Trick or Trip? 7 Spooky Places in South Africa

Halloween is the in the air, and we couldn't hold back from sharing the 7 most frighting spots you should explore in South Africa this season.

1) The ghostly horseman at Tokai Manor House

Courtesy of shlin7 via Instagram

On New Year’s Eve be sure to visit Tokai Manor House set amongst ghostly trees. It is a National Monument which has escaped damage from terrible fires and now houses the headquarters of the Table Mountain National Park.

In the early 1800s inveterate partier Petrus Michiel Eksteen became the owner of the house. The house has a dramatic entrance with steep stairs and at one of Eksteen’s raucous New Year’s Eve parties, his son Frederick accepted his father’s wager to ride his horse up the staircase and into the dining room. Frederick circled the dining room table on horseback before tragedy struck and he fell down the stairs with his horse, breaking his neck. These days one can hear a horse galloping at full speed in the forest, and on New Year’s Eve the ghostly rider attempts to ascend the stairs once again.

2) The Flying Dutchman Wreck at Cape Point

Courtesy of Ickramer via Instagram

Over the years lighthouse keepers at the Cape of Good Hope have reported multiple sightings of the ghost ship the Flying Dutchman during storms. The famous ship tried to find safe harbour during a terrible storm around the Cape of Good Hope but never made it and is now doomed to sail the seas for eternity. It is considered a terrible omen to see the Flying Dutchman while at

3) Ghostly sightings in Matjiesfontein, the Karoo

Courtesy of shlin7 via Instagram

The splendid Matjiesfontein hotel in the middle of the Karoo is full of ghosts. You may hear Katie shuffling her cards in Katie’s Card Room, or see the ghost known as Lucy wandering around in her negligee. Ghostly British soldiers from the Boer War are said to haunt the staircase while the hotel insists that the spirit of the founder of Matjiesfontein, James Logan, is still present in the Hotel. Just 250 km from Cape Town off the N1, a frighteningly good weekend in Matjiesfontein is a few hours’ drive away.

4) Shoulder-tapping ghosts in Rust en Vreugd, Cape Town

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Be careful when you feel a tap on your shoulder in Rust en Vreugd, an Iziko Museum in Cape Town. Some say this is the most haunted house in Cape Town.

5) Beware the Uniondale Hitch-hiker

Courtesy of stellamarais via Instagram

Many claim to have picked up a hitch-hiker on the lonely road to Uniondale only to have her disappear mid-journey. One motorcyclist said that his bike actually swerved from the shifted weight as a result of her disappearance.

6) The helpful hands at the Kimberley library…

Courtesy of flyingdutchmanart via Instagram

Librarians at the Africana Library in Kimberley say that if you request a book, helpful ghosts have been known to knock that book off the shelves onto the floor.

7) Heartbreak at the Nottingham Road Hotel, KZN

Courtesy of blacksdoswim via Instagram

When you stay at Nottingham Road hotel tucked into the rolling green hills of the KZN Midlands, be prepared to encounter ghostly Charlotte. Charlotte is a heartbroken ghost who is said to have been in love with a British soldier who died on the battlefield, she was so grief-stricken that she flung herself over the balcony at the hotel, to her untimely death. A less savoury account has it that she was a a lady of the night who fell victim to a client who would not pay and then pushed her to her death. Charlotte is said to be fond of tidying and will rearrange flowers and objects in your room and she may even pull your toes while you are sleeping…

Enjoy the trip, and let us know if you need help planning and crafting and awesome experience for you :)