Queenstown now Komani, a town located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa is a quiet and a peaceful place which serves as a hub for small towns in the area. It has excellent schools, tourist sites, medical services, convenience shopping, food outlets, sports facilities among others. As a tourist there are things you can and cannot do. Let’s look at 5 do’s and dont’s whilst in Komani or Queenstown.
Five (5) things you can do
Visit Museums
Fun & Games
Go shopping
Going to the Casino & Gambling
Outdoor Activities
Five (5) things you cannot do
It is recommended that you always keep your room locked at all times.
Never walk alone in quite neighborhoods. Always ensure you are in a group of at least 4 people.
Use registered, qualified tour guides for sight-seeing and entertainment.
Travel in groups, especially if you are visiting a nightclub, bar or shebeen you haven’t been before.
Travel with certified copies of your valuable documents, and keep originals in a safe place.
Queenstown, officially Komani, nicked name Rose Capital of South Africa due to the lush rose garden that grows in and around the area. The town is in the middle of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, between the smaller towns of Carthcart and Sterktstroom on the N6 National Route and has an area size of 71.3km square (27.5 sq. mi). It was established in 1853 by Sir George Cathcart, who named the town after Britain’s Queen Victoria.
Queenstown or Komani originally meant to serve as a military outpost for the British, to protect them against any attacks during the Frontier Wars, which involve clashes between the British and the Xhosa tribe over territory. The town planned around a central hexagon, has a unique feature in the world, which was to be the point to where citizens could flee if there were signs of trouble, radiating like the spokes of a wagon wheel from the central point. Even though the feature was never used for its original purpose, you will find it there today.
Queenstown Hexagon
“Image by Komani via Wikipedia” Hexagon
The town is surrounded by beautiful hills and lush environments. Today Queenstown has grown into a service town for farmers from the area, and is a popular stopover for travelers.
The climatic conditions in summer are warm, the winters are short, cold, dry, and windy, and it is mostly clear all year round. The best time for tourism activities is from late November to mid-April.
There are 8 ways to get to Queenstown, either, bus, car, plane or train from the capital city, Gauteng (Johannesburg). The driving distance between Gauteng (Johannesburg) to Komani is 643km. The road distance is 769.5km and it takes approximately 8h 56m to drive.
Routes to Queenstownor Komani
Bus from Johannesburg to Queenstown is 10h drive or by train 15h 35m
Bus through Welkom to Queenstown 10h 4m or by car 8h 56m
Flight from Johannesburg to East London, bus to Queenstown is 4h 30m
Flight from Johannesburg to Umtata, bus to Queenstown is 5h
Flight from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein, bus to Queenstown 5h 30m
Flight from Johannesburg through Port Elizabeth, bus to Queenstown is approximately 6h 10m.
