Bulungula Lodge

Bulungula Lodge is a backpackers lodge in Nqileni, a traditional Xhosa village above the Bulungula river mouth in the Elliotdale district of the Wild Coast. It is 100% owned and managed by the village and is Fair Trade certified. It is rated 8.3 out of 10 on Booking.com from 59 reviews. You can sleep in a traditional Xhosa rondavel (with or without an en-suite bathroom, sleeping up to five), a forest cabin for one or two, a 4- or 8-bed dorm with single beds rather than bunks, a safari tent, or your own tent in the campground.

The village runs the activities: a village tour, a cultural tour spent learning about women's daily life in Nqileni, a forest walk with the village's traditional herbalist, fishing with a local guide, a half-day paddle on the Xhora River, guided hikes and afternoon drumming lessons. Village staff cook traditional lunches daily and pancakes on the beach at sunrise, with vegetarian options. There is a guest kitchen, but the lodge is far from any shops, so bring supplies if you plan to self-cater.

The last 40 km of the drive from Mthatha via Mqanduli and Elliotdale is bumpy gravel and dirt, though the lodge says ordinary two-wheel-drive cars use it every day. Follow only the lodge's own map links. Cars stay at a designated car park, and a 500 m footpath leads to the lodge. Without a car, book the solar-powered electric shuttle from Mthatha's Shell Ultra City, which leaves at 15:30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. One Booking.com guest summed it up as a "Lovely and safe community run lodge".