Roadmap for the central wild coast backpackers
From the N2, take the Coffee Bay turn off. Follow the road for about 70km. Turn left onto the gravel road at the sign for Mdumbi Backpackers. Follow the signs to reach Mdumbi.
From the N2, take the Coffee Bay turn off. Follow the road until you reach Coffee Bay. Drive through the town and over the bridge, then turn left. Coffee Shack is on your right side.
From the N2, take the Coffee Bay turn off. Follow the road for about 50km, then turn right at the sign to Zithulele Hospital/Lubanzi Backpackers. Follow the Zithulele road for about 17km, then turn right at the Lubanzi Backpacker sign. Follow the dirt road for about 5km, then turn left just before the beach.
Route 1: Take the Coffee Bay turn off the N2. Drive straight for 37km until you reach
Nokholedji Store (yellow MTN container outside on right hand side of road). Take a right
onto the dirt road and drive straight for about 10km. Follow the road as it curves sharply to
your right (do not take left turn). After another 10km you will drive through a small stream
and soon after you will reach the Arts Centre – turn right here (Embekweni Store will be on
your right). Within 500m take a right at the first fork. After 7½km, keep left at the
blue school. After 2km keep right at the next fork and after another 1km keep left at the
next fork (if in doubt follow the main/widest road). Follow this road until just before it ends(another 6½km). On your right there will be a newish dirt road with some peach-coloured
houses and a bright yellow corner fence pole as landmarks. Turn right on to this newish
dirt road and drive straight for 5 km until you see the lodge parking area. It is a 500m
walk from here to the lodge.
Route 2: Take the Coffee Bay turn off the N2. After 50 km you will see a tar road road to
your right signposted “Zithulele Mission Hospital”. Take this road and drive straight for 16.5
km where you will reach a right turn signposted “Bulungula”. Take this right turn. This dirt
road curves immediately left and then right down the hill. Follow this road for 9km (after
5km there will be a left turn, ignore it). At the 9km mark you will see a face-brick school on
your left and then soon after you will reach a T-junction – keep left here. Drive straight for
another 4km (ignore right turn after 1km) until you reach the shop with the huge wall -
keep left at this junction. After another 1km you will see the signs to Bulungula/Arts
Centre, turn left. Follow directions for Route 1 above.