Book cheap flights to East London

East London enjoys warm days, moderate to cool nights, and rainfall throughout the year. When it comes to visiting the wildlife reserves around East London, the best times to visit are from December to January (early to mid-summer) and April to September (mid-autumn to early-spring), when the rainfall averages around 10 days a month and the temperatures comfortably range from the low to mid-20s. Be prepared for higher accommodation rates and longer queues at attractions, and make sure you book a hotel room well in advance. If you’re willing to brave more wet weather to get more availability and better accommodation costs, then visit from February to March (late-summer – early-autumn), when the rainfall is at its highest, but the temperatures still sit around the low to mid-20s.

If you’re visiting from abroad, you will need a tourist visa to enter South Africa. Tourist visas are valid for 90 days. Visit your local consular website to find out if your country is exempt from obtaining this visa.

Contact the Department of Home Affairs for more information (phone 27800601190 or visit their website).

Before you depart for East London, make sure to get all the routine vaccinations. Additionally, you should take care to prevent getting hepatitis B (transmittable through sexual contact, contaminated needles, and blood products), hepatitis A, and typhoid (these last two being transmittable through contaminated food and water). Since you may be spending time outdoors, make sure to prevent mosquito bites (there is a small risk of malaria infection in South Africa) and take care when interacting with animals due to rabies, which is spread from the bites of infected mammals. There is no risk of yellow fever in the country, but if you do travel through a country that is afflicted by this disease, you will need to get the necessary vaccination and a yellow fever certificate.

When exploring East London take care to practise the following:

• Secure your valuables in a hotel safe

• Keep your hotel door locked at all times

• Decide on your route before you leave your hotel

• Ask for advice on the surrounding area from your host or hotel personnel

• Valuables, such as phones and cameras should be kept out of sight

• Always keep your car doors locked

• Lock any personal items and luggage in the boot of your car

• Park in well-lit areas when you’re out at night

• For alternative transport, use only credible taxi companies

• Never swim alone

• And avoid leaving belongings unattended on the beach.

A large number of hotels, guest houses, and self-catering units are available throughout East London. Many of these establishments offer TVs in the rooms, pools, free Wi-Fi, outdoor barbecue areas, breakfast, and free parking. The most popular areas to stay in include Quigney, Gonubie, Cambridge, and Dorchester Heights. The cost of accepting one of these accommodation offers ranges from R 500 to R 1,700 per night.

The best way to travel around East London is by taxi, a cost-effective option which you can book in advance. There are car rental agencies at the airport, but if you visit from abroad, you will need an international driving licence valid for at least one year.

Travelling from the airport will be no trouble at all with the EL Bus Shuttle service (a small red bus). This safe, reliable, and valuable service can take you anywhere in East London from the airport. You can book a seat by phone or email, and the bus will wait at the airport with your name on a sign. There is no risk of overcrowding; the bus will depart as soon as all the booked passengers have gotten onboard.