Today I am going to sing the praises of Port Elizabeth.

‘Why?’ I hear you ask, ‘What’s so special about Port Elizabeth?’ Well, everything, really.  This is an unassuming city that has quietly got on with developing a tourism industry, making itself attractive to investors, cleaning up its act and staying out of trouble.  And all of this without fuss or fanfare. Recently I had to do an article on the 2010 World Cup stadia – their identities and their progress.  I did not look forward to this assignment, as getting anything interesting out of anyone to do with the World Cup is as challenging as interviewing the Yeti.  Most 2010 personnel are just too high up in their ivory towers to talk to us mere mortals down below.  The 2010 head of planning for Port Elizabeth is a Mr Errol Heynes.  When I telephoned him, he answered the phone straight away, listened politely to my request for information – and within an hour had sent me a well-written answer to my question about the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium.   This was a week ago and I am still trying to get anyone from any of the other host cities to give me the time of day . Errol told me that PE’s 2010 stadium was unique in its setting, placed between a fresh-water lake and the Indian Ocean – both of which are visible from the stadium.  The building is designed to open up to resemble a sunflower in bloom, which is the emblem of the Eastern Cape (the Sunshine Coast).  It is a landmark, being visible from everywhere in the city and the first thing you see if you arrive in PE on the N2 from the east. Errol went on to say that the stadium was necessary for a city of 1,25 million people without an adequate sports venue.  The stadium, he believes, is going to be a big drawcard for exhibition games in all the sporting codes. After I had scraped myself up off the floor in astonishment at this display of what I can only call old-fashioned courtesy (and you must remember that Mr Heynes is a gentleman with a lot on his plate), I remembered that, whenever I have had dealings with those friendly people in PE, I end up being impressed beyond imagining. These are people who have got their act together without the sturm und drang of South Africa’s other major cities.   Their tourism website is impressive in a quiet and understated way, containing all the information you would need. And don’t for one moment think that all this quality and effort is going to waste – PE and its surrounds are forging ahead.  Visitors pour into the place, attracted by the game reserves, the quiet surroundings, the climate, the friendly atmosphere. Want history?  PE’s got plenty.  Wildlife and nature reserves?  Outside PE are some of the best.  Sightseeing?  There’s scenery in abundance, beaches as good as any anywhere, architecture in spades, plenty for children to do, sea-sports of the highest calibre (fishing, surfing, snorkeling, whale-watching, you name it.)  The only mystery here is why PE is still regarded as off the beaten track. It’s a good way to finish off the Garden Route – just a little further along past Van Staden’s bridge and you’re there.  Your choice of places to stay includes the Addo Elephant Park, lots of private game reserves and lodges around the city and all the way out to the Sunday’s River Valley.  The coast here is wonderful for swimming and boating, with rivers and beaches.  The city itself is worth a look – the best way perhaps is by following the Donkin Heritage Trail that links 47 places of interest.  For night owls there is a ‘Ghost Trail’. The city calls itself the leading centre of Art Nouveau architecture in SA, with plenty of curly stonework, wrought iron and stained glass.   Most of the buildings date back to the era when Port Elizabeth was an important harbour for the wool industry.  The private game reserves boast the ‘Big Seven’ – in addition to the Big Five you can see the two largest sea creatures:  the whale and the whale-shark.  It is a completely different experience to go for a game drive with the blue sea on the horizon.  There is also a geological oddity in that the sand dunes of the Alexandria coast just outside PE are a half-buried ‘tail’ of the Namib desert. Whenever I visit I am pleasantly surprised by the number of overseas visitors who have decided to include PE in their itinerary. Possibly the best thing about PE and its surrounds is that it is good value for money.  Accommodation and attractions of this quality would cost three to four times more in other, more fashionable, areas of South Africa.   Here you get service, quality and experience combined with a reasonable price. On my last visit to the area, I met an Irish couple on honeymoon who were completely blown away by the Eastern Cape.  So am I.