Hostels in Mavaleleni Shinira, South Africa

Mavaleleni Shinira, South Africa -- this remote village, also known as Lubanzi -- on South Africa's Wild Coast is located by a wonderful beach. It's not easy to reach independently, but Zithulele is where you aim for from Mqanduli. From there, you will have to walk either thirty minutes, if you're dropped at Zithulele hospital, or twenty minutes, if the driver goes up to the end of the tarmac. From Coffee Bay, change at Kwaaiman junction to Zithulele. Driving, you will need a good, sturdy four-wheel-drive, as the road is really appalling once the tar ends. If you call ahead, a shuttle can be sent by your accommodation to pick you up from Zithulele or Mthatha on the highway.

Most people arrive here by hiking, as this is an overnight stop on the three-day hike from Bulungula to Coffee Bay or the five-day hike from Port St. Johns to Mdumbi. It is the midway point between Bulungula and Coffee Bay, and hikers no longer have to camp now there is good hostel accommodation in Mavaleleni Shinira.

You'll find great Mavaleleni Shinira, South Africa hostel accommodation here in this beautiful spot, on the hillside above the beach. There are sweeping views of the ocean with the chance to spot whales and dolphins from June to November. The night sky is particularly beautiful, as there is no electricity in the village only solar power, so nights are very dark, bringing the stars out in their full glory especially at new moon. Your Mavaleleni Shinira, South Africa hostel will be solar powered, but there is Wi-Fi.

Budget travelers are well served by some excellent Mavaleleni Shinira, South Africa hostel dorm accommodations that are comfortable and friendly and very much in the middle of rural Xhosa country. If you want to self-cater here, you must bring all your food with you as there are no shops to speak of in the vicinity.

The beach is clean with soft sand, and the sea relatively calm for the Wild Coast and good for swimming. There are also pockets of forest in which to walk and lots of bird life. A lake is just a twenty-minute walk away by the river estuary, and is good for swimming and there is also prolific bird life in the surrounding forest, too. A ninety-minute walk away is the well-known "Hole In The Wall" that most people do from Coffee Bay, but is easily walked from this side, too. It is on the way if you're doing the Wild Coast hiking route.

This is yet another rural Xhosa community that is hard to get to, but well worth the effort. It would pay to book your Mavaleleni Shinira, South Africa hostel in advance, as this is a very remote spot with very few choices.