Published on Feb, 2025
We booked a 1/2 day coastal tour with Carlin Tours. Our cruise did not offer this tour and we only had a 1/2 day since the ship disembarked early in the afternoon. Our tour guide, Kyle, arrived at the cruise terminal before we got off the ship so this maximized our time. I was concerned about getting back in time but Kyle eased our worries and constantly reassured us that we were on track and would be back in plenty of time. Even though two couples from our cruise ship booked this same tour, Carlin decided to put each couple in their own vehicle so each could have a more personalized experience. Carlin met us as we came off the ship and passed us into Kyle’s capable hands. We toured a local pier and beaches, a lighthouse with amazing views (highly recommended climbing to the top if you are able), penguin rescue center, stopped at roadside lookouts with spectacular views of the shoreline, sand dunes at the beach, and a local market with an organic garden (such a great find!). As guaranteed, we were back at the ship with time to spare. The tour far exceeded our expectations. I highly recommend booking this tour when you find yourself in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. If you are not limited to 1/2 day as we were, I’d look into spending even more time on the tour.