“I never knew that there was anything special about a waterfall. Then the tourists came and I realised how amazing our area is. We have so many waterfalls!” – Siyabonga Ndovela, local tour guide.
The Amadiba coastal area is the northernmost stretch of the 300km Wild Coast renowned for its spectacular beauty and unspoilt beauty. It is a safe, scenic, biodiverse and fascinating place to visit.
Amadiba was once the home of the thriving Amadiba Adventures tourism project which won a presidential award for the best community tourism project in South Africa. The project collapsed when several of its local leaders were co-opted to serve a pro-mining agenda, but it had already enhanced local people’s understanding of just how special their home is and how much tourists love to visit it.
Less ‘developed’ than other parts of the Wildcoast, the Amadiba area is ideal for hiking and offers visitors a unique cultural tourism experience, with village homestays offering comfortable overnight accommodation.
“We love welcoming visitors from all over the world into our homes. They enjoy experiencing our way of life and learning about our culture. Having people stay in our homes is something deep and special in Mpondoland. It makes us feel free. The money we make improves the community. It can pay for our children’s education. We learn about the cultures of different countries and get to know other people. When I host visitors I feel proud of who I am.’ Mtolane Homestay Hostess
Isolated beaches, magnificent waterfalls, crystal clear rivers and deep swimming pools, grasslands and gorges teeming with biodiversity, fresh, unpolluted air, homegrown food, and the traditional Mpondo way of life will thrill visitors to the area. It is also a remarkable outdoor classroom featuring rich archaeological, paleontological, geological and botanical attractions. Of particular interest are the Xolobeni Red Dunes where stone age tools and artefacts can be found, dating from about 500 000 -1500 years ago. Researchers believe that research on sites along the Mpondoland Wild Coast could hold key information about the history of humankind, and there are imminent plans for significant archaeological research at various sites along the coast.
