Things to do near
Summerpride
*Distances are shown as the crow flies and not necessarily the actual travelling
distance.
Nature Reserves
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East London (1.6 km from Summerpride) Amalinda Nature Reserve was established in 1968 and surrounds the large Amalinda reservoir and a few small streams. The reserve is only nine kilometres from the East London city centre and covers an area of 134 ha. The reserve consists of a massive coastal forest, thornveld, and scattered clumps of shrubs.
There is a large variety of wildlife to be seen, such as eland, blesbok, zebra, bush buck, duiker, vervet monkeys, mongoose and Cape clawless otter. The reserve is a popular birding sanctuary and there are more than 175 bird species for bird watchers to spot, including red-billed duck, reed cormorant, African darter, African pipit, and wailing cisticola.
Hiking Trail
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Horseshoe Valley (3.5 km from Summerpride) This one-day trail is circular and runs for 8 km. It is well marked and passes through a conservancy area in the Horseshoe Valley along the Nahoon River. The walk takes you through the Tilty Hill banana plantations into a natural forest. There is a picnic area on the way with safe swimming spots. Two huts with 12 beds each are available.
Shopping Malls
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Dorchester Heights (6.2 km from Summerpride) Hemingways Mall is expediently situated off the N2 Highway running to PE and Mthatha at the corner of Western Avenue and Two Rivers Drive.
The lively mall offers a wide range of entertainment and a specially designed amphitheatre where guests can enjoy fashion and music shows.
Over 200 stores include clothing shops, jewellery stores, stationers, restaurants and coffee shops, movies, home, decor, interior and furniture, hair and beauty salons, banking and finance, health, optometrists, audio visual equipment, electronics and music.
Anchor tenants include Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Edgars, Fashion TV, Capello's, KFC, Primi Piatti and more.
Opening hours:
Monday to Thursdays 09:00 – 18:00
Friday 09:00 – 19:00
Saturday 09:00 – 18:00
Sunday and Public Holidays 09:00 – 16:00
Public Holidays 09:00 – 18:00.
Casinos
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Dorchester Heights (6.6 km from Summerpride) The gateway to the Wild Coast and East London's top entertainment destination, Hemingways Casino Resort has much to offer.
Visitors can opt for an exhilarating gaming experience with more than 380 slots to choose from. Table game aficionados can try their luck at the Blackjack, Poker or Roulette tables.
Hemingways ultra-exclusive Salon Prive is situated just off the main casino floor, catering for VIP players who wish to play higher stakes slots or table games.
The decor is straight out of the 1920s, creating an air of opulence and elegance mixed with comfort and a relaxed vibe.
The Salon Prive's luxurious features ensure privacy and security for players. The area includes private restrooms, a bar and gaming space with specialised staff to cater for every player’s needs.
+27 (0) 43 707 7777
Cnr Western Avenue and Two Rivers Drive.
Galleries and Museums
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East London (7.3 km from Summerpride) The Ann Bryant Art Gallery is dedicated to increasing aesthetic awareness of cultural diversity and promoting the work of prominent Eastern Cape artists. The elegant old house was built in 1905 and officially opened to the public as a gallery in 1947.
The gallery houses a collection of 20th Century South African paintings, primarily of Victorian and Cape Dutch style. It is situated in East London in an Edwardian building on the corner of St. Marks Road and Oxford Street.
Some of the artwork on display includes that of Norman Catherine, Judith Mason, Walter Battiss, Sydney Carter, George Pemba, John Maufangejo, Cyprian Shilakoe and Willie Bester.
There is also a lovely coffee shop where guests can enjoy a cup of coffee and a light meal.
Hiking Trail
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East London (8.1 km from Summerpride) The easy Umtiza Nature Reserve Trail is fantastic option for hot, windy days and is suitable for families. Crossing a bubbling stream, the circular route ambles through pretty woodlands and although unmarked, the trail is obvious enough.
Cycads, butterflies, samango monkeys and bushbuck, duiker, porcupine and numerous birds add to the delightful experience that this small reserve offers. And you will see lots of umtiza trees, which only occur in this part of South Africa.
Umtiza Nature Reserve Trail is open Monday to Friday from 07:30 to 16:00. There are braai facilities and parking at the entrance.
