In pursuit of a beach, evading monkeys and finding treasure at Cape Vidal
Cape Vidal - iSimangaliso Wetland Park – KwaZulu-Natal - South Africa
Is Cape Vidal worth a visit?
March usually signifies a beach holiday for us - in Mozambique. For the previous couple of years we missed out. Since early 2000 we went on road trips to Mozambique to combine some travel, adventure and beach holidays. Due to Covid restrictions this year we felt crossing borders, with the extra expenses of tests and possible quarantine it was not worth it.
Besides the beaches were closed for swimming. We had a taste of that when we went to Cape Town in January. So near, yet so out of reach!
How do we find a beautiful stretch of sand like Ponta Malongane, Pomene or Paindane, some of our favourites? They have so much to offer, from endless pristine beaches to a beautiful ocean great for swimming and all other kinds of water sport. A dash of culture and a scattering of restaurants add to the great vibe.
Cape Vidal
In search of a beach
So what do we do? This year we thought we would explore parts of Northern KwaZulu-Natal, in search of a beach that could be on a par with Mozambique’s or at least come a close second. We had heard that Cape Vidal is situated on a magnificent piece of coastline and a firm favourite with many - BUT - has an endless and notorious reputation of cheeky relentless monkeys, Samango as well as Vervet, that will snatch anything right out of your hands.
We acted on the advice of friends that had been there on a regular basis. Their verdict: the monkeys meant business and was not a rumour but the beach was lovely and worth a visit. We decided to see for ourselves. If they were too much of a nuisance we would cut our stay short and head elsewhere.
We drove from Bushbaby Lodge near Hluhluwe where we had spent the night. At St Lucia we stocked up on a few items. You need to be self-sufficient at Cape Vidal as there are no restaurants and the small shop has extremely limited supplies.
To get to Cape Vidal you have to enter the iSimangaliso Wetland Park at St Lucia through Bhangazi Gate. There is a daily park and conservation fee payable at the gate. The accommodation or campsite is payable online or at the reception office at Cape Vidal.
At Bhangazi gate we paid our entrance and park fees for five days and told them that we wished to stay at Cape Vidal.
‘Have you booked accommodation?’
‘No’, we said.
A puzzled frown appeared on the park attendant’s face.
‘Eish, I don’t know. Ask at the office at Cape Vidal, but maybe you come back here and stay at St Lucia. Then you can enter the park every day.’
Because it was out of season we thought we would have no issue getting a campsite. Furthermore we were sure we could pick and choose and stay for as long as we liked. After all, there are at least 45 campsites, as well as log cabin accommodation and not everyone is traveling during Covid times. WRONG!
We would find out when we got there, still convinced there would be plenty of sites available. We drove approximately 33 kilometres from the gate to Cape Vidal where the road ends and you can travel no further north. The road is tarred (asphalt) all the way to Cape Vidal.
We did not linger along the way and it took us approximately an hour, stopping only for short intervals to admire some of the wildlife in iSimangaliso Wetland Park. As we reached the resort we were ‘welcomed’ with a sign warning us of monkeys. I was expecting them to be gathered around the sign as well but there weren’t any.
At the office we were told there was only one campsite available and we could only have it for four nights. We were astounded that it was so full but apparently there was a fishing competition a few days later.
Cape Vidal is the mecca for angling and deep-sea fishing. Go figure! Next time we would book in advance as it is a popular spot.
Camping at Cape Vidal
As we set up camp we were warned by our neighbours that the monkeys were a terrible nuisance. They had trashed a caravan just minutes before we arrived and managed to get inside and soil everything. Maybe four nights was too long!
Setting up camp on our cosy site was quick and easy with our little XCape and soon we sat back and relaxed while watching other campers take a few days to get themselves organized.
Campers at Cape Vidal are of another calibre. Large awnings are set up with hundreds of poles to hold them up to provide shade. I lie, maybe not hundreds but certainly at least twenty to thirty. Shade net is then draped around the poles to provide some form of privacy. Tents are placed like rooms to accommodate the people. We even saw a wooden double bed with a mattress being offloaded and placed inside a tent. They were making sure they would sleep comfortably. No deflating air mattresses for them.
Huge household fridges and freezers were lugged from home as well. Many of the campers were staying for a month and they were settling in in style. Some of them even took precautions to prevent the monkeys from stealing their food in the form of metal cages. Others strapped their fridges closed. Even so, the monkeys managed to find something to pilfer.
