We think we know South Africa. We know the big cities, the famous beaches, the popular holiday destinations and the places that make it onto every travel list. But sometimes, you have to leave the familiar behind to realise just how much of our country we still haven’t seen.

After breakfast, we hit the road and headed towards St Francis Bay. It was a long drive, but after being well rested, I didn’t feel like I needed to sleep. Instead, I spent most of the journey taking in the views.

And what views they were.

The Eastern Cape has a way of surprising you when you least expect it. One minute you’re driving through landscapes that feel untouched, and the next you’re looking at incredible stretches of coastline and scenery that could easily belong on an international travel campaign.

It reminded me of something we often forget: we live in a beautiful country.

South Africa has some of the most incredible landscapes in the world, and the more you travel through it, the more you realise how important it is for us to protect these spaces. There is so much natural beauty here, and we should be doing everything we can to preserve it for the generations that come after us.

Then we arrived in St Francis Bay.

And honestly, I wasn’t expecting this side of the Eastern Cape.

As you enter St Francis Bay, you immediately notice that this is a very different side of the province — one that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. There is an unmistakable sense of luxury and opulence, particularly when you start seeing the incredible homes built along the canals.

The architecture, the boats, the water and the overall atmosphere give the area a completely different energy. It feels sophisticated without losing the relaxed feeling you want from a coastal getaway.

By lunchtime, we stopped at Nevermind Restaurant. And because I was by the ocean, I had already made a decision: I’m trying everything seafood.

So far, I had absolutely no complaints.

There’s something about eating seafood when you’re right next to the ocean that makes the experience even better. Maybe it’s psychological, maybe it’s the freshness, but either way, I’m enjoying every opportunity to work my way through the menu.

After lunch, we checked into Cape St Francis Resort, and I have to say, I got one of the best rooms of the trip.

My exact reaction was basically: This is everything I deserve.

After several days of travelling, driving, exploring and eating, having a beautiful room to come back to felt like a reward. It was the kind of space where you immediately want to unpack, get comfortable and forget that you have somewhere else to be.

But the highlight of the evening came before dinner.

Because I was leaving the next day, and with the trip almost over, we were offered a massage. And let me tell you — that massage was exactly what I didn’t know I needed.

It was honestly one of the best massages I’ve ever had.

By the time it was over, I was completely relaxed. All the tiredness from the trip seemed to disappear, and when I eventually made my way to dinner, I was a very happy person.

Sometimes you don’t realise how much your body needs to slow down until somebody forces you to.

For dinner, I went straight back to the ocean and ordered big prawns. I was also given a seafood starter with calamari, which sounded like a great idea at the time.

The only problem?

By the time my main course arrived, I was already full.

But that’s one of the things I’ve realised about this trip: all you really do is eat, travel, explore and repeat.

And I’m certainly not complaining.

Every destination seems to come with another incredible meal, another beautiful view and another reason to stay a little longer. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it.

Eventually, the evening came to an end. I went back to my room, took a long shower and climbed into bed.

After everything we’d done over the past few days, I was ready for it.

I had one of the best sleeps of the entire trip.

And as I drifted off, I couldn’t help but think about how much the Eastern Cape had surprised me.

We think we know South Africa.

Maybe we don’t. And perhaps that’s exactly the reason we need to keep exploring it.

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