Mzanzitravel Magazine Issue 10

Local Travel
Thousands of people daily join the global flow of travelling
backpackers: casual travellers who pack the minimum of
belongings into a rucksack, travel to exotic destinations
on the cheapest available transport, and stay in rustic
lodges or camp in beautiful locations not often seen by
conventional tourists. Not only do they get to see and
experience the places and meet the people ‘normal
tourists’ don’t, but they also get to meet new, lifelong
friends in a wonderful travelling spirit of camaraderie. All of this on a carefree
shoestring budget.
Since the humble beginnings of backpacking in the 1950s, backpacking has
exploded into a global phenomenon and a distinct travel sub-culture of its own.
Wanderlust and adventure
Backpackers are the modern world’s pioneering explorers, travelling into
the unknown with the minimum of resources, delighting in their many new
discoveries as they move from one country to another. They belong to a curious
fun-seeking community that transcends national boundaries, language barriers
and cultural exclusions and who share a common wanderlust and sense of
adventure. They are a travelling nation without borders who speak all the
languages of the world.
But it’s not only travellers from abroad who follow the backpackers’ trail in South
Africa. Many local youngsters regularly pack their rucksacks and set off to a
variety of wonderful locations around the country and neighbouring states…
usually on a shoestring budget. For many backpackers their travelling has become
their lifestyle, whether permanent or intermittent. For them it’s often much more
than just ordinary travel or a holiday, and can go on for years.
Backpackers coming to South Africa also often find temporary work to help pay
for their travels, or join in various social or educational programmes – like working
Backpacking has exploded into a
global phenomenon and a distinct
travel sub-culture of its own… They
are a travelling nation without
borders who speak all the languages
of the world.
among children and young people in underprivileged areas. Some come here as
exchange students and use the opportunity to see the country or more of Africa.
Others do so while taking a gap year after school. And for many South Africa is
just one stopover on their extended travels around the world, but certainly a much
prized one.
And for this kind of travelling, filled with the vibrant energy of discovery and new
experiences, South Africa ranks as an undisputable paradise. For many it is also
the gateway to the rest of Africa.
South Africa has all the ingredients that makes it the highlight of any backpacker’s
travels: beautiful scenery, vibrant cities with pulsating nightlife, truly delightful offthe-beaten-track
places, unforgettable wildlife experiences, history and culture,
thousands of kilometres of unspoilt coast, amazing mountain and wilderness
hikes, some of the best surfing spots in the world, a variety of cheap travel options,
friendly people, and an abundance of backpackers’ accommodation to meet every
kind of purse, from inner cities to some of the most exotic and remote locations
on earth.
Ana Pereira, a young writer, photographer and traveller from California, USA who
ditched a Silicon Valley job for travelling, says she was bowled over by South
Africa. In her blog, The Broke Backpacker, she wrote this: “I just spent over a
month backpacking South Africa and had an absolute blast road tripping through
South Africa’s diverse regions. In a month I surfed, scuba-dived, hiked, kayaked,
and rock climbed my way through South Africa’s dramatic topography and endless
coastline. I found South Africans to be extremely welcoming and outgoing and
truly fell in love with this country.”
Among her many other experiences, Ana found that “South Africa’s cheapest surf
rentals are at Coffee Shack in Coffee Bay!” For the uninitiated, Coffee Shack is
a renowned backpackers’ establishment at Coffee Bay on the Eastern Cape Wild
Coast, 200km north of East London. It is also a good surfing spot.