Know as the Friendly City, the Windy City, or simply PE, Port Elizabeth was founded as a town in 1820 to house British settlers. It is the second-oldest city and the fifth-largest in South Africa. Life here revolves around the ocean. The city caters for everyone, and is known as a great family vacation centre.

This charming port city is also known as Buffalo City because it lies between the Nahoon and Buffalo rivers. It is the only river port in the country. The East London Museum has some fascinating displays, which include the last known dodo egg in the world.

Jeffreys Bay, or J Bay, is situated in the heart of the Sunshine Coast. It is famous as one of the best surfing spots in the world, and in July each year, the world’s top surfers flock to the city for the Billabong Pro event. But the town also has more to offer – there’s skydiving, sandboarding, and whale and dolphin watching.

Grahamstown, about 130km from Port Elizabeth, is home to the oldest independent newspaper in South Africa, Grocott’s Mail. The city is best known for the annual National Arts Festival, held each July, which is recognised as one of the biggest cultural events in Africa.

This is the only city in South Africa to be surrounded by a national park – the Cambedoo National Park. Founded in 1786, Graaff-Reinet has been a traveller's oasis in South Africa's semi-arid desert – the Karoo – for more than two centuries. It has magnificent examples of Cape Dutch architecture.

Port Alfred is a popular holiday destination along the Eastern Cape’s Sunshine Coast. There’s plenty to do here, including taking in its great beaches, water sports (kitesurfing and water-skiing) and diving among the reefs off the coast. The popular Fish River Sun is about 20 minutes’ drive from Port Alfred.

This little village is a popular holiday destination. There are great beaches, rock pools and sheltered bays with plenty of opportunities for water sports like fishing and canoeing. From April to December the village is a good place to do some whale watching. It is also close to a number of inland game reserves.