Areena-Riverside-Resort-About-and-Facilities

About & Facilities

OUR STORY

FACILITIES

ACCOLADES

RESORT MAP

OUR STORY

Areena Riverside Resort is situated on the banks of the Kwelera tidal river, 23 km east of East London city centre, at the beginning of the Eastern Cape Wild Coast. Areena Riverside Resort offers you unsurpassed views of the river, wildlife, birds and surrounding wild coast vegetation.

Areena Riverside Resort is the culmination of the dream of Ed and Karen Rathbone to have a unique family holiday destination. Areena Riverside Resort was established over 30 years ago and after a lot of hard work and dedication, the Rathbone’s were rewarded when the caravanning fraternity voted them as S.A. Top Resort in 2004.

WHY IS THE RESORT CALLED AREENA?

The name AREENA originates from the Rathbone family itself. Nola Rathbone (Ed Rathbone’s mother) used the front letters of her 6 family members as the farm name of the property that Areena Riverside Resort is now on.

A – ALON: Second Oldest Son (Alon is Nola spelt backwards)
R – RUSSEL: Third Brother (deceased)
E – EDWARD: The father (Nola’s late husband)
E – EDWARD: The oldest son (owner of Areena Resort)
N – NOLA: The mother
A – ANGELA: The youngest daughter

And farm AREENA was born. A horse riding arena is spelt with one E, this was adapted to suit the Rathbone family farm name, very suited to a family with a love of horses. And when the time came for Ed and Karen to name their resort, Areena Riverside Resort, was an obvious choice. Our River Cruiser, KAREENA, has Ed’s wife Karen’s initial on the front of Areena, in keeping with the family tradition.