AT THE BEACH | Ditch the mountains, embrace the Eastern Cape coast

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On Saturday, I had the blessing of visiting the Mpekweni Beach Resort.

It was also my birthday. I could not have asked for a better present.

May I suggest if you go to Mpekweni you try to arrive hungry. Perhaps starving.

The hotel and conference resort is three-star rated but with five-star food if you ask me.

Cancel your booking if you are on a diet — the spread is impossible to resist.

Many readers may know that my day job is construction chemicals technical sales for ABE/Saint Gobain.

My subterfuge in this story is to seduce the company I work for to ditch the Drakensberg for a national conference.

The mountains are great but why not consider our Eastern Cape chapter of lightweight sustainable construction and come visit our world? How about the Mpekweni Beach Resort?

Conferencing is the number one game of this resort. Whether you are a French international business operation or a smaller Indwe Environmental Consulting, the resort offers multiple perfect venues, for six or eight delegates to 300 if need be.

“I have spent many years on this river, but this is our first time at the resort,” Indwe Consulting’s Megan Hugo said, while out with her young professional team.

“The resort is fabulous and they are doing an excellent job as custodians of the estuary.

“This is a great place for team building.”

Accommodation and facilities at the resort are top notch.

Comfort is not spared and the views are lovely.

Nestled into the coastal forest, behind the dunes, the resort blends into the environment.

Bird life in the gardens is spectacular and the riot of green and blue, sun, surf, ocean and lagoon is a feast for body, soul and eyes.

An easy one hour, 98km from East London, or two hours, 188km from Gqeberha, means visitors from other provinces can fly in and car hire or catch a lift with their Eastern Cape colleagues.

When not in conference, sunrise and sunset amusements might include 47km of open beach — even on a fat takkie e-bike that is a lot of space.

Local fishing — either rock and surf or in the lagoon — is an angler’s dream.

Canoes are available for the lagoon but be advised that catch and release is the name of the game in the lagoon.

For those athletes who favour rackets, two padel courts and a squash court should get your heart rate up. Otherwise the on-site gymnasium is what you want.

Single track cycle dirt has 30km of marked trails but if you want to go big you might need Craig Hensberg to guide you on the 100km available.

And 40km away, the Royal Port Alfred golf course is available for those who like to swing a club.

My favourite bit is that there is quite a good surf break down the beach but it comes with a warning.

The break is a nearly 2km walk away and you will likely be surfing alone.

If you are happy to be in deep water, far out to sea, by yourself, in the company of your prayers only, then this is for you.

If you get into trouble, help is not quickly available.

Open water swimming is safer in the lagoon and failing that, a pristine pool is available.

While conferencing is a focus at Mpekweni, leisure guests are not neglected.

Sisters Maureen Moffat and Carol Raath were on a girls getaway weekend.

“This is the best place on our coast and the food is superb,” Raath said.

Moffat said: “The service is excellent. We have had a most happy time.”

As for this writer, this part of the Eastern Cape coast is a joy.