Hole in the wall – Eastern Cape

Hole in the wall 

I first visited Hole in the wall 8 years ago with a friend who lived in the area and who brought us on a tour of his home town.

I was mesmerized.

My first thoughts

All those years ago I wrote about my experience on Facebook. Here’s my first thoughts of Hole in the wall.

As we carefully ambled our way in our faux 4×4 over dirt roads and potholes , we were left breathless by the splendid beauty surrounding us.

Traditional houses lined the emerald green hills leading a bright path to our remote destination……The hole in the wall.

Here in this forgotten region, earths creatures live in harmony with those around her, as horses graze outside the front door of many homes.

Along the winding dirt path we passed several goat and sheep who gave us a curious glance before returning to their activities.

An elderly lady lead her pet cow home and one is instantly struck by the simplicity of life.

17km of blazing sun shine and pothole scattered dirt road later , we embarked upon our destination.

The hole in the wall.

This hidden gem was smothered in admirers and after the sparse human sighting en route I was surprised to see so many people.

As we drove closer I was struck by absolute simplistic beauty of nature.

Clear lagoon pools of azure water leaking slowly back into the rip tides of an aqua ocean. White horses dancing with delight as the calm,tide rolled to shore.

Not mearly a hole in the wall, but a breathtaking reminder of the strength and grace of mother nature.

The neighbouring hill showed an eroded crevice, where the cruelty of earth’s elements had worn over the years and all around us rolling hills shone in varied shades of greenery as they boldly overlooked the lavish valleys below them.

The beach sands boastfully glistened in humble hues of browns and bronzes, inviting you to step barefoot and admire this small piece of heaven.

Today, I would describe it as much the same. Life in this small quiet town stays the same.

Peaceful, quiet and as close to nature as you can get.

Our visit

On our first visit to The Hole in The wall, I saw it from the view point, which is on a small hill, so you look down at the beach. Giving you a birds eye view and not the closest look through the actual hole.

This visit, we were accompanied by 2 guides who took us on a foot trail onto the beach.

The trail leads along the pristine Beach and shows off the most exotic beach forest. Green trees linning the path, which suddenly opens to the white sands and soft sound of waves breaking on shore.

Here you are able to get increadibly close to the rocky structure and view straight through the hole in the wall.

At low tide you can walk quite close to the Hole but it’s not advised to go through ( we did ask)

About Hole in the Wall

The Hole in the wall is a unique rocky structure with a detached cliff that stands alone in the ocean and has a hole carved through it over millions of years of wave erosion.

The local Xhosa people refer to it as “izi Khaleni”, meaning “place of noise” and belive that it is the arch way to their ancestors.

It is interesting to note that the hole is big enough for a small sail boat to fit through.

Local legends

Locals tell the story of a young girl who lived on the villiage, who fell in love with a man of the sea people. After learning of this, her father forbade her to see him.

The sea man was so angry he came to the village and drove a hole through the cliff using the ginormous head of a fish.

The sea people then stormed the villiage. While everyone hid, the maiden rushed to the arms of her lover. She was never seen again.

In certain conditions the waves slap at the rocks with a roar and the Tribesmen believe these are the voices of the sea people.

When visiting

If you visit a few things to note about the guides :-

• They aren’t paid and rely on tips

 

• They also don’t carry yoko machines or even cell phones  you will need to pay cash. There are no banks in the town and even fewer ATMs ( we had to draw money at a road side shop to pay them)

• Tipping is acceptable to start at R100 + a guide

• The guides are super friendly and increadibly knowledgeable.