Magwa Falls

Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape

Off the beaten track in the Wildest Wild Coast, we are situated 20 km outside the small town of Lusikisiki in the, Transkei, Eastern Cape. Gwexintaba village, Goso Forest.

One day excursions to the iconic Waterfall Bluff, get in, guide you and get you out.

Equipped to handle a couple or a group who do not have much time but want to see both iconic falls and have an epic day!

Come visit us in the Wildest Wild Coast, calm the mind, relax the body, and Feed the Soul some Nature.

Spend time in an Indigenous Forest, visit Majestic Waterfalls, endless views all-round, loads of oxygen, in a reality far from yours! Transkei at it’s best!

This hike is for the adventurous with a bit of fitness. A stunning wilderness guided trail into the lesser-known parts of the Eastern Cape, with its surrounding mountains and small villages of Gwexintaba and Mbotyi.

Get spoiled by an overdose of beautiful nature and pass-through rural villages. Be greeted by friendly locals and experience traditional culture. At the end of each day be welcomed by your host with a warm meal, hot shower, and comfy bed.

Accommodation:

Louis at Magwa Falls accommodation is off the beaten track in the Transkei Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape. We are situated in Gwexintaba village in the Goso Forest, which is just 20 km outside the small town of Lusikisiki.

Louis at Magwa Falls offers rustic and basic off-grid accommodation. As for the surrounding nature, and the views…well, they have to be seen to be believed!

Accommodation is offered in the Crowned Eagle House and the Family Rondavel.

Crowned eagle house

Crowned Eagle House is Strategically positioned on the tip of the plateau ridge right next to a small waterfall and the start of the indigenous Goso State Forest, overlooking hundreds of hills. You have pure Nature in your face!

An idyllic spot where nature lovers and adventure seekers can hear the silence! Well, you can hear birdsong all day long! Crickets, tree frogs, and sometimes owls at night!

You have an equipped kitchen with a two-plate gas stove and a small fridge, workspace, and a double basin for washing up.
Comfortable double bed and a bunk bed downstairs, and up the log stairs is the loft with two mattresses and a large view through the window overlooking the valley below!
Solar lights, skylight, and millions of stars!
Ensuite toilet and a hot Spacious outdoor shower. You can leave the door open for more nature to come in!
Comfortable tyre chairs on the stoep, which you may find it hard to leave because of the World Class View right in front of you!
A couple of steps down from there is the braai area, which is surrounded by trees and beautiful boulders, which are covered in lichen in this rainforest environment next to the small waterfall.

We trust that you will enjoy this off-the-beaten-track little house with your partner, friends, or family!

Family Rondavel

We have a double bed and two bunkbeds in this rondavel.
A self-catering kitchen next to it with a Rocket Stove in the middle which keeps us all warm during cool evenings and has seating all around it.
There is a two-plate gas stove, a fridge and preparation table.
A large dining table and a double basin.
The braai area is comfortably nearby, situated just outside the kitchen door. It is stocked with plenty of firewood. (Seeing that our wood doesn’t make nice braai coals, you should bring your own charcoal, if you want to braai.)
A rocket shower and gas showers are available for short hot showers.
The composting toilet boasts a magnificent forest view!

Driving to Louis at Magwa Falls

The journey from Lusikisiki to Gwexintaba is an adventure on its own.

We send you a WhatsApp pin so that you can find us easily using Google maps on your phone.

You will be spoiled by an overdose of beautiful nature as you pass through rural villages along the way.

The dirt roads are surrounded by hills dotted with colourful MPondo huts, local people, cattle, chickens, dogs, and kids playing.

You will pass many friendly faces with big smiles, waving, shouting “Molo Mlungu”, which means “Hi White Man” on your journey to Louis at Magwa Falls.

Admire the pure nature around you while you take a slow drive through spectacular Goso Forest.

A bakkie or car with high ground clearance is needed to get to Louis at Magwa Falls. If your vehicle isn’t suitable, a pickup in Lusikisiki can be arranged.