At times however I think the monkeys were extremely frustrated whilst poking their fingers into the cages to grab at something that they could not grip, let alone drag out.
I will admit though, that all the campers we encountered were friendly and helpful.
Hot tip:
If you intend to braai/barbeque, I recommend bringing a portable braai/barbeque.
Beach life
We were not disappointed by the beach, even though it did have a sign warning us to beware of strong current, sharks, crocodiles and hippos . The beach reminded us of Ponta Malongane and also has a small rocky reef that juts out at an angle.
The only pathway to the beach from the campsite however was on a steep dune through the coastal forest. We dragged ourselves up and over the sand dune regularly. The other alternative was to drive to the launch area for the fishing boats. The access to the beach was far easier there and on occasion we took that route.
At low tide the beach is a great place for swimming and snorkeling between the small reef and rocks. But it is also the launch area for fishing boats, jet skis and kayaks, so one has to be observant. Anglers are scattered across the beach hoping for a lovely catch.
Monkeys and other wildlife at Cape Vidal
As the campsite is in the reserve with no fence there are often sightings of bushpigs, bushbuck and even a resident leopard. They warn you not to walk in the dark without a torch. One morning we found spoor of hyena at our bin. I had heard the noise during the night, but fortunately it walked away without raiding our rubbish.
We had heard that on route to the campsite a rhinoceros or elephant took umbrage to a jet ski on a trailer, not sure which one, as the story through the grapevine gets changed along the way. It charged the vehicle and the jet ski was damaged considerably and had to be sent away for repairs.
We did not see any elephant but we saw rhino on one of our game drives. More about driving the loop roads in my iSimangaliso post.
A mongoose and a Samanga monkey
The monkeys as well as mongooses were definitely pests. Each time we walked away from our caravan we packed away everything and closed the windows and doors, including the inner canvas flaps in the windows of our caravan so they could not see in. We packed our food away in containers inside our cupboards so they could hopefully not smell any food. It seemed to do the trick as we had no incidents where the monkeys were a nuisance to us.
A mongoose family regularly slipped through the gap between the lid and the bins and proceeded to leave a trail of food leading into the dune forest.
There are plenty of scorpions as well. Paul stepped on one – you can see by the footprint – but fortunately it did not sting him. Luckily it is not one of the more venomous ones. Still, it could have been nasty.
On our fourth day it looked like there were numerous campsites open and we head heard that the fishing competition had been cancelled. Whether that was true or not, we decided it best to continue to Sugarloaf Campsite at St Lucia for a couple of nights. We enjoyed our time at Cape Vidal and we would definitely go back, monkeys and all.
If you cannot stay at Cape Vidal, you can find accommodation at St Lucia and drive through for the day.
Treasure hunt
So we found a beach and we managed to evade the monkeys but did we find treasure at Cape Vidal?
Did someone say treasure?
Legend has it there is gold at Cape Vidal. I could do with some gold! Would we find it?
Dorothea, a wooden barque, was on a voyage in 1898 from Lourenco Marques, now known as Maputo, in Mozambique. Rumour has it that Dorothea was filled with a cargo of stolen Kruger Gold from Witwatersrand in the Boer Republic (South Africa) of that time. Apparently it was sealed under concrete on the boat which made it too heavy.
Foul weather caused the boat to take on water and she was abandoned by her crew off Cape Vidal where she reportedly ripped in half and sank.
Numerous attempts have been made over the years to salvage the wreck for the gold, but none have been successful.
Snorkeling at Cape Vidal is very popular not only to see marine life on the reef, but also to see if parts of the wreck can be found. There is an anchor chain in the bay which some say is part of the Dorothea. Others say it comes from another barge that sank in search of the hidden treasure.
We found the chain and mast when we swam and snorkelled. Whether it is from the Dorothea or another barge we will never know. It might not be gold, but it was treasure, nonetheless.
Video of Cape Vidal Beach
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About the Author
ALMA VAN AS | ROAMING FOX
Alma is a South African travel blogger and writer. She hopes to inspire you with facts and fables about her adventures, road trips and international travel.
During Covid-19 outbreak, please verify details with the establishments you wish to go to or use. Travel and its restrictions are continuously changing. The information in my posts may no longer be relevant or accurate.
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