Bulungula at the Wild Coast | Excellent example of community-based tourism in South Africa

This is the Bulungula Lodge located on the Wild Coast in South Africa. You can only enter by foot. Cars must be parked 500meter from the lodge.

5 things to do at the Bulungula Lodge

Bulungula offers a wide range of activities all through local guides from the village. One of the goals of Bulungula is to develop entrepreneurship in the community, for instance via offering different activities to visitors. The local community members take 100% ownership of these activities and will receive the full payment. The amazing thing is, that on the day you arrive, each guide will informally introduce him- / herself to you and tell a bit more about the activities they offer. A really convenient and great way to get to know the guide, ask any questions you have straight away and learn more about the activities offered:

1.  Woman Power tour

Curious to learn how the daily life of a Xhosa woman looks like? Join guide Juba for the day and experience it with her in the village. Also a great option for men to join in and show what gender equality looks like! We had loads of fun with walking with Juba through the community while doing some of the daily activities. We learned how to carry water and firewood on the top of our heads,  to make a traditional lunch on an outdoor stove and - with as highlight - how to make muddy bricks. We can only agree that the women of Bulungula are doing the real tough work!

Pictures from the Woman Power tour where you learn how to the Xhosa women life. Spoiler: it's a though life!

2. Wander around the village

Just walk out there and experience some of the local way of living of the Xhosa. Everybody is really friendly in Ngileni village. You will be welcomed with smiles and often meet villagers who want to practice their English a bit. 

3. Fishing at the Bulungula Lodge:

Eager for some fresh oysters straight from the ocean? Or catching your own diner? Join in for some fishing on the Bulungula cliffs. The guide will bring a fishing rod for you, as well as his home-made bait from red bait, squid and small fish. He will know the best places to catch some fish, but be prepared to get wet feet!

Fisherman on the rocks catching fish at the Bulungula lodge in South Africa

4. Watching the most incredible sun rise in the dunes.

You have to get up a bit early, but this is all worth it! Because the sunrises at Bulungula are beyond stunning! The best spot to watch the sun rising is on top of a big sand dune, which is about a 10-minute walk from the lodge. You might even be able to spot some whales or dolphins from this point! And even better, Bulungula also offers a fresh pancake breakfast at the top of this sand dune.

Watching the sunrise at Bulungula sand dunes. You can order a breakfast at the Sand Dunes how cool!

5. Following one of the many workshops such as Jewellery classes.

Who has ever enough jewellery? And what’s nicer than making your own jewellery in Xhosa style with local beads? This can be done in the jewellery workshop right at the Bulungula lodge. A relaxed and creative activity with a colourful - and hopefully - beautiful end-result.

Accommodation options at Bulungula

There are different accommodation options available at Bulungula Community Lodge.

Beautiful rondavels with private bathrooms

Sleep like the locals in a rondavel! A rondavel is a round house made from muddy bricks with a thatched roof). It wouldn’t be Bulungula if these rondavales weren’t beautifully painted from both the in- and outside. You can sleep with four people in one rondavel: one queen bed and two single beds. The rondavels are available with private bathrooms or shared bathrooms.

The private rondavels at Bulungula Community Lodge from the insight. There is room for up to 4 people. With one double and two singles.

Forest cabins with shared bathrooms

The more budget option. The forest cabins are located close to the beach in the forest next to the lodge. The cabin is made from wood and, again, on the inside colourfully decorated by a talented artist. Also the shared toilets and showers are stunningly decorated. Even if you are not making use of them, it’s well worth it to check them out, just for their looks! Or to figure out how the very exciting rocket showers works!

The jungle cabins with beautiful view of the beach. They come with shared ablutions.

How to get to Bulungula?  

OK to be fair, and as was briefly mentioned before, Bulungula is remote. But don’t be put off by this, because honestly, this completely adds to it’s charm. You feel like an adventurer when you are approaching Bulungula. As you are reaching the ultimate edge of the world, where river meets ocean and rolling green hills overflow in beaches. A great bonus is that the drive to Bulungula provides you with gorgeous views of different Xhosa villages, all scattered among the unstoppable flow of green hills.

For driving down to Bulungula you should come prepared, because the road can be quite tricky at some parts of the journey. But for everyone and every vehicle there will be a way to reach the lodge. Hereby a quick summary of the different options per different type of transport.

If you have a:

• 4 wheel-drive / 4x4 : you will be good to drive the complete way down to Bulungula by yourself. Before you head off, download the route description here from the Bulungula website so will avoid certain ‘shortcuts’ that Google Maps might recommend. From … you will enter a dirt road which will guide you through the various Xhosa villages. This road might be muddy during summer time, but should get you there. The road gets quite rocky at the very end, but no high-clearance will be necessary, just pull through. You will be able to safely park your car at the designated fenced parking lot, about 500m from the lodge. A small fee is asked for the parking to support the local owner of the land.
• 2 wheel-drive: 
• ·Public transport:
• ·By foot / walking: Yes, you can even access Bulungula by foot! This is actually the oldest way the Xhosa used to reach the Bulungula river mouth. You will take off in Coffee Bay and will walk via a beautiful coastal trail to Bulungula in either one day (8 hours) or 2 days (4 hours each day with a stopover at Lubanzi Backpackers).

The road to Bulungula Lodge Wild coast South Africa. It's highly recommend to use a 4x4 vehicle. Some parts of the road are very difficult to manage.

Other accommodation options at the Wild Coast

More community-based and owned lodges on the Wild Coast:

• Lubanzi Backpackers
• Mdumbi backpackers

Other great options that have good impact on the local communities

• Bucaneers in Chintsa
• Amapondo backpackers in Port Saint Johns

Frequently Asked Questions about Bulungula Community Lodge

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