The Eastern Cape offers fantastic game-viewing, wonderful cultural destinations, beautiful beaches, great golf-courses, attractive towns and a range of adventure activities, including South Africa’s only ski resort, Tiffindel. Port Elizabeth is a major seaport situated in Algoa Bay.

The Nelson Mandela Metropole has a rich cultural heritage, guaranteeing history lovers a unique insight into the Eastern Cape’s diverse and remarkable past. Nelson Mandela Bay, uniting Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Despatch, bears the rich legacy of an area which saw the first meetings of Khoisan, British, Dutch, German and Xhosa people. As the landing place of the British Settlers, discovered by Vasco da Gama, inhabited by the Khoisan, it boasts some of the finest architectural attractions in South Africa.

Many historical and speciality tours are on offer to familiarise visitors with this fascinating history. Visits should include the Langa Memorial in Uitenhage commemorating the deaths of 36 people as they remembered the Sharpeville massacre, and to the  Mendi Memorial recognising the heart-wrenching story of the SS Mendi and its crew of South African soldiers.

Art is expressed in many ways in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum promotes art and art history through conservation, publication, research and activities. Highlights are displays of Eastern Cape and British art. Temporary exhibitions showcase the best that South Africa has to offer.

The Red Location Museum, housed in the iron barracks that were part of a Boer Concentration camp, has scooped several prestigious architectural awards. The museum seeks to remember the past by depicting the nation’s memory in 12 “memory boxes”. It expresses the horror of racism and the heroic efforts of the anti-apartheid movement.