Whales can be spotted in the Bay from May to late October and dolphins can be seen daily on their way back and forth between the Bays of Cape St. Francis and Jeffrey's Bay. The Cape Clawless Otter is also ever present, frolicking in the waves and rock pools around the Port of St. Francis area and at Otters Landing.

Nature lovers can enjoy the hiking trails meandering through the nature reserves and along a dune river system, with its unique landscape, where you can view the area's "Fynbos" (fine leafed indigenous plants) and see antelope roam freely. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded including the rare African Oyster Catcher and magnificent Fish Eagle.

St. Francis Bay also has two 18 hole golf courses, St. Francis Bay Golf Course and the St. Francis Links, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course.

The Addo Elephant Park, situated in a malaria free area is a mere hour and a quarter's drive from St. Francis Bay and offers the best elephant viewing in the world.

South Africa has 11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho. English is widely spoken.

South Africa's currency is the Rand (ZAR), which is divided into 100 cents. Money can be exchanged at banks, bureaux de change and the larger hotels. ATMs are widely available (there is a daily limit for cash withdrawals) and major international credit cards are widely accepted, except in petrol stations where cash is required. Visitors should be vigilant when drawing cash from ATMs, as con artists are known to operate there. Travellers cheques and some foreign currencies are accepted at larger hotels and shops, but commission is charged, otherwise all commercial banks will exchange them.

St. Francis Bay is an hour away from a major city (Port Elizabeth) and offers limited night life. St. Francis can be windy, so a windbreaker is essential.

Eating out is popular and the restaurants and bars offer an opportunity to sample our large range of South African wines, which are very affordable in comparison with other countries. Nearby Jeffrey's Bay provides a much bigger range of nightlife options.

St. Francis Bay has a wide variety of restaurants and coffee shops that offer a good reasonable selection of meals. Most restaurants in South Africa have a reputation for good food at affordable prices and St. Francis Bay is no different. Most of the restaurants focus on seafood, with local calamari being a menu highlight. Popular restaurants include Porthole Restaurant and Bar, and Trattoria San Francesco.

The village has several small shops and art galleries that will cater to almost all your needs and ensure that you find some souvenirs to take back home. There are two fair sized supermarkets which will provide all your basic requirements. In high season most of the shops are open seven days a week.

Local time is GMT +2.