East Cape Beach Holiday...with a dog!

Q: I would like to rent a house on the beach, preferably in the Eastern Cape. I would like a place that is pet friendly, as I would like to take my dog along with the family. I would also prefer somewhere that is not in the middle of suburbia - where there are long, open beaches and it is more rustic than luxurious.Any ideas? - Bridget Kelly

A: There are two main areas of the Eastern Cape you could try. The first is the zone between the Kei River and East London, where there are established resorts that have remained charmingly rustic. The top choices here would be Kei Mouth, Morgan's Bay, Haga Haga, Cintsa East and Kwelera. There are scores of holiday homes for let in these areas, including prime sea front properties where the beach is your garden. As with all the properties, you will have to check on whether the owners allow pets. Agents you could try are Holiday Home Rentals Kei Mouth (Tel: 043 841 1109), Haga Haga Holiday Homes (Tel: 043-841 1655) Cintsa East Property Services (Tel: 043-738 5112) and Jikeleza Property Services in Kwelera (Tel: 043-737 4421). The second area stretches between East London and Port Elizabeth. Port Alfred has wonderful beaches and the widest range of holiday homes, but may be a little developed for your taste. However, there are some charmingly old-fashioned resorts dotted along this coast. These include Kidd's Beach, Kleinemonde, Kenton On Sea and Bushman's River. Small resorts like Kasuka, Boknesstrand and Cannon Rocks offer the greatest level of solitude.There are a number of agencies dealing with holiday home rentals. while others are handled by their owners. You can contact the Port Alfred Tourism Association for details of agents (Tel: 046-624 1235). Alternatively, check out the www.kentontourism.co.za website, which has listings of houses for rental throughout the area. (15/8/10)