'You won't find this place on a map'

BULUNGULA, South Africa: The green hills and thatched huts dotting the countryside could be part of a miniature toy landscape but are a reminder that we are in one of South Africa's least developed regions.

Bulungula overlooks one of the most spectacular and remote beaches in Africa.

Only a Land Rover can tackle the last stretch to Bulungula which is a bumpy track snaking through green meadows and streams in the Wild Coast of the Transkei region.

But the reward is the feeling of really being in Africa with not a single electricity pylon or tarred road spoiling the view.

A seemingly endless beach stretches from the area where the Bulungula river pours into the Indian Ocean.

"You won't find this place on the map," Dave Martin, the manager of the Bulungula tourist project, explains.

Eight thatched huts, built by the local community, offer room for about 40 guests. The complex includes the main building with a bar, shower and toilet facilities.

Solar panels on the roof of the lodge provide energy for the refrigerator and hi-fi system. Three days of cloudy weather and the beer gets warm, Martin explains.

Visitors to Bulungula can expect to meet some very interesting people.

Water for the "rocket" shower is provided by rainwater. Paraffin heats the water for seven minutes with flames shooting from an opening in the ground. The shower roars like a rocket ready for take-off.

It is a moot question whether Bulungula is a development project or a resort offering accommodation for tourists.

"You can't separate the two. I didn't just want to build a lodge. It is a means of development," the 31-year-old says.

Martin is far from an idealist living far from reality. He studied economics in Cape Town, traveled the world for three years including several trips across the African continent.

In the southeast African country of Malawi he found a project that served as a model for Bulungula. He worked in London during the Internet boom years to get the money together.

Then he walked on foot along the Transkei coast to find an area suitable for the project. In October 2004, the dream of Bulungula came true with the community owning a 40 percent stake. Martin says he himself does not earn a penny from the project.

Horses and bulls wander the green meadows dotted wih thatched huts. Photos courtesy of www. bulungula.com

The community shareholders often come to the lodge to start a conversation with the guests from all parts of the world or to help with odd jobs. Martin himself speaks Xhosa, one of South Africa's official languages, spoken by the local people.

Some community members offer their services as canoeists or fishing instructors.

"The people have to start a thought process where they can make money," Martin explains his concept, for the region offers virtually no jobs.

At present, the lodge caters mainly to backpackers but Martin has ambitions to lift standards for a more upmarket tourist segment. But even then the rugged track to Bulungula will not make way to a normal road.

For more information, check www.bulungula.com.

DPA

(China Daily 02/01/2007 page19)