East London is South Africa’s only river port and a major industrial centre, with an economy based on motor assembly plants, textile and electronics industries. Nevertheless, the city centre has a handful of attractive historical buildings, and there are some good beaches which surprisingly get very busy with domestic tourists over Christmas. Nahoon Beach is best known for its excellent surfing, and the city has attracted a real surfing community in recent years. Despite this, it’s not a very attractive place and most travellers only pass through on their way to other coastal resorts or to the Amatola Mountains.
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East London information
Sources:
Background
Background
East London was originally founded as a military camp on the banks of the Buffalo River in 1847 and its strategic position as a port was soon recognized. Sir Harry Smith, the British governor, ambitiously named it London, and its two main thoroughfares are still Fleet Street and Oxford Street. Later it was renamed Port of East London, and then simply as East London – not after London’s East End but because the port was on the eastern bank of the river.
The railway station is in the town centre on Station St, which runs parallel to Oxford St. Information T043-700 2719. There are services between East London and Johannesburg (20 hrs), via Queenstown (4½ hrs) and Bloemfontein (13 hrs). Central reservations, Shosholoza Meyl, T0860-00888 (in South Africa), T011-774 4555 (from overseas), http://www.shosholozameyl.co.za, timetables and fares are published on the website.
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