Duration: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 2 km
Animal Parks
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Beacon Bay (8.6 km from Summerpride) Get up close and personal to predators including white lions and two Bengal tigers! The Lion Park is situated on the Stutterheim road about nine kilometres outside Beacon Bay and is a super outing for young and old. Take apples and carrots for the touch farm – the kids will love feeding the animals. Pack a picnic or grab refreshments at the tearoom and spend the whole day there.
Animal Parks
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East London (8.8 km from Summerpride) The East London Zoo is located in the Queens Park Zoological Gardens close to the city centre.
The zoo houses about 50 mammal species, including chimpanzees and white lions. There is also a variety of birds, fish and reptiles on display. The zoo has a striking mix of indigenous and exotic vegetation.
The childrens playground offers pony rides and a "Smarties Train" to entertain the kids.
Four By Four Trails
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East London (8.9 km from Summerpride) De Kraal offers a few 4x4 routes about 15 km outside of East London. The exact GPS coordinates are unknown and have been placed in East London; please call for address and further details. The trails vary from 8 km to 35 km along a beautiful mountain route. The trails also vary in time to complete, from 1 hour to 4 hours. These self-drive trails vary if grading from 1 to 5. 4x2 vehicles with diff lock are welcome as well as soft 4x4s without low range. Quads are permitted.
Galleries and Museums
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East London (9.2 km from Summerpride) Have you ever checked out a coelacanth? The East London Museum’s claim to fame came in 1938 when this funky fish with limb-like fins was caught in the Chalumna River.
Believed to have become extinct more than 50 million years ago, there are now between 200 and 300 of these ‘prehistoric’ fish near the Comoro Islands in the Indian Ocean. The type specimen on display had presumably been carried down to East London by the current.
Other treasures to see are a large fossil reptile skull with skeleton and trace-fossil footprints dated back to 120 000 years ago – the earliest evidence of homosapiens in Africa!
Also on display are a dodo’s egg, live beehive and numerous specimens of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Cultural collections include an informative display of maritime history of the area and a vast collection of beadwork that reflects the creativity of the Xhosa-speaking people.
Where? 319 Oxford Street, East London
Monday to Thursday 9:30 – 16:30
Friday 9:30 – 16:00
Saturday 10:00 – 13:00
Sunday & Public Holidays 10:00 – 15:00
Closed on Christmas Day.
Beaches
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Nahoon (10 km from Summerpride) Send your kids to Jonginenge Eco Adventures for an action-packed day while you take a much-needed break.
The Jonginenge team will keep the children busy with exciting activities at Nahoon Beach. Trained lifeguards give surfing lessons and provide other beach-based action ranging from sand boarding to paddling, snorkeling to fishing and environmental appreciation.
083 305 2590 / 083 565 0514
www.jonginenge.co.za
Sports Stadiums Clubs
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Bunkers Hill (10.1 km from Summerpride) East London's main cricket ground is Buffalo Park, home turf of the Warriors cricket squad. With a seating capacity of 20 000, it is a regular venue for One Day Internationals and hosted one Test match in 2002.
Beaches
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Quigney (10.5 km from Summerpride) Although East London is considered the most laid-back city in South Africa, it has a thriving beach culture with a beach to suit everyone. Eastern Beach frequently offers awesome waves for surfers, is regarded as a photographer’s nirvana and lures more adventurous beachgoers. Situated centrally and close to the East London Aquarium, its also one of the most popular. Facilities include changing rooms and take-away outlets.
Popular Attractions
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East London (10.5 km from Summerpride) The East London Aquarium is the oldest aquarium in South Africa. It was opened in 1931 and strives to offer unique displays and play an active role in conserving the coastline and estuaries in the East London region.
Visitors can view the migration of southern right whales, humped-back whales, and the ever-present bottle-nose dolphins through binoculars on the magnificent whale deck.
There is a breeding colony of African penguins to be seen, a shark tank, a rare display of Cape pigmy clawed lobsters, as well as a rehabilitation pool with injured marine animals, including turtles, seals, dolphins, and gannets.
Bars Nightclubs
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Beacon Bay (10.6 km from Summerpride) This up market night club widely regarded as one of the top venues in East London. Ccatering for the youngsters on friday nights and over 30's on a saturday nights. The dance floor and lighting is stunning and the music is totally awesome.Numbers Dance Club has introduced numerous original concept parties and music theme nights in addition to bringing many top local and international DJs, radio presenters, music groups, comedians and cabaret shows to East London. If you want to enjoy all the best events in a safe environment, Numbers Dance Club is the place to be.