Winter is not always the best time to go to the South Coast but that did not stop us. We contacted Mandy, the owner of the Palm Beach Chalets and she was very pleasant and super-efficient. We knew that it is textile accommodation unless we book all 3 chalets in which case, we could be nude. With Mpenjati Naturist Friendly Beach just down the road, we decided that we could go textile at the chalet and then we could spend time nude at the Mpenjati Naturist Beach. We booked for 7 nights in July, and we looked forward our short holiday there.
We had a lucky week there because there were no other guests, so we were able to go nude anyway. On the second day we decided to drive to the Oribi Gorge and Leopard Rock. The drive was pleasant, and the scenery was beautiful. The restaurant had great food, fast service and there was a stunning view. We also went to the Red Desert, which is the smallest desert in the world.
On the Saturday morning we parked at the Mpenjati North side, and we went on a walk at the Mpenjati Reserve. There is a wooden look-out point on the walk which overlooks the Mpenjati estuary. It was a very enjoyable walk and it had been well maintained. There was a lot of birdlife and plenty of trees and bushes. The wild bucks are often there as well. We enjoyed the walk with a very local lady who certainly knows everything about the Mpenjati area. We also walked on the actual Mpenjati Naturist Beach. There was only 1 naturist tanning nude there.
On the Sunday, we decided to go back to the Mpenjati Beach for a swim and to see if there were any naturists there. There was another one naturist there but a local guy, Nicolaas, arrived with his dog. Most of the naturists know him because he is really a nice guy, and he does all sorts of exercises on the beach (nude of course). I had a long chat to him about naturism and about the law. He is really on the ball, I had appreciated his help and support a few years ago when the Deputy Public Protector was on the beach with us during the investigations about the legality of the Mpenjati Naturist Friendly Beach. The pastor who had complained about the nudist beach was there and I am 100% sure that Nicolaas knows the bible better than the pastor. He was happy to quote versus of the bible and the pastor was out of his depth in my opinion. Nicolaas had also been a witness in a court case regarding naturists at Mpenjati and the findings were NOT GUILTY, and all costs were paid by the person who had complained about the nudity.
As most of us know, the Public Protector gave the municipality 30 days to withdraw the approval of the Mpenjati Naturist Beach which they did. It is therefore NOT AN OFFICIAL NUDIST BEACH, so we are always careful not to offend anybody. The only way to have a legal nudist beach in South Africa is to have the Act amended which bans public nudity. To get that Act amended would be possible but highly unlikely, as long as church groups are going to object to nudity in public – like on a nudist beach. That beach has been used by naturists for over 30 years and it will be used for the next 30 years as well.
When we arrived back at the Palm Beach Chalets the weather was hot, so I tanned nude for a few hours. We had a braai that night. The 3 chalets are very affordable and value for the price compared to other accommodation in the area. Each chalet has a main bedroom with a queen-sized bed, a bathroom with a shower, a toilet and a hand basin. The kitchen is well equipped and there is a breakfast nook. There are single beds or double bunks in the lounge area which has a TV. There is a built-in braai outside with plastic garden furniture. The pool was clean and there was a tanning bed. Will we go back again? Yes, for sure!
