2 Best Sights in The Eastern Cape, South Africa

What makes Coffee Bay stand out from all the other lovely destinations is its proximity—only 9 km (5½ miles)—to the spectacular Hole-in-the-Wall, a natural sea arch through a solid rock island. You can go here on a rather adventurous road from Coffee Bay, and it's included on almost any tour of the Wild Coast. The Xhosa name, Esikaleni, means "place of the water people," and it is believed to be a gateway to the world of the ancestors. If you try swimming through it in rough seas, it certainly will be, but some intrepid souls have made it on calm (very calm) days.

Within Camdeboo National Park, these tall, slender dolerite towers stand some 150 meters (492 feet) tall, rising from the valley floor like russet-colored sentinels at attention, as they have for around 200 million years; in the background, the Sneeuberg mountain range is simply sublime. The scene is extraordinary, and it's no less mystifying any time of day, but try to time your visit for sunset as the rock towers glow crimson in the softening pink light of the Camdeboo dusk. There are a few picnic areas.