Horse riding on the beach

©South African Tourism

East London is a pleasantly laid back little city with lovely beaches and great surf. Pretty little seaside resorts stretch out to the north, eventually culminating in the fabulously scenic Wild Coast, where you can do coastal hikes - on your own or supported - horse trails, some gentle river paddling and awesome surfing. There are some small game farms nearby and fantastic hikes in the not too distant Hogsback Mountains.

East London has some great cultural attractions, including a wonderful natural history museum, where you can see the only dodo egg in existence - but don't expect Jurassic Park, it's a bit dodgy.

What isn't dodgy, though, is the fact that it was this museum that identified the first specimen of a coelacanth - there's a great exhibit outlining the history of this awesome prehistoric fish. Previously known only from the fossil record, it was assumed to be extinct, and is believed to be the missing link between aquatic and terrestrial animals. OK - one of the missing links - it's quite a long chain.

East London has all the facilities you'd expect in medium sized city - good hotels, sufficient shopping opportunities, yummy restaurants and an airport - while still retaining the sleepy charm of a village.