CHINTSA is hailed as the little village with a big heart. Ideally situated at the centre of Chintsa East is Crawford’s Beach Lodge, which offers the perfect mid- week or weekend break as it’s only about 40km from East London on theN2.
When you arrive in Chintsa East, it’s easy enough to find Crawford’s by simply following the signboards.
The road to the establishment is brick-paved with some daunting twists and turns, but once you see the parking area it is evident that you have arrived somewhere special.
Lodges jut out of the bush, you can smell the sea air and everyone at the lodge, from staff to guests, is friendly.
After checking in, my friend Nicolette Stewart and I made our way to the buffet dinner hall. This is where I fell in love with Crawford’s.
Fairy lights adorn the room, oil lamps and a simple white rose add an elegant touch to each table, while elaborately folded napkins finish off the look.
The buffet was mouth-watering and reminiscent of mom’s home-cooked meals. On offer were breads, pastries, salads, veggies, soup, bobotie, poppadoms, crunchy roast potatoes, a creamy chicken dish and roast beef.
There was an array of delectable desserts like strawberry sorbet, cheesecake, apple crumble and marshmallow tart.
After supper we headed back to our spacious rooms for some tea and girl talk on our private deck before drifting off to sleep to the sound of crashing waves.
Crawford’s has its own activities co-ordinator. Ambitious young Tagan Smith promptly introduced himself at breakfast and promised a jam-packed day of exploration and adventure.
First, Smith gave us a guided walk around Chintsa. Next we met up with Murray Elliott on the beautiful, expansive Chintsa beach for some wave jumping in his customised rubber duck. There were dolphins swimming by, so we drifted along as they mesmerised us.
When the dolphins eventually moved off, Elliott took us for some more adventurous wave surfing and jumping – not for the faint-hearted!
Next, we went to a local game farm for a quad bike ride.
Then we stopped at Chintsa’s local brewery.
There was tons more that Smith could have arranged for us to do, like horse rides on the beach, an evening enjoying local drumming sessions or even spa treatments at a local wellness centre.
There is so much to do in this creative holiday space, but the best stuff can be experienced at the lodge.
Beautiful deck chairs are lined with comfy cushions in the morning for the sun-seekers and umbrellas are opened up. The deck outside the restaurant is also a great place to enjoy drinks while taking in the sea views.
They have a nanny service available and a colourful jungle gym and trampoline for the kids.
Crawford’s lunch is a smorgasbord of yumminess. The ginger pudding was out of this world. Their Saturday night seafood buffet for R175 per person and Sunday lunch buffet for R120 per person are musts. You don’t have to stay at the lodge to enjoy these buffets, you can simply phone, book and drive out for the day or evening.
Owner Mark Crawford said: “My parents always told me people will remember good food.”
He said they had a lot of international tourists who holidayed at the lodge. “A lot of guests return.
“They love it here because it feels like authentic Africa. The undeveloped, raw, unspoilt surroundings are something you can’t get anywhere else in the world.”
He said guests enjoyed having kilometres of beach to themselves, taking advantage of the numerous fishing spots and enjoying the bird life. Once you arrive at Crawford’s Beach Lodge you won’t want to leave.
l This trip was hosted by Crawford’s Beach Lodge. If you would like your Eastern Cape accommodation establishment featured in the Saturday Dispatch, e-mail:
Little village with big heart
When you arrive in Chintsa East, it’s easy enough to find Crawford’s by simply following the signboards.
The road to the establishment is brick-paved with some daunting twists and turns, but once you see the parking area it is evident that you have arrived somewhere special.
Lodges jut out of the bush, you can smell the sea air and everyone at the lodge, from staff to guests, is friendly.
After checking in, my friend Nicolette Stewart and I made our way to the buffet dinner hall. This is where I fell in love with Crawford’s.
Fairy lights adorn the room, oil lamps and a simple white rose add an elegant touch to each table, while elaborately folded napkins finish off the look.
The buffet was mouth-watering and reminiscent of mom’s home-cooked meals. On offer were breads, pastries, salads, veggies, soup, bobotie, poppadoms, crunchy roast potatoes, a creamy chicken dish and roast beef.
There was an array of delectable desserts like strawberry sorbet, cheesecake, apple crumble and marshmallow tart.
After supper we headed back to our spacious rooms for some tea and girl talk on our private deck before drifting off to sleep to the sound of crashing waves.
Crawford’s has its own activities co-ordinator. Ambitious young Tagan Smith promptly introduced himself at breakfast and promised a jam-packed day of exploration and adventure.
First, Smith gave us a guided walk around Chintsa. Next we met up with Murray Elliott on the beautiful, expansive Chintsa beach for some wave jumping in his customised rubber duck. There were dolphins swimming by, so we drifted along as they mesmerised us.
When the dolphins eventually moved off, Elliott took us for some more adventurous wave surfing and jumping – not for the faint-hearted!
Next, we went to a local game farm for a quad bike ride.
Then we stopped at Chintsa’s local brewery.
There was tons more that Smith could have arranged for us to do, like horse rides on the beach, an evening enjoying local drumming sessions or even spa treatments at a local wellness centre.
There is so much to do in this creative holiday space, but the best stuff can be experienced at the lodge.
Beautiful deck chairs are lined with comfy cushions in the morning for the sun-seekers and umbrellas are opened up. The deck outside the restaurant is also a great place to enjoy drinks while taking in the sea views.
They have a nanny service available and a colourful jungle gym and trampoline for the kids.
Crawford’s lunch is a smorgasbord of yumminess. The ginger pudding was out of this world. Their Saturday night seafood buffet for R175 per person and Sunday lunch buffet for R120 per person are musts. You don’t have to stay at the lodge to enjoy these buffets, you can simply phone, book and drive out for the day or evening.
Owner Mark Crawford said: “My parents always told me people will remember good food.”
He said they had a lot of international tourists who holidayed at the lodge. “A lot of guests return.
“They love it here because it feels like authentic Africa. The undeveloped, raw, unspoilt surroundings are something you can’t get anywhere else in the world.”
He said guests enjoyed having kilometres of beach to themselves, taking advantage of the numerous fishing spots and enjoying the bird life. Once you arrive at Crawford’s Beach Lodge you won’t want to leave.
l This trip was hosted by Crawford’s Beach Lodge. If you would like your Eastern Cape accommodation establishment featured in the Saturday Dispatch, e-mail:
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