-london-city-hall.htm
◎ Closing
East London city is blessed with a variety of nature’s gifts that make it an exciting touring destination. Ranging from sightseeing to game, architectural masterpieces, art exhibitions, as well as shopper’s paradise. A tour itinerary of the city is cross-cutting and can be surely deemed as a complete visit.