About

Off the beaten track in the Wildest Wild Coast, they are situated 20 km outside the small town of Lusikisiki in the, Transkei, Eastern Cape. Gwexintaba village, Goso Forest.

Pickup in Lusikisiki
A pick can be arranged for you up if your car is not suitable for the roads. A bakkie or car with high ground clearance is needed. Pickup in Lusikisiki can be arranged, with parking at a fancy Bed and Breakfast.

Arrival at ‘Louis at Magwa Falls’
Arrive at “Louis at Magwa Falls” in the small village of Gwexintaba, settle in and enjoy the breath-taking view, endless green rolling hills with the ocean in the distance. Explore the nearby viewpoints and forest, just a stone throw away. Enjoy the sunset and listen to the night sounds coming alive. Start the evening off at the campfire and count shooting stars in the dark. Experience the silence of deep dark Africa.

Description

Take a walk on the wild side… 2, 3 Days or longer. 4×4 and sigh seeing tours can also be arranged.

Come visit the Wildest Wild Coast, calm the mind, relax the body and Feed the Soul some Nature.

Spend time in an Indigenous Forest, visit Majestic Waterfalls, endless views all-round, loads of oxygen, in a reality far from yours! Transkei at it’s best! It’s good for you!

Experience unforgettable beaches, waterfalls and famous landmarks, the Wild Coast offers a wealth of things to see and experience. This coupled with a great climate, hot summers and mild dry winters, makes it an ideal tourist destination. Boasting a number of breathlessly beautiful waterfalls, the Wild Coast is home to Bulolo Waterfalls, Mkhambati Gorge, Waterfall Bluff, Fraser Falls, Banyane Falls, Mateku Falls as well as the gorgeous Magwa Falls.

The Magwa Waterfall lies in the middle of the 1 800 hectare Magwa tea plantation, South Africa’s last remaining tea estate just outside Lusikisiki. The Magwa waterfall is pretty impressive. It is one of few waterfalls on the rugged Wild Coast that is accessible – others entail such effort to reach that they’re seldom seen by any but the most intrepid travellers. The curtain of water falls 144 metres and drops into a narrow canyon formed by seismic movement – a past sudden movement of the earth’s crust along geologic faults, or volcanic activity. Although on a much smaller scale, obviously, the Magwa falls have been said to resemble the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The drive to the falls is a mere 8 kilometres and worth it just to see the river lurch off the precipice and down to the river bed in the gorge below. In parts you cannot see the bottom.

Trails

Magwa Falls hike (self-guided) (4km)

Magwa Falls is a short 2km hike away from the house with hidden viewpoints all along the magnificent gorge.Magwa Falls and Mzizangwa Falls. 4×4 Drive or hike – 13km

A short drive on our open safari Land Cruiser, next to the plateau ridge and gorge gets you to the mighty

Magwa Falls. An astonishing 144m drop at the beginning of this massive crack will leave you in awe! An easy hike around the falls visiting all the various viewpoints, taking picture perfect photos.
Then they drive thru Goso Forest to visit both falls in Mzizangwa. Taking a shower under both is simply a must!
On the way back an alternative forest road is used for maximum views of Gwexintaba village from the highest view point. Back home we go.

Waterfall Bluff Hike – easy 9km hike

Rise and shine early to have breakfast and be ready by 06h00 to leave on a 2 hour scenic 4×4 drive to the starting point at Lupathana on an open safari Land Cruiser. The drive is a cultural experience of friendly faces, the dense Goso Forest, colourful huts, the Magwa Tea Estate, Angel Falls and wide open spaces.

Lupathana is famous for this powerful display of waves crashing against the rocks, sometimes up to 30m high in the air. A spectacular performance indeed.

An easy 4.5 km, relatively flat hike next to rocky shoreline, with rest places here and there takes you to Waterfall Bluff. It’s about an hour’s hike.

Here you have an hour to chill, admire Waterfall Bluff and eat lunch, kick off the shoes, take many photos and just be. The noisy silence can be felt!

On the way back you visit the ‘Tea Room’, a sea cave hidden under the footpath to the falls! Back at the Cruiser they 4×4 you out on the very bad road! Even worse when it is wet! And the area often gets rain… so hold on tight!

The trip is a cultural experience of friendly faces, colourful huts, wide open spaces, Angel Falls, the Magwa Tea Estate and the dense Goso Forest.

Waterfall Bluff Hike – not so easy 16 km hike (Guided)

This hike is for the adventurous with a bit of fitness!
Full Day!! Full experience!

They are equipped to do that for a couple or a group who don’t have much time, but want to see the iconic falls and have an epic full day!

A stunning wilderness guided trail into the lesser known parts of the Eastern Cape, it’s surrounding mountains and the small villages of Gwexintaba and Mbotyi.

Rise and shine early to have breakfast and be ready by 07h00 to leave on a scenic 1 hour 4×4 drive to the starting point in Mbotyi, where your guide will be awaiting you.

The hike kicks off on two beautiful beaches and already you are rewarded with a picture-perfect nature scene. After the beach hikes, a continuous ascending and descending of hills carpeted with lush green grass surrounds you.

Your next stop will be Mfithelo Falls (Secret Falls). Next up is the unbelievable Cathedral Rock, a hole in the rock with an arch, formed naturally by waves, wind, sun and rain, one can only wonder how long it took.

Waterfall Bluff is your next stop but first a cool off in the Mlamamba pools, a scene out of Planet Earth with crystal clear water. Take a dip or freshen up tired feet. A nice swim to the other side, to admire the small waterfalls is rewarding.

Your last hill awaits you and from there, as you come around the corner, there it is in all its natural glory … Waterfall Bluff, bigger than you expected. Waterfall Bluff, the iconic waterfall that drops down into the Indian Ocean. This is something you must see.

With all the highlights done, the last stretch lies ahead of you. It’s a nice easy flat walk to Lupathana, the end of the hike.

Just as you think that the beauty has ended, you start seeing massive waves crashing against the rocks, a spectacular performance. Lupathana is famous for this powerful display of waves crashing, sometimes 30m high up in the air.

When you arrive at Lupathana, Louis will be waiting there for a 2-hour sightseeing trip on the back of the Land Cruiser back to Gwexintaba. The trip is a cultural experience of friendly faces, colourful huts, wide open spaces, Angel Falls, the Magwa Tea Estate and the dense Goso Forest.

Down Mdeni and around Magwa Falls – Hike

A guided hike down the plateau ridge and into the old Mdeni village. More forest paths and river crossings and a monkey maybe. Then to a spot where you stare 2km into the Magwa gorge and see the massive drop of the Waterfall. This is the one place where you realize the height of the falls fully.

Then start to walk back, foot paths and forests, then up the ridge with a winding zig zag path. Another cascading waterfall just around the corner. At the top we catch our breath and admire the view from the top where we just walked. Then more Magwa Falls views and sheer cliffs all the way to the falls. Spectacular!

Walk around Magwa Falls then back home.

Accommodation

• Rustic and basic off grid style accommodation
• Self-catering kitchen with Rocket Stove in the middle to keep us all warm and seats all around.
• Two plate gas stove, bar fridge and preparation table.
• Braai area comfortably nearby just outside the door with plenty of firewood. Bring your own charcoal if you want to braai, our wood doesn’t make nice braai coals.

Camping is available at various spots in the garden for the people who love their privacy and want to be closer to nature.
Rocket shower and gas showers for short hot showers.
Composting toilet with forest view
Maximum group size is 10 people.

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