Pickup in Lusikisiki

If your car is not suitable for our roads, we can pick you up in Lusikisiki. A bakkie or car with high ground clearance is needed in order to get to Louis at Magwa Falls accommodation. We can arrange for you to park your vehicle at a fancy Bed and Breakfast in Lusikisiki, while you visit Louis at Magwa Falls.

Arrival at ‘Louis at Magwa Falls’ Accommodation

As soon as you arrive at “Louis at Magwa Falls” in the small village of Gwexintaba, you can settle in and enjoy the breath-taking view, the endless green rolling hills, and the ocean in the distance.

There are many viewpoints nearby and a fantastic forest just a stone-throw away, for you to explore.

You can also relax and enjoy the sunset whilst listening to the night sounds coming alive.

You can spend the evening at the campfire and count shooting stars in the dark.

Experience the silence of deep dark Africa.

Sunrise is also not to be missed. Get up early if you can!

Hiking

Waterfall tours & hikes

Louis will take you on fantastic adventures to see up to 6 waterfalls. Tours range from easy to medium hikes and will take you across rocky beaches, through crystal mountain pools, and lush forests. Whether you are staying with or at accommodation in Port St Johns or Lusikisiki, book a tour or hike with Louis to experience a bit of Magwa Magic.

Magwa Falls Tour – (6km 4 x 4 drive)

Magwa Falls is a waterfall with a 144m drop into a magnificent gorge.

Magwa Falls is a short 3km drive away from our house with hidden viewpoints all along the gorge.

Magwa Falls and Ngxangxasini Falls Tour – (13km 4×4 drive or hike)

A short drive on our open safari Landcruiser, next to the plateau ridge and gorge, gets you to the mighty Magwa Falls. An astonishing 144m drop at the beginning of this massive crack will leave you in awe!

An easy hike around the falls, visiting all the various viewpoints, taking picture perfect photos.

Then we drive through Goso Forest to visit both falls in Mzizangwa. Taking a shower under both is simply a must! On the way back, we use an alternative forest road for maximum views of Gwexintaba village from the highest viewpoint. Then, back home we go.

Waterfall Bluff Tour and Hike – (9km easy to moderate hike)

Rise and shine early to have breakfast and be ready by 08h00 to leave on a 2-hour scenic 4×4 drive to the starting point at Luphatana on an open safari Landcruiser.

The drive is a cultural experience of friendly faces, the dense Goso Forest, colourful huts, the Magwa Tea Estate, Angel Falls, and wide-open spaces.

Easy To Moderate Hike to Waterfall Bluff

A 4.5km relatively flat hike next to rocky shoreline, with rest places here and there, takes you to Waterfall Bluff. It’s about an hour’s hike. Luphatana is famous for this powerful display of waves crashing against the rocks, sometimes up to 30m high in the air. A spectacular performance indeed. At Waterfall Bluff, we have an hour to chill, admire Waterfall Bluff and eat lunch, kick off the shoes, take many photos, and maybe even take a shower under the falls. The noisy silence can be felt!

On the way back, we visit the ‘Tea Room’, a sea cave hidden under the footpath to the falls!

Back at the Landcruiser, we 4×4 our way out. Next is Ntentuli Falls, the second highest in South Africa, 174m! Then Angel Falls, Fraser Falls, the Magwa Tea Estate, and the dense Goso Forest. Back at “Louis at Magwa Falls”, you can take a warm shower. A warm crackling campfire awaits you.

Mdeni Village Hike. (8km hike)

A guided hike down the plateau ridge and into the old Mdeni village. Explore more forest paths and river crossings and see a monkey or 2 maybe. Then to a spot where you stare 2km into the Magwa gorge and see the massive drop of the Waterfall. This is the one place where you realize the height of the falls fully.

Then we walk along foot paths, through forests, and then up the ridge with a winding zig zag path. Another cascading waterfall awaits you just around the corner. At the top, we catch our breath and admire the view from the top, where we’ve just walked.

Then we hike next to the Magwa Gorge with more Magwa Fall views and sheer cliffs all the way to the falls. Spectacular! We walk around Magwa Falls then to Louis at Magwa Falls.