The Amatola Region is home to mountains that are bedecked with the most beautiful, dense ancient forests. These are some of the largest spreads of indigenous forest in South Africa and are famous for their yellowwood, white stinkwood, Cape chestnut and other indigenous trees.
The area is synonymous with mountain peaks, stunning panoramic scenery, ravine thickets, cool running streams and waterfalls. This countryside is perfect for hiking and outdoor pursuits like bird watching and horse riding. The 6 day Amatola hiking trail is one of the top hiking trails in South Africa.
This area formed the border between the Xhosa and the English in the early 19th century and as a result there were major clashes over land and cattle that became known as the Frontier Wars. The forests of the Amatolas became the refuge of the Xhosa evading the British.
Towns and villages like King Williams Town (named after the reigning monarch William IV) Seymour, Fort Beaufort, Alice (named after one of Queen Victoria’s daughter’s) and Keiskammahoek all feature Forts dating back to that time.
King William’s Town is the historic centre of the region. The Amatola Museum has a very interesting collection of the historic artifacts and the cultural history of the Xhosa. The apartheid activist, Steve Biko, is buried in King William’s Town.
The University of Fort Hare in the little town of Alice is the alma mater of many an African leader including our own Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo and the late Seretse Khama of Botswana. The campus boasts a fine collection of the works of many black contemporary South African Artists.
Hogsback is home to many South African artists. Lured by the magnificent scenery, English country gardens, the many forested walking trails and prolific birdlife, artists, potters, poets and musicians all thrive in the beauty and tranquility of the village. For the same reasons, Hogsback, reputed to have inspired Tolkien’s Middle Earth, is a magnet for visitors who also want to claim their stake in this pristine environment. Every year a Christmas in July Festival is held which is a family weekend of fun and laughter and sometimes some snow, and then in the spring they open their gardens and their talents to the world…..something not to be missed.
In the west of the Amatola range, about 30km from Hogsback, is the area known as the Katberg. It is a beautiful, fertile area offering fresh mountain air, orchards of citrus, green fields and valleys, clean rivers and forested ravines. It is a special experience to climb the Katberg Pass – a rather rough, gravel road – better suited to 4×4’s – past incredible rocky slopes rich in forest with some of the most remarkable views in the area.
Katberg is a popular holiday resort. Hiking in this part of the world is a way of life and the Katberg forest is the scene of several day walks lasting from one to four hours around the forest station and the Katberg Hotel. For the golfer, there is the Katberg Eco Golf Estate. The 6300m par 72 course, with 4 par 3’s and 4 par 5’s, presents challenging but balanced golf. The beauty of the course culminates at a waterfall between the 17th and 18th holes.
The nearby Thrift Dam is a must for fishing fanatics. The most easterly and largest of the trout fisheries in the area, it lies on the uppermost reaches of the Black-Kei River and is stocked with rainbow trout that average two kilograms a piece. There is also a community trout project that offers excellent trout fishing experiences near Cata, which is 30 minutes from Kingwilliamstown.
The Ferndale 4×4 Trail in Cathcart offers four trails that weave through the lush Henderson Heights mountain range.
Just outside Mthatha at a little village called Qunu, is the Nelson Mandela Museum which celebrates the life and history of this iconic South African leader.
East London is the closest large town and is South Africa’s only river port.
