I felt that it was time to go to the beach to forget all about the activities in Oudtshoorn. The best place I could think of going was Jeffreys Bay (aka J-bay). The reason I thought of this place was because my diving instructor in Panama was raving about this place.

The drive from Oudtshoorn to J-bay is nothing short of spectacular. The views when you drive through the mountain passes are insane.

J-Bay

It was only after I reached J-bay that I found out March is actually low-season, which meant that sunshine was not a given and surfing wasn’t either; because that’s the best thing to do when you reach J-bay. It’s famous for it’s waves and surfing events. I tried surfing once in Sámara, Costa Rica which wasn’t particularly successful, but I was desperate to give it another try.

I booked an awesome hotel with a really good vibe and a very laid-back and kind owner, which was also conveniently right by the beach.

It even had a braai, which I didn’t use.

The owner made all his furniture from the driftwood he found on the beach. It was gorgeous!

In terms of surfing the owner told me and my friend that we could take out a small body board the next day. We left early in the morning to try it out. I actually decided to stay behind because I couldn’t put on my full wet suit properly so I wanted to see if the water was warm enough.

I’m so happy I did, because when my friend came back from his body boarding experience he told me he almost drowned because the torrents were so strong. This was also confirmed by a relieved owner when he saw us walking in, worried that we attempted to go on the water with surf boards. He wanted to warn us in the morning but we had already left… That was that for my surfing experience in J-bay.

Horseback Riding

So instead of surfing, the owner of the hostel advised us to go horseback riding over the beach, which was a really cool experience. The horses (as always on these kind of activities; it was the same in Santa Elena, Costa Rica) had a will of their own, but it felt very freeing to gallop over the white sandy beaches.

Strolling through J-Bay

Apart from surfing and horseback riding there’s not much else to do in J-bay. There are nice restaurants (I went to Kitchen Windows twice, because it was delicious) and there’s a big Billabong shop if you’re interested in buying some swimwear.

But mainly it’s just nice to walk along the beach and to look at all the wildlife there.

Conclusion

J-bay is a great place to recover if you’ve been rushing around the country like I was.

It’s a small town, which means that the people that live there know all about the neighbourhood and can give you very good advice. That’s how I found out about Kragga Kamma Game Park. Initially, my plan was to make a day trip only to Addo Elephant National Park, but the owner of the hostel told me to make a stop in the morning in Kragga Kamma as it provides more opportunity to see wildlife. That advice really paid off and I will write about it in my next post.

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